GRAND contributes small amounts of sponsorship funds to conferences and other such events that are aligned with our research interests and which offer opportunities for information exchange and exploitation or other aspects of knowledge translation in areas related to digital media. Typically three factors come into play:
(1) the degree to which GRAND researchers and their students attend and present work at the conference,
(2) the level of involvement of GRAND researchers in the conference organization, and
(3) whether the conference is held in Canada.
The first two criteria must be met in a substantial way by all successful applications. Conferences that are part of an international series (annual, bi-annual, etc.) being held in Canada on a regular basis as part of a broader sequence of venues may qualify.
GRAND prefers to identify a particular component of a conference that will be supported by its sponsorship funds. Special consideration will be given to proposals that focus on student involvement, such as doctoral consortia, poster or demos sessions, and student volunteer programs that provide access and involvement for students at reduced registration rates.
GRAND funds can be used to support travel or other expenses related to student participation (for students or faculty/industry mentors), on-site networking activities such as food and refreshments during poster or demo sessions, or other expenses that promote the goals above. GRAND funds cannot be used to pay for alcoholic beverages.
A condition of sponsorship is that GRAND must be acknowledged in the conference promotional materials (the conference website, proceedings, press releases, etc.) and the GRAND logo must be displayed in a manner consistent with other sponsors' logos. For conferences with formal sponsorship guidelines, GRAND will normally select one of the pre-defined sponsorship levels.
The expected contribution from GRAND will depend on the degree to which the conference meets the three criteria listed above, the size and scope of the conference, and the need for funds. Contributions usually will not exceed $5,000, which will be typical for a conference with 200 or more attendees held in Canada on a topic of primary interest to GRAND researchers, where GRAND researchers play a significant role in the organizing committee.
Sponsorship by GRAND is subject to funds being available. Applications will be considered at any time, but normally they should be submitted 6-12 months prior to the event to maximize the probability of success. Organizers should expect to enter into a dialogue regarding the targeted use of the funds.
Send an email to [email protected] to request an Event Sponsorship template or additional information about the process. Those considering applications are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this mechanism to ask for clarification and advice during the planning process. Completed applications should be sent as email attachments to [email protected] for consideration.
The GRAND Researcher Guide has additional information about GRAND, including definitions for acronyms, a summary of the research management structure and the roles of the various participants within the network. Potential applicants are advised to review this document when preparing to apply for funding from GRAND.
