The ACML Steering Committee (SC) decided to establish the ACML Distinguished Contribution Award from 2018.

1. 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.
2. Everyone can nominate candidate for awardee.
3. 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.
4. SC voting members cannot be nominated for the award.
5. 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.
6. Award committee makes a recommendation with citation to the SC, before Jun.30.
7. 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.
8. The awardee will be invited to attend the conference of that year and give a 10 minutes' talk (not necessarily technical) in the banquet.
9. 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.

• 2018: Hiroshi Motoda
• 2019: Zhi-Hua Zhou
• 2020: Thomas Dietterich
• 2022: Masashi Sugiyama