This page is intended as a guide and summary. We have made every effort to ensure that the information here is accurate although we may need to change some details. These changes will be announced on the mailing list.
Students who qualify will receive an email with additional details (including any travel support awarded).
Registration
The RRSS+W is implemented as a sub-track of the Texas Public Safety Robotics Summit (TXPS), with RRSS+W specific lectures in the mornings and support for assigning groups to TXPS activities in the afternoons.
Registration for the IEEE-RAS Response Robotics Seasonal School and Workshop (RRSS+W) is restricted to research students and faculty, staff, and others who support them. These are described in the subsections below.
Other people interested in attending the event, including manufacturers, vendors, and end users, should register for the TXPS, which has a different set of requirements for qualification. Attendees of the TXPS who wish to join some or all of the activities of the RRSS+W are welcome to do so. Please contact us by the 1st of February 2024 so we can plan and make sure we have the capacity.
Students
Students, enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program, apply to attend by emailing us an application letter. This includes members of the RoboCupRescue Robot League and RoboCupRescue Rapidly Manufactured Robot Challenge communities, who should note this in their letter.
Note: We recently added some logistical information to this list. Please don’t be concerned if you submitted a letter based on the previous requirements! If we need more information, we’ll let you know.
This letter should have the following information.
- Full name, nationality, contact details, and home institution.
- A description, of no more than 1 page, of their research topic and how they see their developments assisting responders.
- A list of their relevant publications that they would like us to consider.
- If they require a visa letter. (Please apply early as we may need to request additional information.)
- If they wish to be considered for travel support.
- Their IEEE membership number if they are an IEEE or IEEE-RAS student member. IEEE-RAS student membership is not required for registration but is highly encouraged. It is required for travel support.
The deadline for submitting an application letter is February 1st, 2024 (see below for those also applying for travel support). Selection will be made on a rolling basis so please submit early! Outside of unusual circumstances, we aim to provide a decision within a week of receipt of your application.
The registration fee is $300 USD. Further details on how to pay this fee will be provided to students who have qualified on the basis of their application letter.
Academics and Researchers
Faculty, staff, and other interested attendees who are involved with mentoring or teaching research students should apply to attend the RRSS+W by sending us the same information as mentioned above (apart from travel support). This includes members of the RoboCupRescue Robot League and RoboCupRescue Rapidly Manufactured Robot Challenge communities, who should note this in their letter.
The application deadline is the same, February 1st, 2024, as is the fee of $300 USD.
Travel Support
Thanks to a grant from the IEEE-RAS, we are able to offer partial travel support to IEEE-RAS student members.
The deadline for application letters from students who wish to be considered for travel support is December 31st, 2023 but decisions are being made on a rolling basis so students are encouraged to apply early.
Update: We will be prioritizing applications for travel support that arrive by the original December 31st deadline, but to give folks a little more time over the holiday season, we will continue to consider applications for travel support that arrive until January 12th or until funds are allocated. We will update this page once all funds have been allocated.
Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to offer travel support to prospective attendees who are not IEEE-RAS student members.
Amount of Travel Support
We anticipate awarding travel support in the following amounts. These are scaled by region, in recognition of the fact that students from different parts of the world incur different costs to attend.
- Students from North America: $300 registration fee reimbursement, $500 additional support, $800 total.
- Students from South America and Europe: $300 registration fee reimbursement, $1,000 additional support, $1,300 total.
- Students from the rest of the world: $300 registration fee reimbursement, $1,500 additional support, $1,800 total.
In the general case we will use the location of the student’s home institution to decide on the region. We understand that some students may be traveling from a region that is not that of their home institution. Students who wish to be considered as coming from a different region to their home institution should provide an explanation, of no more than 1 page, with their application. We will consider these on a case by case basis.
Students who are awarded travel support will also be notified as to the travel support award amount. This amount represents a maximum that will be reimbursed based on receipts. If the student submits receipts that total to less than the award amount, they will be reimbursed for the total of the submitted receipts.
Important points
The following information is provided as a guide. Further details will be provided to students who are awarded travel support.
- Travel support is conditional on:
- The student being a (student) member of IEEE-RAS for (at least) the duration of the event. (The cost of membership will not be reimbursed.)
- The student being present at the whole event.
- In addition to the amounts mentioned above, we may award other support amounts depending on availability of funds.
- All amounts are listed, and will be paid, in $USD.
- Reimbursement will happen after the event, through the IEEE-RAS Concur system.
- Students who are awarded travel support will be provided with instructions as to how to create their IEEE-RAS Concur account (if they don’t already have one) and how to submit their receipts and cover letter.
- Unfortunately, we are unable to provide travel support or visa letters to students who are under US sanction, e.g. due to their country, institution, or organization.
Other Costs
The following information is provided as a convenience and was correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of last update (mid-December 2023).
We will update this from time to time as additional information and options become available but please check prices with the vendors yourself before relying on it (e.g. for things like university travel approvals), as we cannot guarantee that we will be able to keep up with this information changing over time.
All vendor names are provided just as examples and are not endorsements over any other vendor. We do not have any agreements or room blocks with any particular vendor, hotel, etc.
All prices are quoted in $USD and generally before tax.
Accommodation
UPDATE We have a few rooms available in a room block at a hotel in Burnet, TX. Details will be sent to those who register. Note that the room block is only available until the 1st of February.
There are a variety of accommodation options available in the nearby city of Burnet, TX, and surrounding areas, including hotels, AirBnBs, and rental lodges.
Students who are comfortable doing so and allowed to by their university policies are welcome to use the Discord server to find fellow attendees to share an AirBnB or rental lodge with and split the cost.
Travel
International Airport
The closest large airport is Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) in Texas, a little over an hour from Burnet by car.
Ground Transportation
- Students, particularly those staying at the same place, are encouraged to co-ordinate on the Discord server to share a rental car from the airport. Please check that you are allowed to do so by your university travel policy.
- A search on rentalcars.com on the 11th of December 2023 shows that a standard car (e.g. Nissan Altima) costs around $300 to rent from Sunday March 3rd to Friday March 9th. Note that those under 30, and those without their own US car insurance, may need to factor in additional charges.
- Alternatively students may take a ride share from the airport to their accommodations.
- A search on Uber.com on the 11th of December 2023 shows that for a trip from Austin Airport to Burnet TX, an UberX costs approximately $71 and an UberXL costs approximately $102.
- As we get closer to time, we may also be able to pair students up with other attendees of the TXPS who are staying in the same accommodations and/or have flights at similar times. Please contact us if you are interested in this option.