WiML 3rd Un-Workshop @ ICML 2022

[submissions are now closed]

The Women in Machine Learning will be organizing the third un-workshop at ICML 2022. The un-workshop is based on the concept of an un-conference, a form of discussion on a pre-selected topic that is primarily driven by participants. Different from the traditional workshop format, the un-workshop’s main focus is topical breakout sessions with short invited talks and casual, informal poster presentations. This is an event format to encourage more participant interaction and we are excited to be able to explore this format in-person for the first time!

The overall goal of the un-workshop is to advance research through collaboration and increased interaction among participants from diverse backgrounds. Students, postdocs and researchers in all areas of Machine Learning who are woman or non-binary are encouraged to submit a one-page proposal to lead a breakout session on a certain research topic. There are many ways to participate, see below!

IMPORTANT DATES

• May 27th, 2022 -- Application Form opens

• June 17th 19th, 2022 -- Deadline (Anywhere on Earth) to apply for a breakout session, poster, registration fee funding, facilitating or volunteering

• June 20th, 2022 -- Notification of acceptance for all of the above (midnight Anywhere on Earth)

• July 18th, 2022 -- WiML Un-Workshop Day

Various ways of participating in WiML un-workshop

1. Lead a breakout session: submit a proposal to lead a breakout session on a certain research topic.

2. Facilitate a breakout session: assist breakout session leaders by taking notes and encouraging participant interactions and taking attendance.

3. Present a poster: present a poster in a casual, informal setting.

4. Volunteer: help with technical setup and in-event needs.

5. Attend: participate in breakout session discussions.

1. Breakout session proposals: A breakout session is a 1-hour free-form discussion overseen by 1-3 leaders and with assistance from 1-2 facilitators to take notes and encourage participant interactions. We strongly encourage students, postdocs, and researchers who are women or nonbinary in all areas of machine learning to submit a proposal to lead a topical breakout session. A complete proposal consists of a 1 page blind PDF (example here) and the names and bios of leaders submitted separately in the application form. We strongly recommend having at least 2 leaders, with a diverse set of leaders preferred (see selection criteria below). The names of facilitators can also be provided if known at submission time. Otherwise, the organizers will match facilitators to breakout sessions. WiML registration fee funding is prioritized for accepted breakout session leaders who fulfill certain eligibility criteria (see details below) and do not have any other sources of funding. Only one proposal submission per leader is allowed. If there are multiple leaders, only one leader needs to submit the proposal. There are no proceedings.

Guidelines for and roles of leaders:

• Breakout session leaders must be women or nonbinary

• Point-out key characteristics of your topic and make connections with other topics.

• Describe the key challenges in this research area on a high-level.

• Describe the key approaches on a high-level to provide intuition.

• Highlight possible points of discussion/goals to achieve during the session.

• Use graphics/imagery and materials e.g. slides as needed

• Encourage inclusive (rather than unilateral) discussions

• Leaders should anticipate a small additional time commitment before the un-workshop to receive briefing/training and a possible dry run.

Submission instructions for breakout sessions:

• Proposals must be no more than 1 page (including any references, tables, and figures) submitted as a PDF.

• Main body text must be minimum 11 point font size and page margins must be minimum 0.75 inches (all sides).

• Your proposal should stand alone, without linking to a longer paper or supplement.

• You should provide a brief description of the topics you’d like to discuss, any relevant references, a plan for how you would organize the time (1 hour) allocated for a session, as well as some ideas on how you would encourage discussion and participant interaction during the session.

• The PDF must not include identifying information, as it will be reviewed blind.

• In particular, the PDF should not contain information of the leaders or facilitators. Instead, submit their information in the application form.

Selection criteria for breakout sessions:

• The degree to which it is expected that participants will find the topic interesting and valuable.

• Diversity of leaders and facilitators, including diversity of experience/seniority, affiliation, race, viewpoint and thinking regarding the topic, etc.

• Plans for encouraging discussion and participant interaction during the session.

2. Facilitators: If you are interested in facilitating a breakout session but have not yet connected with anyone submitting a breakout session proposal, you can indicate your interest in the application form. The role of facilitators is take notes and encourage participant interactions. Organizers will match selected facilitators to breakout sessions. Facilitators should anticipate a small additional time commitment before the un-workshop to receive briefing/training and a possible dry run. Also note that facilitators can be of any gender.

3. Posters: If you wish to present a poster, submit EITHER a short abstract (max 1500 characters) OR a PDF of the poster (only if you have it already). The poster may describe new, previously, concurrently published, or work-in-progress research. Posters in theory, methods, and applications are welcome. Accepted posters will be presented in a casual, informal setting. This setting is very different from formal poster sessions, e.g. at WiML Workshop at NeurIPS. While the exact presentation format is still being determined, we expect to be able to provide spots for everyone to display a physical poster. There are no oral or spotlight presentations, but you will be invited to submit a 5-10 minute video presentation uploaded to a video streaming service. Note that there are no proceedings.

Submission instructions for posters:

• Submitted materials may contain identifying information, as posters for this un-workshop are not reviewed blind.

• Your submission should stand alone, without linking to a longer paper or supplement.

• You should convey motivation and give some technical details of the approach used.

• While we acknowledge that space is limited, some experimental results are likely to improve reviewers’ opinions of your poster.

• The poster presenter be woman or nonbinary; other authors can be of any gender. The poster presenter does not need to be the first author of the work. Only one poster submission per presenter is allowed.

• If your poster is not prepared yet, you can submit a one-page abstract, examples of accepted abstracts from previous years can be found here, and advice on writing a one-page abstract can be found here.

4. Volunteering: We are seeking volunteers to help with technical setup and virtual technology testing before the event, as well as help during the event, e.g. letting people into Zoom rooms, etc. We may also need emergency reviewers for breakout session proposals. You can indicate if you can help in any way in corresponding section of the application form. Note: We also encourage you to apply for ICML volunteer and funding opportunities, which are separate and independent of WiML funding. Check the ICML website directly for details.

5. Participation instructions: To participate in ANY of the above roles and/or apply for registration fee funding, please fill in the application form by June 17, 2022. Selected breakout session leaders, facilitators, poster presenters, volunteers, and funding recipients will be notified individually by the dates mentioned above. If you only wish to attend, we still recommend you fill in this form to provide your timezone and topic preferences. All participants are required to abide by the WiML Code of Conduct.

6. Registration fee funding: To apply for funding, you should: (i) be a woman or nonbinary; (ii) be a student, postdoc, or have an equivalent position (equivalent positions include unemployed recent grads and early career researchers from underrepresented geographical regions); (iii) participate in at least one breakout session as a leader, facilitator, or attendee. Due to limited funding, we may not be able to support everyone eligible; however, we hope to support as many eligible applicants as possible. Accepted breakout session leaders who fulfill the above eligibility criteria and do not have any other sources of funding will be prioritized for WiML funding. Other participants are also encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to individuals from underrepresented regions or groups, first-time attendees of ICML or similar conferences, and individuals who would benefit the most from this funding.

Further questions? Check out the FAQs (https://wimlworkshop.org/faq/) or reach us at workshop@wimlworkshop.org

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