Sponsorship, toward publication

Sponsorship Terms — the plain version

• Project-by-project. There is no standing sponsorship fund, no per-call envelope, and no cap — each proposal is judged on its own merits and funded at the amount agreed for that project. No budget figure is published, ever.
• Milestone-based. Funding is released against milestones (for example, part at approval, part at submission), and every disbursement is logged against the project.
• How money moves. AI tool subscriptions and token/API credits are purchased directly by Mapleforge Labs; publication and conference fees are reimbursed against receipts.
• Co-authorship by contribution. If Mapleforge staff contribute substantially — methods, analysis, writing — co-authorship follows normal academic norms and is agreed in writing at funding time, never sprung on you later.
• You keep your IP. The member keeps ownership of the project unless a separate written agreement says otherwise.
• Showcase. Funded projects appear in the public showcase with status updates at milestones and a link to the final paper.

What a strong proposal has

• A project that already exists in some form — prototype, draft, data, or a forum thread with real discussion
• An itemized request: tool subscriptions, token/API costs, publication fees — each with an amount and a reason
• A timeline with milestones a stranger could verify
• A realistic publication target (venue type is enough)
• A team section that says who does what

Proposals are private — only Mapleforge admins see them. Submission requires a verified account (email verified + profile completed).