The IEEE NPSS AdCom met by Zoom on June 28^th and 29^th, with FinCom and ComCom on the 28^th and an abbreviated AdCom meeting on the 29^th.

Treasurer Ralf Engels gave his report at the FinCom meeting on the 28^th as he was traveling on the 29^th, and John Verboncoeur, FinCom cochair, gave a brief synopsis on the 29^th. NPSS continues to do well financially but the future looks uncertain with no idea of how Open Access will impact publications revenue in the future. Furthermore, IEEE is pushing toward all-electronic publications and discontinuing individual print subscriptions.  In 2023 we had a surplus of about $1.34M, of which we can use about $870K for initiatives and for a contribution to the NPSS Fund held in the Foundation. It was also noted that, based on initiatives approved, there is an out-year incumbrance of $523K. Our reserves increased by about $2.2M in 2023. In the future it may be preferable to include initiatives in the operations budget, giving us the ability to use more of our surplus productively.

There was also discussion, led by Paul Dressendorfer, Publications chair, of conference publications. While some conferences publish reviewed papers in a special issue of one of our journals, this can lead to a very late dissemination of information. Abstract books published before or shortly after a conference allow both quicker distribution of highlights and the opportunity for a full, peer-reviewed paper.

Other items of interest include a report on our new Standards activities being led by Nikolaos Karokatsanis, liaison to the Standards Association, who has urged each TC to examine what standards might be relevant to their fields, and who is available to provide direction in developing standards, and a report on AI activities, with Dimitris Visvikis and Nikolaos taking the lead.

AdCom Actions

• RISC requests AdCom to approve SORMA West 2025 as a fully-sponsored IEEE conference. Approved – no objection.
• RITC requests AdCom to accept ANIMMA 2025 as a technically cosponsored conference. Passed: 22 Y, 3 N, 1 A.
• AdCom approve that NPSS pay the technical cosponsorship administrative fees ($1,450) for the 2025 RADECS conference. Approved – no objection.
• AdCom approve that the 2025 RADECS Data Workshop be an NPSS technically cosponsored conference. Approved – no objection.
• AdCom approves the 2025 initiatives ranking shown on the spreadsheet provided at FInCom for funding consideration as funding becomes available. Approved – no objection.
• Whereas NPSS historically spends a fraction, x, of the budgeted initiative funds each year, resulting in unspent funds going to reserves, and
  • Whereas NPSS desires to optimize its use of net resources,
  • AdCom approves an initiative expenditure multiplier of up to 1/x where x is based on the most recent three-year average spending fraction.
  • Current estimate is x = 0.8, data will follow. Passed: 24 Y, 0 N, 3 A.
• AdCom approves supporting IEEE and NPSS membership for students at NPSS Schools with the same implementation mechanics as for conferences for 2024 and 2025.
  • Fiscal implications: Costs will be up to $2000 for each year. Approved – no objection.

AdCom will meet in person on November 1^st and 2^nd after the NSS MIC RTSD meetings in Tampa, Fl.

Albe Larsen, IEEE NPSS Secretary, can be reached by E-mail at [email protected].