International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Interventions (MICCAI) 2021 - Project summary The Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Interventions (MICCAI) Society is dedicated to the promotion, preservation, facilitation of research and education in the fields of medical image computing (MIC) and computer assisted interventions (CAI) including biomedical imaging and robotics; this is achieved through the organization and operation of regular international conferences of the highest quality, and publications that promote and foster the exchange and dissemination of advanced knowledge, expertise and experience by leading institutions and outstanding scientists, physicians, and educators around the world. MICCAI Conferences have their roots and origin in three separate but related conferences beginning in early 1990s, which merged into a single annual conference in 1998. MICCAI Conferences have defined a new scientific discipline over the years and have become the premier conference in the field, with their proceedings having an impact factor comparable to high-impact computational journals. Conference topics include, computer vision, image processing and machine learning for medical imaging, computer-aided diagnosis, computer- assisted interventions & surgery, guidance systems & robotics, visualization and virtual reality, bioscience and biology applications, specific imaging systems and new biomedical imaging applications, spanning disciplines such as radiology, pathology, surgery, oncology, cardiology, physiology, and psychiatry. The main MICCAI conference includes three days of oral presentations and poster sessions. The quality and importance of poster presentations are on a par with those of oral presentations, with both undergoing a rigorous double-blinded peer-review (~30% acceptance) and several presented papers becoming landmark publications over the years and reaching up to 2,000 citations. The conference series also includes community-driven software challenges, workshops and tutorials just before and/or after the main conference. These satellite events focus in detail on the current status and advances in topics relevant to MICCAI and are very highly attended. The MICCAI Conferences span the entire globe and attendees are typically from over 45 countries, with strong student representation (>40% in 2020). The MICCAI 2021 Conference will be held in Strasbourg, France from September 27th to October 1st, 2021. MICCAI 2022 and MICCAI 2023 will be held in Singapore and Vancouver, Canada, respectively. Since 2018, a Mentoring Program is also part of the conference to connect students and early investigators with established mentors from academia and industry. Along with the mission of the Women in MICCAI committee, this proposal requests funds to initiate and ultimately sustain student and early investigator travel and registration awards to enhance diversity in conference attendance (including women, underrepresented minorities, students with disabilities, and people from disadvantaged backgrounds) and provide minority groups with a unique opportunity to reach an international audience for career development and collaborations.
