Connectionists: Call for Workshop Proposals: NIPS 2006

[Rajesh Rao]

CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS
Neural Information Processing Systems -- Natural and Synthetic
NIPS 2006 Post-Conference Workshops -- December 8 and 9, 2006
Whistler Resort & Spa and the Whistler Hilton Resort & Spa, BC, CANADA

http://www.nips.cc/

<http://www.nips.cc>
Workshop Proposal Deadline:  August 4, 2006 

 Following the Neural Information Processing Systems 2006 Conference in 
Vancouver, BC, Canada, workshops on a variety of current topics in 
neural information processing will be held on December 8 and 9, 2006, in 
Whistler, BC, Canada.  We invite researchers interested in chairing one 
of these workshops to submit proposals for workshops.  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 not only 
encouraged but preferred as workshop topics.  Representation of 
alternative viewpoints and panel-style discussions are also particularly 
encouraged.  Workshop topics include, but are not limited to:

    Active Learning, Attention, Audition, Bayesian Networks, Bayesian
    Statistics, Benchmarking, Biophysics, Brain-Machine Interfaces,
    Brain Imaging, Cognitive Neuroscience, Computational Biology and
    Bioinformatics, Computational Complexity, Control,
    Genetic/Evolutionary Algorithms, Graphical Models, Hippocampus and
    Memory, Human-Computer Interfaces, Implementations, Independent
    Component Analysis, Kernel Methods, Mean-Field Methods, Music,
    Network Dynamics, Neural Coding, Neural Plasticity, Neuromorphic
    Systems, On-Line Learning, Optimization, Robotics, Rule Extraction,
    Self-Organization, Signal Processing, Spike Timing, Speech,
    Supervised/Unsupervised Learning, Time Series, Topological Maps, and
    Vision.

This year, we are especially interested in workshops on cutting-edge 
research in Neuroscience.

There will be six hours of workshop meetings per day, split into morning 
and afternoon sessions, with free time between the sessions for ongoing 
individual exchange or outdoor activities. Selected workshops may be 
invited to submit proceedings for publication in the post-NIPS workshops 
monographs series published by the MIT Press.

Workshop organizers have several responsibilities, including:

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

Submission Instructions

Interested parties must submit a proposal for a workshop via email by
August 4, 2006.

Proposals should include a 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 a pure "mini-conference" 
format. An example format is:

    * Tutorial lecture providing background and introducing terminology
      relevant to the topic.
    * 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 per day.

The proposal should motivate why the topic is of interest, why it should 
be discussed, and the targeted group of participants. It should include 
a brief résumé 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.  Detailed 
descriptions of previous workshops may be found at:

http://www.nips.cc/Conferences/2005/

  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 any case, the organizers of 
each accepted workshop can name two individuals to receive free 
registration for the workshop program.

Proposals should be emailed as plain text to:

nips-workshops at cc.gatech.edu <mailto:nips-workshops at cc.gatech.edu> 

(please do not use attachments, Word, postscript, html, or pdf files) by 
August 4, 2006. Submissions should include the name, address, email 
address, phone and fax numbers for all organizers.  If there is more 
than one organizer, please designate one organizer as the primary contact.

Charles Isbell, Georgia Institute of Technology
Rajesh Rao, University of Washington
NIPS 2006 Workshops Co-Chairs