IEEE Computer Society Open Conference Statement
Expanding participation in computing is central to the goals of the IEEE Computer Society and all of its conferences. The IEEE Computer Society is firmly committed to broad participation in all sponsored activities, including but not limited to, technical communities, steering committees, conference organizations, standards committees, and ad hoc committees that welcome the entire global community.
IEEE’s mission to foster technological innovation and excellence to benefit humanity requires the talents and perspectives of people with many disciplinary backgrounds.
All individuals are entitled to participate in any IEEE Computer Society activity free of discrimination and harassment.
Plan
We are committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and supportive environment for all participants, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, disability status, age, career stage, or socioeconomic background.
Our explicit goals are to:
- Ensure diversity in organizing and program committees.
- Encourage participation from underrepresented groups among authors, speakers, and attendees.
- Provide an accessible and welcoming environment for all participants.
- Track and transparently report progress on these goals.
This plan applies to:
- Event organizers and committee members.
- Authors and presenters.
- Attendees, including students and early-career researchers.
- Invited keynote and panel speakers.
Actions
(1) Organizing & Program Committees
- Set a target of at least 25% representation of women and other underrepresented groups in major committees.
- Actively recruit committee members from diverse geographic regions and institutions.
(2) Authors & Presenters
- Explicitly encourage submissions from diverse authors in the call for papers.
- Provide a double-blind review process to minimize bias in paper acceptance.
- Offer travel grants and reduced registration fees for students and underrepresented groups.
(3) Attendees
- Ensure all conference venues are accessible (wheelchair, assistive technologies).
(4) Keynotes, Panels, and Tutorials
- Ensure diversity in keynote and invited speakers (gender, geography, research area).
- Prioritize panels and tutorials that discuss issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in software testing, verification and validation.