[UAI] NIPS*2001 Call For Workshop Proposals

From: Richard Zemel (zemel@cs.toronto.edu)
Date: Fri Jun 01 2001 - 14:38:37 PDT

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               *@* NEW LOCATION: WHISTLER, BC, CANADA *@*

                       Call for Workshop Proposals

         Neural Information Processing Systems -- Natural and Synthetic
         NIPS*2001 Post-Conference Workshops -- December 7 and 8, 2001
                  Whistler/Blackcomb Resort, BC, CANADA

    Following the regular program of the Neural Information Processing
    Systems 2001 conference in Vancouver, BC, Canada, workshops on various
    current topics in neural information processing will be held on December
    7 and 8, 2001, in Whistler, BC, Canada. We invite researchers
    interested in chairing one of these workshops to submit workshop
    proposals.

    The goal of the workshops is to provide an informal forum for
    researchers to discuss important research questions and challenges.
    Controversial issues, open problems, and comparisons of competing
    approaches are encouraged and preferred as workshop topics.
    Representation of alternative viewpoints and panel-style discussions are
    particularly encouraged. Workshop topics include, but are not limited
    to, the following:

      Active Learning, Architectural Issues, Attention, Audition, Bayesian
      Analysis, Bayesian Networks, Benchmarking, Brain Imaging, Computational
      Complexity, Computational Molecular Biology, Control, Genetic
      Algorithms, Graphical Models, Hippocampus and Memory, Hybrid
      Supervised/Unsupervised Learning Methods, Hybrid HMM/ANN Systems,
      Implementations, Independent Component Analysis, Mean-Field Methods,
      Markov Chain Monte-Carlo Methods, Music, Network Dynamics, Neural
      Coding, Neural Plasticity, On-Line Learning, Optimization, Recurrent
      Nets, Robot Learning, Rule Extraction, Self-Organization, Sensory
      Biophysics, Signal Processing, Spike Timing, Support Vectors, Speech,
      Time Series, Topological Maps, and Vision.

    Detailed descriptions of previous workshops may be found at
       http://www.cs.cmu.edu/Groups/NIPS/NIPS2000/Workshops

    There will be six hours of workshop meetings per day, split into
    morning and afternoon sessions, with free time inbetween for ongoing
    individual exchange or outdoor activities.

    Selected workshops may be invited to submit their workshop proceedings
    for publication as part of a new series of monographs for the
    post-NIPS workshops.

    Workshop organizers have several responsibilities including:
     * Coordinating workshop participation and content, which includes
        - arranging short informal presentations by experts,
        - arranging for expert commentators to sit on a discussion panel,
        - formulating a set of discussion topics, etc.
     * Moderating the discussion, and reporting its findings and conclusions
         to the group during evening plenary sessions.
     * Writing a brief summary and/or coordinating submitted material for
         post-conference electronic dissemination.

    SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

    Interested parties should submit a short proposal for a workshop of
    interest via email by July 8, 2001.

    Proposals should include title, description of what the workshop is to
    address and accomplish, proposed workshop length (1 or 2 days), planned
    format (e.g., lectures, group discussions, panel discussion,
    combinations of the above, etc.), and proposed speakers. Names of
    potential invitees should be given where possible. Preference will be
    given to workshops that reserve a significant portion of time for open
    discussion or panel discussion, as opposed to pure ``mini-conference''
    format. An example format is:

     * Tutorial lecture providing background and introducing terminology
         relevant to the topic.
     * Two short lectures introducing different approaches, alternating with
         discussions after each lecture.
     * Discussion or panel presentation.
     * Short talks or panels alternating with discussion and question/answer
         sessions.
     * General discussion and wrap-up.

    We suggest that organizers allocate at least 50% of the workshop
    schedule to questions, discussion, and breaks. Past experience suggests
    that workshops otherwise degrade into mini-conferences as talks begin to
    run over. For the same reason, we strongly recommend that each workshop
    include no more than 12 talks.

    The proposal should motivate why the topic is of interest or
    controversial, why it should be discussed, and who the targeted group of
    participants is. It also should include a brief resume of the
    prospective workshop chair with a list of publications to establish
    scholarship in the field. We encourage workshops that build, continue,
    or arise from one or more workshops from previous years. Please mention
    any such connections.

    NIPS does not provide travel funding for workshop speakers. In the
    past, some workshops have sought and received funding from external
    sources to bring in outside speakers. In addition, the organizers of
    each accepted workshop can name up to four people (six people for 2-day
    workshops) to receive free registration for the workshop program.

    Submissions should include contact name (if there is more than one
    organizer, please designate one organizer as the ``contact person'') as
    well as addresses, email addresses, phone and fax numbers for all
    organizers.

    Proposals should be emailed as plain text to
       nips-workshop-proposal@cs.unm.edu.

    Please do not use attachments, Microsoft Word, postscript, html, or pdf
    files.

    Questions may be addressed to nips-workshop-admin@cs.unm.edu.

    Information about the main conference and the workshop program can be
    found at http://www.cs.cmu.edu/Web/Groups/NIPS.

         Virginia de Sa, University of California, San Francisco
              Barak Pearlmutter, University of New Mexico
                    NIPS*2001 Workshops Co-Chairs

              PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JULY 8, 2001
                               -Please Post-



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