From barros at informatik.uni-hamburg.de Thu Feb 1 05:37:43 2018 From: barros at informatik.uni-hamburg.de (Pablo Barros) Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2018 11:37:43 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Special Issue on Crossmodal Learning - Extended Deadline Message-ID: 3rd CALL FOR PAPERS (Deadline Extension) Special Issue on Computational Models for Crossmodal Learning of the Cognitive Systems Research Journal. https://www.journals.elsevier.com/cognitive-systems-research/call-for-papers/special-issue-on-crossmodal-learning ?I. Aim and Scope The ability of processing crossmodal information is a fundamental feature of the brain that provides a robust perceptual experience for an efficient interaction with the environment. Consequently, the integration of multisensory information plays a crucial role in autonomous systems to create robust and meaningful representations of objects and events. For dealing with real-world information, an autonomous, intelligent system must be capable of processing, integrating, and segregating different modalities for the purpose of coherent perception, decision-making, and cognitive learning. Recent neurophysiological findings in crossmodal learning have inspired novel computational models with the aim to trigger biologically inspired behavioral responses. A rich set of neural mechanisms support the integration and segregation of multimodal stimuli, providing the means to efficiently solve conflicts across modalities. This special issue aims to invite contributors from psychology, computational neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and cognitive robotics to discuss current research on crossmodal learning mechanisms both from the theoretical and modelling perspective. II. Potential Topics Topics include, but are not limited to: - New theories and findings on crossmodal processing - New neuroscientific results on crossmodal learning - Machine learning and neural networks for learning multisensory representations - Computational models of crossmodal attention and perception - Brain-inspired approaches for multisensory integration - Multisensory robot perception III. Submission Authors must use the Evise system to submit their contibutions, more informations can be found here: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/cognitive-systems-research/ *All manuscripts must be submitted to the Special Issue "VSI: Crossmodal Learning"* - Paper submission deadline: 19.03.2018 IV. Guest Editors Pablo Barros, University of Hamburg, Germany German I. Parisi, University of Hamburg, Germany Doreen Jirak, Hamburg University, Germany Bruno Fernandes, Universidade de Pernambuco, Brazil -- Dr.rer.nat. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Research Associate - Crossmodal Learning Project (CML) Knowledge Technology Department of Informatics University of Hamburg Vogt-Koelln-Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Phone: +49 40 42883 2535 Fax: +49 40 42883 2515 barros at informatik.uni-hamburg.de https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/people/barros.html https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/ From gerardo.beruvides at car.upm-csic.es Thu Feb 1 06:02:39 2018 From: gerardo.beruvides at car.upm-csic.es (Gerardo Beruvides Lopez) Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2018 12:02:39 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Final Call for papers SS03_ICPS2018 extended to February 10 In-Reply-To: <4df87563-7a6e-fb90-4eec-5c1878d706a9@car.upm-csic.es> References: <4df87563-7a6e-fb90-4eec-5c1878d706a9@car.upm-csic.es> Message-ID: <1476c1bd-9a79-b914-979e-a0008aa9ff32@car.upm-csic.es> Dear Colleague, This is the Final Call for Papers for the Special Session on Innovative Computational Intelligence Knowledge-based Solutions for Zero Defect Scenarios on Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems. The Special Session has been included in the 1st IEEE International Conference on Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems (IEEE ICPS 2018) programme, May 15-18, 2018, Saint Petersburg, Russia. All accepted paper will appear in IEEE Xplore Digital Library and the good quality paper may be considered for publication in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics subjects to further rounds of review. Topics of interest include: - Predictive and prescriptive artificial intelligence architectures for ICPS - Real-time machine condition monitoring & diagnostic for global environments - Advance knowledge representation methodologies and ontologies - Pattern recognition and identification based on big data analytics in ICPS - Crowdsourcing and crowd cloud computing methodologies - Self-adaptive & self-reconfiguration system development methods - Virtual modelling and simulators for zero defect ICPS scenarios - Connected ICPS network sensors for smart manufacturing environments - Innovative deep learning topologies for ICPS applications Important Dates Paper submission deadline extended to: February 10, 2018 Paper acceptance: March 10, 2018 Final paper submission: March 31, 2018 Information on the IEEE ICPS 2018 will be regularly updated in the Conference website: http://icps2018.net/ I should be very grateful if you could publicize this event among your colleagues. Thank you for your contributions in advance, For more information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Best regards, Gerardo Beruvides SS03 Co-Chairman -- Gerardo Beruvides L?pez, PhD Centro de Autom?tica y Rob?tica, CSIC - UPM Ctra. de Campo Real Km. 0.200 La Poveda, Arganda del Rey C.P. 28500 Madrid - Spain gerardo.beruvides at car.upm-csic.es - http://www.gamhe.eu personal email: beruvides85 at gmail.com Phone: (+34) 91 871 19 00 Ext. 244 Fax: (+34) 91 871 70 50 -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Final_Call for Papers on SS03-ICPS2018.