<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2" face="Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:16px"></span></font><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:12pt;background-color:white"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><font size="2" face="Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:16px">
Dear Autonians,<br><br>For the second year in a row, Will Herlands and I are organizing a NIPS workshop on <em>Machine Learning for the Developing World
</em>that may be of interest to some of you. We'd also appreciate your help spreading the word. Thanks!</span></font><br>
<br></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px">Maria</div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Call for papers: NIPS workshop on ML for the Developing World (ML4D)</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">******************************<wbr>******************************<wbr>*********************</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Workshop on Machine Learning for the Developing World, NIPS 2018</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Date: December 8th, 2018</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Location: Montreal, Canada</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Website: </span><a href="http://www.sites.google.com/view/ml4d-nips-2018" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">sites.google.com/view/ml4d-<wbr>nips-2018</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">******************************<wbr>******************************<wbr>*********************</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Now available:</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Travel awards! (</span><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd5aY8SwS57UArWto3eU6-m6mF7JfSX4f_cgWaMZJJKKxCN6A/viewform" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">apply here</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">)</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Workshop registration awards! (</span><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrSfv2kIbXdOaUbnC4008lboHGmZnSgqXY9mL72ZA1lUMbJA/viewform" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">apply here</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">)</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Deadline: October 25</span></p></li></ul><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Call for papers</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">: </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">For the second year in a row, NIPS is host to a one-day workshop focused on machine learning for the developing world (ML4D). This year’s workshop focuses on creating sustainable impact within ML4D that can advance both machine learning research and global development objectives.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">We invite researchers to submit their recent work on this topic, including:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">* Applications of ML to development issues including health, education, institutional integrity, violence mitigation, economics, societal analysis, and environment.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">* Novel ML techniques inspired by limitations in development challenges.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">* Technical or procedural systems to ensure sustainable ML4D projects.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">* Limitations and risks of data science and ML for development.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Please submit 2-4 page extended abstracts to <a href="mailto:ml4d.nips@gmail.com" target="_blank">ml4d.nips@gmail.com</a>, following the </span><a href="https://nips.cc/Conferences/2017/PaperInformation/StyleFiles" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">NIPS style</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> guidelines. Accepted papers will be presented as posters or contributed talks, and may opt-in to be published in an arXiv proceedings.</span></p><br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Key dates:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Submission deadline: October 25, 2018</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Travel/registration award deadline: October 25, 2018</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Acceptance notification: November 5, 2018</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Workshop: December 8, 2018</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(33,33,33);background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Speakers</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">-- Daniel Neill (NYU)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">-- Monica Meltis (Data Civica)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">-- Anandan (Wadhwaniai Institute)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">-- Sriganesh Lokanathan (LIRNE Asia)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">-- Nyalleng Moorosi (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa)</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Workshop overview</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Global development experts are beginning to employ ML for diverse problems such as aiding rescue workers allocate resources during natural disasters, providing intelligent educational and healthcare services in regions with few human experts, and detecting corruption in government contracts. While ML represents a tremendous hope for accelerated development and societal change, it is often difficult to ensure that machine learning projects provide their promised benefit. The challenging reality in developing regions is that pilot projects disappear after a few years or do not have the same effect when expanded beyond the initial test site, and prototypes of novel methodologies are often never deployed.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">At the center of this year’s program is how to achieve sustainable impact of Machine Learning for the Developing World (ML4D). This one-day workshop will bring together a diverse set of participants from across the globe to discuss major roadblocks and paths to action. Practitioners and development experts will discuss essential elements for ensuring successful deployment and maintenance of technology in developing regions. Additionally, the workshop will feature cutting edge research in areas such as transfer learning, unsupervised learning, and active learning that can help ensure long-term ML system viability. Attendees will learn about contextual components to ensure effective projects, development challenges that can benefit from machine learning solutions, and how these problems can inspire novel machine learning research.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The workshop will include invited and contributed talks, a poster session of accepted papers, panel discussions, and breakout sessions tailored to the workshop theme. We welcome paper submissions focussing on core ML methodology addressing ML4D roadblocks, application papers that showcase successful examples of ML4D, and research that evaluates the societal impact of ML.</span></p><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:12.8px">María De Arteaga</span><br style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:12.8px">PhD Student in Machine Learning and Public Policy</span><br style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Carnegie Mellon University</span><br></div></div></div>
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