Call for Participation in the

First Annual SIGART/IJCAI-Doctoral Consortium

ACM/SIGART and IJCAI invite students to participate in the first annual SIGART/IJCAI Doctoral Consortium. The Doctoral Consortium (DC) provides an opportunity for a group of Ph.D. students to discuss and explore their research interests in an interdisciplinary workshop together with a panel of established researchers.

The consortium has the following objectives:

• to provide a setting for mutual feedback on participants' current research, and guidance on future research directions
• to develop a supportive community of scholars and a spirit of collaborative research
• to contribute to the conference goals through interaction with other researchers and conference events.

The Doctoral Consortium will be conducted in a workshop format. The Consortium will take place on the August 23 and 24, 1997 (concurrently with some of the workshops preceding the main conference). Student participants in the Doctoral Consortium will receive complimentary conference registration, in return for serving as IJCAI student volunteers. Selected participants also will be elgible for a partial reimbursement of travel expenses.

Review Process

The Consortium organizing committee will select participants on the basis of their anticipated contribution to the workshop goals. We look forward to a diverse group of students who reflect a wide range of topic areas and methodologies within artificial intelligence. Student participants typically have settled on thesis directions, usually with a research proposal accepted by their thesis committee.

The Submission Package

To apply as a student participant in the Doctoral Consortium, prepare a submission package consisting of the following:

Thesis Summary:

Prepare a one page thesis summary which outlines the problem being addressed, the proposed work plan and a description of the progress to date. Thesis summaries for students selected to participate in the Consortium will appear in the IJCAI Conference Proceedings.

Additional Information:

Provide additional information (at most 2 pages) on your background and relevant experience. This should include information typically found in a curriculum vita, plus additional information which may indicate your potential contribution to the Consortium.

Letter of Recommendation:

Provide also a letter of recommendation from your thesis advisor. This must include an assessment of the current status of your thesis research, and an expected date for thesis submission. Note that the DC is intended for students who are at the ABD stage during the DC. If you are already writing your thesis, or expect to be substantially done by the time the of the DC, we would encourage you to attend as a participant, rather than as a presenter.

Participatory Expectations:

A short (one page or less) statement of what you expect to gain from presenting and participating in the DC, as well as what you think you can contribute to the DC. This will help the organizers structure the DC to better serve your expectations.

Format

All submissions must be submitted electronically, as plain ascii text (preferably) or as postscript files (if they contain diagrams or other formatting information). Submitters should verify that the postscript files submitted can be printed on any standard postscript printer from a Unix machine. All submissions should be emailed to DC-97@sigart.acm.org. If you are unable to submit electronically, please contact the organizers to make alternative arrangements for submission.

Submissions should be by email, with the subject line containing the text: "SIGART/IJCAI DC-97 SUBMISSION". The initial part of the message should contain the full name, address, phone number and email address of the participant as well as the advisor. The thesis summary, CV and recommendation letter should then follow, as part of the same message. If the submission is sent in parts, as separate email messages, please indicate the same in the Subject line as: "SIGART/IJCAI DC-97 SUBMISSION -- PART I: thesis summary", "SIGART/IJCAI DC-97 SUBMISSION -- PART II: CV" and so on.

Submission Due Date.

Submissions are due Feb 14th, 1997.

Upon Acceptance

All applicants to the Consortium will be notified by March 28th, 1997.

A one page camera ready copy of the thesis summaries (in the standard IJCAI format) is due at the IJCAI publisher by April 28, 1997.

Thesis summaries of accepted student participants will be published in the IJCAI'97 Conference Proceedings.

At the Conference

All participants selected for presentation at the Doctoral Consortium are expected to be present through out the consortium. We believe that participants gain almost as much by interacting with their peers as by having their presentations critiqued by the faculty panel. As such, we will expect a commitment from participating students to not miss any part of the DC.

A Poster Session is planned for doctoral consortium partcipants. If you are selected for the DC, you should also prepare a poster about your thesis work. You will be given the opportunity to display and discuss the poster during the conference.

Additional Information

Additional information may be obtained by contacting the organizers: