2018 Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) Student Workshop

Ohio State University, The, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

The Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) is the primary international organization for computational linguistics and natural language processing. It also is one of the primary application areas for researchers in machine learning and artificial intelligence. The proceedings of its annual meeting provide the foundation of the field; it is the most cited and most respected publication in computational linguistics. Thus, it is also the most important gathering of researchers in computational linguistics and natural language processing. This project is to subsidize travel, conference and housing expenses of students selected to participate in the ACL Student Research Workshop, which will take place during the main ACL conference from July 15-25, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. The Student Research Workshop helps create a new generation of researchers with a more thorough understanding of their field, with connections and collaborations across institutions, and with innovative and exciting research programs. This contributes to America's pool of researchers with the needed scientific and engineering knowledge and skills. The workshop encourages a spirit of collaborative research and builds a supportive environment for a new generation of computational linguists. The Student Research Workshop solicits two categories of submissions: research papers and research proposals. The research proposal can have only one author who must be a student. The research papers can have multiple authors, with the first author being a student (at either the graduate or undergraduate level). The workshop is a venue for students to receive constructive critical feedback on their work from experts outside of their institution, and to connect with other students and senior researchers in their field. The students gain exposure by presenting their work earlier than they would otherwise (i.e., in a form not yet ready for the main conference). This is particularly valuable for students from smaller institutions and undergraduate students. In addition, the workshop is organized and run by students. The student organizers gain valuable opportunities for professional growth and interaction with the researchers on the organizing committee of the main conference. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.