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 222974 bytes Desc: not available URL: From georg.dorffner at meduniwien.ac.at Thu Feb 1 08:07:16 2018 From: georg.dorffner at meduniwien.ac.at (Georg Dorffner) Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2018 14:07:16 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: PhD Position in machine learning, Medical University of Vienna Message-ID: <96b25e4e-f16a-17c0-c19f-abd95a8a9213@meduniwien.ac.at> PhD position: machine learning / deep learning / data science in biomedical informatics Section for Artificial Intelligence & Decision Support, Medical University of Vienna Applications are invited for a PhD position (30 hours / week) at the Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics, and Intelligent Systems / Section for Artificial Intelligence and Decision Support at the Medical University of Vienna. The position can be filled starting with March 1, 2018. The monthly minimum gross salary for this position currently is ? 2,096.00 (14x per year) and may be increased on the basis of collective bargaining provisions by crediting job-specific previous experience. As one of the leading university centers in Europe, we offer special support for young researchers in scientific research and teaching. The employment relationship ends after 4 years. Employment requirements: Master / diploma degree in Computer Science - preferably Medical Informatics, Biomedical Engineering or a comparable degree with a computer science specialisation, participation in the PhD programme of the Medical University of Vienna. Willingness to participate in research and teaching. The employment requirements under foreign law for non-EU citizens must be guaranteed. Desired additional qualifications: Sound knowledge of data analysis (data science), such as machine learning, deep learning or pattern recognition. Knowledge of image processing and/or time series or signal analysis desired. Strong interest in research and teaching in medical informatics. How to apply Applications are accepted until February 21, 2018. Applications need to be made via e-mail to personalabteilung at meduniwien.ac.at Please include the following in your application:?A curriculum vitae including a photo and a list of publications,?The signed application form, downloadable from https://www.meduniwien.ac.at/web/fileadmin/content/serviceeinrichtungen/personalabteilung/stellenausschreibungen/bewerbungsformulare/Bewerbungsbogen_2016.pdf(pages 1-3 need to be filled; key number (?Kennzahl?): ?1482/18?, organisational unit: ?CeMSIIS?)?Scan of proof of education (degrees),?Scan of a photo ID,?The key number (?Kennzahl?) of this job posting (?1482/18?) in the title of your message.Please contact Prof. Werner Horn (werner.horn at meduniwien.ac.at) if you have further questions about the position or need assistance with the application procedure. The Medical University of Vienna is striving to increase the proportion of women, particularly in management positions and among scientific staff, and therefore expressly encourages qualified women to apply. Women are given priority if they have equal qualifications. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From gustau.camps at uv.es Thu Feb 1 15:02:43 2018 From: gustau.camps at uv.es (Gustau Camps-Valls) Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2018 21:02:43 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: New book: kernel methods for signal processing Message-ID: Dear colleagues, we just released a new book on kernels and signal processing: "Digital Signal Processing with Kernel Methods" Jos? Luis Rojo-?lvarez, Manel Mart?nez-Ram?n, Jordi Mu?oz-Mar?, Gustau Camps-Valls ISBN: 978-1-118-70581-0 Feb 2018 672 pages The book is available from the Wiley & Sons site as either an e-book, hardcover or o-book: https://www.wiley.com/en-es/Digital+Signal+Processing+with+Kernel+Methods-p-9781118705827 and a repository with tons of code snippets and data is available at: https://github.com/DSPKM/ Best wishes from Madrid, Albuquerque and Val?ncia, Jose Luis, Manel, Jordi and Gustau From sandayci at rub.de Thu Feb 1 15:24:46 2018 From: sandayci at rub.de (Yulia Sandamirskaya) Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2018 21:24:46 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: 2018 Misha Mahowald Prize: New Deadline Message-ID: <4CFFB9E2-FB99-4CE8-A040-E4F8EB447577@rub.de> Due to several requests, the submission deadline for the 2018 Misha Mahowald Prize has been extended to February 15, 2018. Please find the submission instructions here: https://mahowaldprize.org/submission/ . ***** CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: The Third Misha Mahowald Prize for Neuromorphic Engineering The Misha Mahowald Prize recognizes outstanding research in neuromorphic engineering in a broad sense: neurally-inspired hardware, but also neuromorphic software, algorithms, and architectures can compete for the award. The award is named for Misha Mahowald, a creative and influential pioneer, who passed away before she could see the field