How-To

How to get a travel grant to the Open Infrastructure Summit

Contributors to open infrastructure projects are invited to apply by February 27.

January 23, 2019
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Open infrastructure runs on the power of key contributors.

If you have helped out and want to attend the upcoming Project Team Gathering (PTG) or the  Open Infrastructure Summit but need funds for travel, lodging or a conference pass, the Travel Support Program is here for you.

For every Summit, the OpenStack Foundation funds around 30 dedicated contributors from the open infrastructure community to attend.  Contributors to projects including Kubernetes, Kata Containers, AirShip, StarlingX, Ceph, Cloud Foundry, OVS, OpenContrail, Open Switch, OPNFV are invited to apply by February 27.

You don’t have to be a code jockey, either. In addition to developers and reviewers, the Support program welcomes documentation writers, organizers of user groups around the world, translators and forum moderators. (The Support program doesn’t include university students, however, who are encouraged to apply for a discounted registration pass.)

Although applying is a quick process, remember to frame your request clearly. Spend some time answering the question about why you want to attend the Summit. If you make it all about how you’d like to network or visit the town where the summit is taking place, your request is likely to get voted down.

Applications are voted on by the Travel Committee, which is made up of three people each from the User Committee, Board of Directors, OpenStack Ambassadors, Project Team Leads/Technical Committee members and Foundation staff. The composition of the committee is refreshed for each Summit.

“The biggest common mistake people make is not conveying their value to the community,” says Allison Price, marketing coordinator at the OpenStack Foundation who also participates in voting on the applications. “Focus on what you can contribute to the discussions or pinpoint sessions that would be useful to your business and you have a much better chance.”

Asking your company to pay for part of the expenses or finding a buddy to room with won’t influence your chances of getting in. However, she does recommend at least asking if your company will cover some of the costs — because often your employer is happy to chip in and it allows the Foundation to help to more people.

Approved grantees to the Summit will be notified by March 12, 2019.

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