SIGSOFT Call for 2025–26 Summer/Winter School Proposals

SIGSOFT is excited to announce the launch of the 2025/2026 Call for Proposals aimed at providing financial support to summer or winter schools focused on all aspects of software engineering across the world. Our goal is to promote education, foster academic growth, and improve access to quality learning experiences.

We welcome applications from all regions and are particularly interested in proposals from outside North America and Europe, as part of our ongoing commitment to foster global educational opportunities and inclusivity.

Support Details:

1. Funding: Selected proposals will receive financial support of up to USD $10,000 per school program, depending on the scope and scale of the project. Not all of the schools are expected to get the full amount of funding they request.
2. Duration: The grant covers summer/winter school programs taking place between August 1, 2025, and August 31, 2026
3. Anyone is eligible to apply. Priority will be given to applicants/organizers who are SIGSOFT members.

Proposal Requirements:

Interested applicants should make a submission via https://sigsoft-summerschool25.hotcrp.com/. To streamline both the submission preparation and review process, we are using a form-based approach. Each submission must complete 14 specified fields covering three major aspects as outlined below.

1. Program Overview. A description of the summer/winter school program, including:
   Objectives (max 300 words): The goals and expected impact of the summer/winter school.
   Target Audience: Define the intended participants (e.g., UG/MSc/PhD students, early-career researchers, industry practitioners).
   Duration & Location: Specify the length of the program and proposed dates, venue, and the delivery format (in-person or hybrid).
   Organizing Team and Experience (max 200 words): Briefly introduce organizers and their relevant experience.
   Past Performance (if applicable): Success of previous editions, participant feedback, logistical execution.
2. Curriculum and Activities. A brief outline of the proposed summer/winter school, including:
   Curriculum Outline (max 300 words): A structured overview of topics covered.
   Innovative Approaches (max 200 words): Highlight any unique teaching methods (e.g., hands-on coding labs, mentorship, hackathons, interdisciplinary collaborations).
   Experiential Learning (max 200 words): Describe any real-world applications, industry involvement, or project-based learning opportunities.
   Diversity & Inclusion Considerations (max 200 words): Outline any efforts to ensure broad participation (e.g., scholarships, outreach to underrepresented groups).
3. Budget and Financial Plan. A brief budget specifying:
   Requested SIGSOFT Grant Amount: Clearly specify the amount requested in USD, up to USD $10,000.
   Minimum Viable Budget: The lowest amount necessary to successfully run the event in USD. Note that the minimum viable budget can be equal to or less than the amount requested.
   Budget Breakdown (max 300 words): Provide a concise breakdown of how the funds will be used (e.g., travel, venue, speaker honoraria, materials, diversity and inclusion activities).
   External Sponsorship & Support (max 200 words): Indicate other funding sources (if any) and how they complement SIGSOFT funding.
   Contingency Plan (max 200 words): Briefly discuss alternative options if full funding is not received (e.g., scaling down activities, hybrid models).

Submission and Review Process:

Please submit your proposal via HotCRP, at https://sigsoft-summerschool25.hotcrp.com/, no later than April 16, 2025. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered for this funding round.

Submissions will be reviewed by a small selection committee. Notification will be sent by May 14.

Evaluation Criteria:

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Quality, innovation, and potential impact of the proposed curriculum and activities.
2. Clear and achievable program objectives and outcomes.
3. Feasibility and sustainability of the program.
4. Clarity and necessity of requested funds, alignment with objectives.
5. Commitment to diversity and inclusion
6. Alignment with SIGSOFT’s mission and goals.

Organizers of all successful proposals will be expected to provide a financial report outlining how SIGSOFT funds have been spent and summarize the achievement of the summer/winter for Software Engineering Notes (SEN) and the SIGSOFT blog.

We look forward to receiving your proposals and supporting the growth of outstanding summer/winter school programs in software engineering.

For any questions or further information, please feel free to contact Christoph Treude at ctreude@smu.edu.sg or Yuan Tian at y.tian@queensu.ca. We are happy to assist with any inquiries regarding the proposal process!

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