About the Scholarship

Supporting graduate students who need financial help to attend ACM SIGHPC conferences

The Ewing "Rusty" Lusk Travel Scholarship provides conference registration plus up to $1,600 in travel reimbursement to help graduate students attend PASC, PEARC, and SC conferences when they lack institutional funding support.

What You'll Receive

• Full conference registration (we pay directly) 

• Travel reimbursement up to $800 (same continent) or $1,600 (different continents) 

• We typically support about 4 students per year across all three conferences

Application Deadlines & Timeline

PASC: Apply by April 21, 11:59 PM AoE, notified by ~May 21

PEARC: Apply by May 9, 11:59 PM AoE, notified by ~June 9

SC: Apply by September 30, 11:59 PM AoE (Deadline modified for this year only), notified by ~October 30

Important: Apply to the deadline for the conference you plan to attend. You can apply before knowing if your paper/poster is accepted.

Essential Checklist

Read This Before Applying

• You are a SIGHPC member (required) – If you are unsure whether you are a SIGHPC member (ACM membership is not the same as SIGHPC membership), check status at My ACM and join here if needed.

• You've confirmed with your advisor that no other students from your lab are applying to the same deadline 

• You understand which deadline to use based on your target conference 

• You have time to write a statement about why you want to attend and the impact on your studies 

• Your advisor can provide a support letter

Missing any of these? Complete them before applying to avoid disqualification.

Eligibility Requirements

You Must Be a SIGHPC Member

This is required to apply. SIGHPC membership is separate from ACM membership. Check your status via MyACM - look specifically for SIGHPC membership, not just ACM membership. If you need to join, do it early as processing can take several days.

Advisor Limitations - CRITICAL RULE

Only one student per advisor can apply in each deadline cycle. Before applying, confirm with your advisor that: 

• No other students from your research group are applying to the same deadline 

• Your advisor supports your application and will provide a reference letter 

• If multiple students want to apply, your advisor should select one candidate

If we receive multiple applications from students with the same advisor, all applications from that advisor’s students will be disqualified.

Academic Status & Submissions

• You must be a currently enrolled graduate student 

• No requirement for an accepted conference submission, but acceptances may strengthen your application 

• Having multiple acceptances at the same conference (paper + poster) doesn't provide additional advantage over a single acceptance

Previous Travel Grants and Scholarships

• You can apply multiple times, but may only receive the Rusty Lusk Travel Scholarship only once 

• You cannot receive this scholarship in the same year as another SIGHPC or SIGHPC-sponsored conference travel grant or scholarship

How to Apply

What You'll Need to Submit

1. Basic information about yourself and your academic program

2. Personal statement explaining:
   Why you want to attend this specific conference
   How attending will impact your research/studies
   Your current funding situation

3. One letter of support from your advisor or program chair

Application Timeline

• Can I apply before knowing my acceptance status? Yes! This is especially important if you need to apply for a visa or want early bird registration rates. 

• No extensions or exceptions - we need weeks to process applications before conference dates 

• Everyone gets notified whether accepted or rejected, about one month after the deadline

Scholarship Details & Reimbursement

What's Covered

Conference registration: Paid directly to the conference by us

Travel reimbursement:

• Up to $800 for travel within the same continent

• Up to $1,600 for intercontinental travel

How Reimbursement Works

1. Before travel: Book your flights/hotels and save all receipts

2. After the conference: ACM will email you a reimbursement portal link

3. Submit receipts: Upload within 30 days of conference end (required for expenses over $25)

4. Get paid: Within 30 days of approval (wire transfer outside of the US, direct deposit/check domestically)

Frequently Asked Questions

Membership & Eligibility

I'm already an ACM member - am I automatically a SIGHPC member? No, SIGHPC membership is separate. Check your MyACM account specifically for SIGHPC membership status.

Can multiple students from my lab apply? No. Only one student per advisor can apply in each deadline cycle. Check with your advisor first to coordinate.

Do I need an accepted paper to apply? No, but having an acceptance may help. You can apply before conference notifications come out.

If I have both a paper and poster accepted, does that help my application? Not really - we count multiple acceptances at the same conference as one acceptance for evaluation purposes.

Applications & Timeline

Which deadline should I use? Apply to the deadline for the conference you plan to attend (April for PASC, May for PEARC, September for SC).

Can I apply to multiple conferences in the same year? Yes, but if you receive a scholarship for an earlier conference, any later applications that year become invalid. Example: if you are given PASC funding, your PEARC and SC applications won't be considered.

What if decisions come after early bird registration? Go ahead and register if you're attending regardless - if you receive our scholarship, you'll be refunded.

Do you extend deadlines? No. We need weeks to process applications before conferences.

Money & Travel

How do I submit receipts for reimbursement? After the conference, ACM emails you a portal link. Upload receipts within 30 days. Keep receipts for all expenses over $25.

Can I book flights outside conference dates? Yes, but costs should be comparable or less than flights within the conference window (2 days before/after).

What about travel insurance? ACM policy doesn't allow reimbursement for travel insurance.

Special Situations

What if I can't attend after receiving the scholarship? Scholarships cannot be transferred to another person or conference. You can get reimbursed for non-refundable expenses with documentation. Consider applying to future cycles, noting your situation.

Can I apply more than once? Yes, you can apply multiple times, but you can only receive the scholarship once, regardless of conference.

What if I didn't get my visa in time? You can get reimbursed for non-refundable expenses up to your scholarship amount with proper documentation.

How long do you keep my application? Applications aren't retained. If not selected, you must submit a completely new application for future conferences.

Review Process

Who reviews applications? Reviewers are SIGHPC professional members who are volunteering to support the program. We look for students who demonstrate genuine need, clear benefit from attendance, and strong advisor support.

Ready to Apply?

Review the Essential Checklist above, then:

APPLY NOW - Application Form

Questions? Contact us at rlts@sighpc.org

About Rusty Lusk

Ewing “Rusty” Lusk (1943–2022) received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1965 and his PhD from the University of Maryland in 1970. He began his career as an assistant professor of mathematics at Northern Illinois University. He later moved to the Computer Science Department, where he eventually became a full professor and the department's acting chair. In 1982, Rusty joined Argonne National Laboratory as a computer scientist and later became a senior computer scientist and Argonne Distinguished Fellow. Along with Paul Messina and Jack Dongarra, Rusty was instrumental in founding Argonne's Advanced Computing Research Facility, which signaled the beginning of Argonne's commitment to parallel computing research. He also served as the director of the Mathematics and Computer Science Division at Argonne from 2005 to 2011. Rusty was one of the founders of the MPI Forum. He chaired MPI-2, started the MPICH project with Bill Gropp, and was a close friend, collaborator, and mentor to many in the HPC community. 

It is in his honor and memory that this scholarship is named. 

Applications are reviewed by volunteer members of the HPC community. We appreciate reviewers who help us support the next generation of researchers.