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Future of GEM Discussion

June 6, 2025

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Advertise Opening SC Positions

Christine Gabrielse

Chair

Allison Jaynes

Chair-Elect

Chris

Mouikis

Meeting

Organizer

Jing Liao

Meeting

Organizer

Erika Hathaway

Student

Rep

Austin Smith

Student

Rep

Sarah

Vines

MIC

Mike

Shumko

At-Large

Ian

Cohen

At-Large

Lynn Wilson

SWMI

Kevin

Genestreti

MPS

Jiang

Liu

MPS

Xiangning

Chu

At-Large

Xiaojia

Zhang

MIC

Victoria

Wilder

SWMI

Lunjin

Chen

IMAG

Soléne

Lejosne

IMAG

Daniel

Welling

GSM

Kareem Sorathia

GSM

Fraz

Bashir

At-Large

Thank you to our outgoing members for your years of service!

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  • Much is uncertain, but…
  • We want consistent messaging during the workshop
  • What we know:
    • UNH (Chris/Jing) are Meeting Organizers through February 2026.
    • They can therefore plan a mini-GEM for this year.
    • NSF is soliciting new Meeting Organizer proposals
      • Proposers should not propose in the dark. They should indicate interest to our Program Officers and chat with current Meeting Organizers
      • Proposals need to be submitted ASAP.
      • If you have ideas of who might be interested, please poke them ASAP.
    • Workshop costs will need to be trimmed.

Future of GEM

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  • What we don’t really know…
    • NSF funding: We are thus far moving forward with assumption/hope that there will be some, albeit limited, NSF funding for a workshop. (With Program Officer limited guidance—we are doing this with their knowledge.)
    • As there is not yet a Meeting Organizer, it makes planning for next year more tricky, as usually the Meeting Organizer would already be contacting hotels and conference centers to book at this point.

Future of GEM

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  • The Ultimate Question(s)
    • Do we host a GEM workshop next year?
      • Do we investigate the possibility of an in-person meeting?
      • Do we fall back to a virtual meeting as we had during COVID?
      • Do we cancel the workshop for next year until more is certain?
  • Do not need to answer the sub-bullets today, but would like buy-in on the primary question.

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Future of GEM

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  • What does the GEM Grant support? (roughly speaking)
    • Participant support (e.g., student travel/housing)
    • Student-related catering during the workshop (e.g. student day lunch, GEMEE lunch, student elections lunch)
    • Website support
    • Poster boards
    • Supplies/equipment
    • Some administrative personnel
    • Meeting Organizer support (salary and travel to GEM)
  • What does registration cover? (roughly speaking)
    • A/V
    • Mini-GEM
    • Breakfast
    • Student dinner
    • Coffee breaks
    • Wi-fi
    • Invited speakers
    • Banquet
    • Icebreaker Sunday night
    • Family Care
    • SC meeting
    • Registration (for 250 people) roughly comes out to $158k and $678 per person

Future of GEM

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GEM Feature

Median Score

[Wi-fi provided at conference site]

1

[Graduate student support: (currently support student housing, provide half the registration fee, all travel costs)]

3

[Student day support that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, breaks with snacks and A/V support]

3.5

[Two evening poster sessions with ample space to allow for discussions 18. Undergraduate student support up to 4]

5

[Undergraduate student support up to 4]

8

[SBCCI Event: Invited speaker(s)]

8.5

[Family Care Grant—Current set-up is $400 grants go to 8 selected applicants to assist with child/family care costs during meeting]

8.5

[Lower student registration fees (half the price of a PhD registration fee): not a current feature. Adding this feature would either increase registration fees or remove lesser prioritized features.]

8.5

[Web site support that will provide general information, communications in preparation for the meetings, and detailed program information that will allow onsite and remote attendees to participate fully.]

8.5

[Mini-GEM with A/V, coffee and snack support.]

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[Icebreaker event Sunday night: food/drinks included]

9.5

[Early Career support (< 3 years post PhD)—currently support up to 10 ECs by funding half their registration fees + shared housing]

9.5

[Refreshments during the breaks]

10.5

[Banquet]

11

[Queer Beers Event—provide drinks or make drinks available for purchase, hosted onsite] 🡨No longer allowed to fund (can be a community grassroots effort)

13

[Support for the GEMEE mentoring program - provide onsite lunch for 80 people]

14

[Food provided at the two evening poster sessions]

14.5

[Breakfast included]

15

[Remote participant support through support for video conferencing.]

15

[SC meeting during the workshop: includes a meal for all]

15

[GEM App]

15

[Joint meetings with CEDAR/SHINE.]

16

[Support for the student elections - provide onsite lunch for 120 people]

18

[Banquet entertainment (funds for AV equipment, possibility to hire entertainment, in the past we gave small “prizes”)]

19

GEM Features: Ranked by top median score:

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GEM Priority List (SC voted on last year)

Note this says we prioritize supporting students, an SBCCI event, lower student registration fees, over having a Mini-GEM meeting and over a banquet.

NSF has this list to work with future Meeting Organizer

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  • The Ultimate Question(s)
    • Do we host a GEM workshop next year?
      • Do we investigate the possibility of an in-person meeting?
      • Do we fall back to a virtual meeting as we had during COVID?
      • Do we cancel the workshop for next year until more is certain?
  • Do not need to answer the sub-bullets today, but would like buy-in on the primary question and some preliminary discussion on the rest.
  • Consensus answer:
    • Yes, GEM will continue and we will have a workshop next year. This community is too vital for our field’s growth to let it lapse.
    • Important to keep a positive spin and to let NSF know the community views this workshop as vital.
      • What that looks like is still being worked out given the lack of a Meeting Organizer and the current funding uncertainty.
      • We keep virtual in the back of our minds but do not communicate that at this point. Our plan is to try to make a hybrid/in-person meeting happen, even if its smaller.

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Future of GEM

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Grassroots Efforts/Brainstorm

  • University/institute
  • Smaller meetings
  • Libraries you can book (for free?)
  • Think out of the box
  • Poll community/Petition NSF for funding for in person meeting
  • VERSIM is always registration-only funded, volunteer-run, some student support (partial student support) MOP may also be reg only
    • Some institutions give funding (which ones?)
    • 150 people (easy to do, harder if 300+)
    • Don’t have as many meals/extras
    • No salaried organizers
  • Some budget flexibility (submit supplements after submitting a slim proposal) BUT NEED A PROPOSAL
    • ACTION: Contact people!
  • This year: 252 GEM registrants so far. (>300 CEDAR)
  • Universities are MUCH cheaper
    • Facilities, housing for students (dorms)
    • Seminar rooms
  • People may not have funding to travel next year if the budgets are slashed. Is it appropriate to have an in-person meeting if many people can’t attend
  • Students voted against dorms last time, but wouldn’t have a problem if the situation were different from last year
  • Is there a good $ number we should consider for proposals? E.g. Shoot for $200k? NSF won’t decline proposals based on amount. There is negotiation.
  • Don’t forget hybrid options.
  • Jing has broken things down