====== Award ======

===== ACML Distinguished Contribution Award =====

The ACML Steering Committee (SC) decided to establish the ACML Distinguished Contribution Award from 2018.
  - The SC will appoint an award committee consists of 3 people, in each year's SC meeting, for the award to be presented in next year.
  - Everyone can nominate candidate for awardee.
  - Each year at most one awardee, who must have contributed significantly to promote machine learning in the Geo-regions covered by ACML, by research and service.
  - SC voting members cannot be nominated for the award.
  - The awardee must have significant relation with ACML, e.g.,
    * steering committee, general chair, program chair, or
    * 2+ times for area chair, other chairs, or
    * 4+ times for program committee member, or
    * 5+ papers published in ACML, or
    * ...
    * These are just examples, and the significance to be judged by the award committee.
  - Award committee makes a recommendation with citation to the SC, before Jun.30.
  - The SC will vote to approve or disapprove the recommendation:
    * If approval, the SC chair will send notification to the awardee by Jul.15;
    * If disapproval, this year will not present the award.
  - The awardee will be invited to attend the conference of that year and give a 10 minutes' talk (not necessarily technical) in the banquet.
  - The awardee will receive a plaque (with name carved).
    * If the awardee will attend the conference to receive the award, registration fee will be waived, and 1,000 USD travelling support will be provided by SC fund (awardee should pay flights/lodging by self).
    * If the awardee will not attend the conference, the SC will mail the plaque to the awardee, and no travelling support provided. 

===== Award Recipients =====
  * 2018: Hiroshi Motoda
  * 2019: Zhi-Hua Zhou
  * 2020: Thomas Dietterich
  * 2022: Masashi Sugiyama