flourishing. She created some of the first neuromorphic circuits including the silicon retina and the silicon neuron. The Prize is awarded by a jury of international experts and carries a cash prize of USD 3000. Previous winners of the prize include IBM Research (Principal Investigator: Dharmendra Modha) for the TrueNorth neuromorphic processor, and the Robotics and Perception Group at the University of Zurich (Principal Investigator: Davide Scaramuzza) for their work on event-based vision for autonomous robots. The competition is open to any individual or research group worldwide. A description of any type of neurally-inspired hardware, software, or algorithm may be submitted. The award is for an original, ground-breaking contribution to neuromorphic engineering. The work of individuals and groups will be considered equally. Only one winner is announced each year. There are no runners-up. Revised resubmissions are encouraged. To apply: Submit an extended abstract in English of up to two DIN A4 pages, containing: ? Applicant(s) and affiliation(s) ? Contact person information ? Project title ? Brief description of the work, its novelty, and its potential impact, including images/tables/original paper links ? Link to a video, if applicable (authors must arrange for unrestricted online viewing of video) Send the document as a PDF file (max. size 2 MB) to: prize at mahowaldprize.org If a video is included in the submission, a download link to the original source file should be included. The submission deadline is February 1, 2018. The Prize is sponsored by iniLabs, a technology company based in Switzerland that invents, produces, and sells neuromorphic technologies for research. iniLabs plays no role in selecting the nominee. ? Dr. Yulia Sandamirskaya Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ) Institute of Neuroinformatics University and ETH Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich E-mail: yulia.sandamirskaya at ini. uzh.ch Tel: +41 77 97 46613, +41 44 63 53045 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From poirazi at imbb.forth.gr Fri Feb 2 05:27:59 2018 From: poirazi at imbb.forth.gr (Yiota Poirazi) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2018 12:27:59 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: DENDRITES 2018: Second call for abstracts Message-ID: DENDRITES 2018 EMBO Workshop on Dendritic Anatomy, Molecules and Function Heraklion, Crete, Greece 17-20 June 2018 http://meetings.embo.org/event/18-dendrite *Organizing committee:* Yiota Poirazi, IMBB-FORTH Erin Schuman, MPI for Brain Research Michael H?usser, UCL Matthew Larkum, Humboldt University Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce solicitation of abstracts for short oral or poster presentation at the EMBO Workshop on DENDRITES 2018, that will take place in Heraklion, Crete on 17-20 June 2018. This is the 3rd of a very successful series of meetings on the island of Crete that is dedicated to dendrites. The meeting will bring together scientific leaders from around the globe to present their theoretical, hardware and experimental work on dendrites. The meeting program is designed to facilitate discussions of new ideas and discoveries, in a relaxed atmosphere that emphasizes interaction. Please register and submit your abstract online at: http://meetings.embo.org/event/18-dendrite Submissions of abstracts are due by February 15, 2018. Notifications will be provided by March 10, 2018. Potential attendees are strongly encouraged to submit an abstract as presenters will have registration priority. For more information about the conference, please refer to our web site or send email to info at mitos.com.gr We look forward to seeing you at DENDRITES 2018! on behalf of the organizing committee, Yiota Poirazi ps: Please note that DENDRITES 2018 is followed by AREADNE 2018 , June 20-24, a highly successful meeting on neural encoding that takes place in the nearby island of Santorini. -- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Research Director Computational Biology Laboratory Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385, GR 70013, Heraklion, Crete GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 Fax: +30 2810 391101 ?mail: poirazi at imbb.forth.gr Lab site: www.dendrites.gr FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From torcini at gmail.com Fri Feb 2 06:47:21 2018 From: torcini at gmail.com (A. Torcini) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2018 12:47:21 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: workshop Inspire -- June 68, 2018 - Ile de France Message-ID: ======================================================= InSpire - New Insights on Complex Neural Dynamics https://inspire2018parisseine.wordpress.com/ email: inspire.parisseine at gmail.com ======================================================= We are glad to announce the following workshop on neuroscience InSpire - New Insights on Complex Neural Dynamics to be held on June, 6th-8th, 2018, at Institut d'Etudes Avanc?s - Maison Internationale de la Recherche at Neuville-sur-Oise (Ile de France) (30 Km from Paris) https://inspire2018parisseine.wordpress.com/ This workshop will represent an opportunity to bring together views from experimental and computational neuroscientists as well as experts in the dynamics of complex systems. A common aim is to improve the knowledge of the mechanisms underlying neural activity in the brain. For registration, poster presentation and more