CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS -- NIPS*99
NIPS*99 Post Conference Workshops
December 3 and 4, 1999
Breckenridge, Colorado
Following the regular program of the Neural Information Processing Systems 1999
conference, workshops on various current topics in neural information processing
will be held on December 3 and 4, 1999, in Breckenridge, Colorado. Proposals by
qualified individuals interested in chairing one of these workshops are solicited.
Past topics have included:
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 HMM/ANN Systems Implementations
Music Neural Plasticity
Network Dynamics On-Line Learning
Optimization Recurrent Nets
Robot Learning Rule Extraction
Self-Organization Sensory Biophysics
Signal Processing Support Vectors
Speech Time Series
Topological Maps Vision Models and Applications
The goal of the workshops is to provide an informal forum for researchers to
discuss important issues of current interest. There will be six hours of workshop
meetings per day, split into morning and afternoon sessions, with free time in
between for ongoing individual exchange or outdoor activities.
Concrete open and/or controversial issues are encouraged and preferred as workshop
topics. Representation of alternative viewpoints and panel-style discussions are
particularly encouraged.
Workshop organizers will have responsibilities including:
1) coordinating workshop participation and content, which involves arranging
short informal presentations by experts working in an area, arranging for
expert commentators to sit on a discussion panel, formulating a set of
discussion topics, etc.
2) moderating or leading the discussion and reporting its high points, findings,
and conclusions to the group during evening plenary sessions
3) 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 via e-mail by by May 28, 1999.
Proposals should include a title, a description of what the workshop is to
address and accomplish, the proposed length of the workshop (one day or two days),
the planned format (mini-conference, panel discussion or group discussion,
combinations of the above, etc.), and the proposed number of speakers. The names
of invitees and/or potential invitees should be given whenever possible. Note
that preference will be given to workshop proposals that reserve a significant
portion of the time for open discussion and/or panel discussion, as opposed to
a pure "mini-conference" format. An example of a good workshop format is as
follows:
Hour 1: Tutorial lecture providing background and introducing terminology
relevant to the topic.
Hours 2,3,4,5: Four half-hour lectures introducing different approaches to
the topic, alternating with half-hour discussions following each
lecture.
Hour 6: General discussion.
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.
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. In addition,
it should include a brief resume of the prospective workshop chair with a list of
publications to establish scholarship in the field of interest. Submissions need
to include contact name, address, e-mail address, phone number, and fax number if
available.
Proposals can be mailed electronically to [EMAIL PROTECTED] All proposals must
be RECEIVED by May 28, 1999. If e-mail is unavailable, mail the proposal so that
it will arrive by the deadline at:
NIPS*99 Workshops
c/o Rich Caruana
School of Computer Science
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Questions may be addressed to either of the Workshop Co-Chairs:
Sue Becker Rich Caruana
McMaster University Carnegie Mellon University
[EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MAY 28, 1999
