We are pleased to announce that applications for the 2024 MLCommons ML and Systems Rising Stars are now open. The Rising Stars program provides a platform for talented young researchers working at the intersection of machine learning (ML) and systems to build connections with a vibrant research community, engage with both industry and academic experts, and develop their skills.
The inaugural program successfully brought together a cohort of 35 early-to-late-stage PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. The first Rising Stars workshop, hosted at Google in August 2023, connected the awardees with researchers from industry and academia, while allowing them to share their research with MLCommons members and other researchers. The rising stars had the opportunity to hear from experts in the field including David Patterson (UC Berkeley, Google), Kim Hazelwood (Meta), Wei Li (Intel), and Partha Ranganathan (Google) amongst others. The program left a noteworthy impression on the cohort. One awardee expressed that the program was a “great initiative and platform to collaborate and network with like-minded people.” Another shared, “it was amazing to see that researchers are contributing to the MLCommons community. I have a more comprehensive understanding of what MLSys is about.”
While the program has promoted diversity in the ML and systems research community by seeking researchers from historically underrepresented backgrounds, we bring a few changes this year. Firstly, we add data systems as an area of interest. The growing popularity of generative AI brings new challenges to how data is collected, processed, and governed. We welcome researchers working on data systems to apply. Secondly, we are excited to announce the global expansion of the Rising Stars program. We warmly welcome international candidates engaged in the intersection of ML and systems to apply, broadening the reach and impact of our community.
Vijay Janapa Reddi, MLCommons Research Chair and steering committee member of the Rising Stars program, is excited for this growth and shared, “We are incredibly excited about growing the ML and Systems Rising Stars program to serve the research community better, and foster innovative and groundbreaking research by integrating the rising stars with exciting opportunities in industry and academia.”
Applications for the 2024 program are now open and close on April 12th, 2024. We welcome all early-to-late-stage PhD students and recent Ph.D. graduates to apply. The application process requires a CV or resume, personal statement, research statement, motivation and goals statement, and a reference. For more details, visit the Rising Stars webpage or email the Rising Stars organizing committee at [email protected]. The organizing team, Akanksha Atrey (Nokia Bell Labs), Udit Gupta (Cornell Tech), Abdulrahman Mahmoud (Harvard), and Lillian Pentecost (Amherst College) is looking forward to overseeing this year’s program.
