[Air-L] Fee Waiver/Travel Stipend for IR13.0 (deadline Aug. 15)

[Alexander Halavais]

Conference Scholarship

In order to increase the diversity of participation in the AoIR annual
Internet Research (IR) conferences, the Association of Internet
Researchers makes available up to three conference fee waivers and
travel stipends per year. The number of fee waivers and travel
stipends will depend first of all upon the ability of the conference
budget to sustain such waivers (a judgment to be made by the AoIR
Executive Committee upon the advice of the AoIR Treasurer and the
local organizing committee) as well as upon the quality of the
applications for fee waivers.

Applications for fee waivers are invited from student or faculty
authors whose paper or panel proposals have already been accepted via
the AoIR IR conference reviewing process. All applications should be
directed to the President of AoIR (Alex Halavais, prez at aoir.org), and
must be received by August 15, 2010. Late applications cannot be
considered.

Applications should be no longer than 2 pages, and must include the
following information:

1) A brief description of how the author’s presentation or
contribution to the AoIR IR conference will uniquely articulate and/or
represent a distinctive perspective (e.g., of persons and/or cultures)
otherwise unlikely to be represented at the annual AoIR Internet
Research conference.

2) An explanation of the author’s distinctive circumstances that would
warrant a fee waiver. These may include, but are by no means limited
to:

* exceptionally limited financial resources (e.g., as a graduate
student or scholar in a non-OECD country, as a disabled person on a
limited income, etc.);

* exceptional limits on institutional support otherwise normally
available (e.g., travel funds, grant funds, etc.);

* other exceptional circumstances that render the usual AoIR IR
conference fees an insurmountable obstacle to attending the IR
conference in order to present one’s own work.

Applicants may also include a letter of support from someone familiar
with her / his circumstances, special needs, etc. Such a letter is
optional, however, not a requirement.

Applications will be reviewed by the AoIR Executive Committee. Fee
waivers and travel stipends of up to $500 will be awarded on the basis
of the Executive Committee’s collective judgment as to which
presentations will make the most distinctive contribution to the AoIR
IR conference. In order to respect and protect the privacy of the
applicants, all Executive Committee discussions and deliberations will
be held in strict confidence.

The AoIR Executive Committee regretfully acknowledges that there will
be more fully meritorious applications than we will be able to award
and support. Nonetheless, we hope that awarded fee waivers and travel
stipends will not only assist deserving scholars and researchers, but
also thereby enrich the IR 13.0 conference in important new ways.