details see here: https://inspire2018parisseine.wordpress.com/about/ The participation is limited to the first 70 registrations, and the deadline for poster submission and registration is April 20th, 2018. The Organizers, Bruno Cessac, Antonio Politi, Marc Timme, and Alessandro Torcini ------------------------------------------------------------------- List of Invited speakers: Frederic Chavane (INT, Marseille, France) Alain Destexhe (UNIC, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France) Matteo di Volo (UNIC,CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France) Fahrzad Farkhooi (TUB, Berlin, Germany) Olivier Faugeras (INRIA, Nice, France) Yves Fr?gnac (UNIC, Gif-sur-Yvette, France) Moritz Helias (Juelich, Germany) Matthias Hennig (University of Edinburgh, UK) Eva L?cherbach (UCP, Cergy-Pontoise, France) Stefano Luccioli (ISC-CNR,Sesto Fiorentino, Italy) Raoul Martin Memmesheimer (Bonn University, Germany) * Olivier Marre (Institut de la Vision, Paris, France) Thierry Mora (ENS, Paris, France) Ernst Montbri? (Barcelona, Spain) Simona Olmi (INRIA, Nice, France) Srdjan Ostoijc (ENS, Paris, France) Diemut Regel (MPI for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Goettingen, Germany) Yulia Timofeeva (Warwick University, UK) Simon Thorpe (Universit? Toulouse II - Paul Sabatier, France)) Ekkehard Ullner (King's College, University of Aberdeen, UK) Maria Sanchez-Vives (Universitat de Barcelona, Spain) * * To be confirmed From william.smith at york.ac.uk Fri Feb 2 10:25:58 2018 From: william.smith at york.ac.uk (William Smith) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2018 15:25:58 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Lecturer (Assistant Professor) positions in Computer Vision - University of York, UK Message-ID: The Department of Computer Science at the University of York, UK is recruiting 12 new Lecturers (US equivalent: Assistant Professor) over the next three years. The second round of recruitment is now underway with an expectation to make four appointments. These are permanent positions with an expectation of performing both world leading research and teaching. The Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) research group at York particularly welcomes applicants working in areas related to computer vision, machine learning and computer graphics. Besides a PhD in a relevant area, candidates should have a track record of publishing in the top venues in the area such as TPAMI, IJCV, CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, SIGGRAPH or NIPS. Research in the department is focussed into four themes. The most relevant to the CVPR group is ?Beyond Human Vision: novel approaches and algorithms for computer vision, pattern recognition and face analysis?, though the Analytics (including AI) theme and Image analysis within the Healthcare theme are also relevant. CVPR research at York Five academics at York work in areas related to vision: Prof. Edwin Hancock (https://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/erh ), Prof. Richard Wilson (https://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/wilson ), Dr William Smith (https://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/wsmith ), Dr Adrian Bors (https://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/adrian ) and Dr Nick Pears (https://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/nep ). Particular areas of interest include: physics-based vision, statistical learning, face modelling and analysis, structural pattern recognition, complex networks and, more recently, deep learning. We have two lab spaces, including a dark room equipped with a light stage, polarisation imaging equipment and a 3D laser scanner. We have private access to a small GPU-equipped server and shared access to much larger compute facilities. Besides collaborating with the five academics already working in vision, there is also an opportunity to collaborate with other research groups in the department (such as AI, Games and HCI), other departments in the university (we have active collaborations with Psychology, Environment and the York NeuroImaging Centre), the Digital Creativity Labs (http://www.digitalcreativity.ac.uk ) and the Doctoral Training Centre in Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence (http://iggi.org.uk ). Further general information about the university and city of York and details on how to apply can be found at: http://www.york.ac.uk/csjobs Interested applicants are encouraged to discuss their application in the first instance with Edwin Hancock (edwin.hancock at york.ac.uk ), Richard Wilson (richard.wilson at york.ac.uk ) and William Smith (william.smith at york.ac.uk ). The closing date is 25th February 2018. General enquiries about the application process or more details of the posts should be addressed to cs-lectureships at york.ac.uk . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From antonino.staiano at uniparthenope.it Sat Feb 3 04:03:47 2018 From: antonino.staiano at uniparthenope.it (Antonino Staiano) Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2018 10:03:47 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Special Issue on Statistical and Machine Learning Modeling in Computational Epigenetics Message-ID: Call for papers Special Issue on Statistical and Machine Learning Modeling in Computational Epigenetics at BioMed Research International The call is available at https://www.hindawi.com/ journals/bmri/si/873738/cfp/ Special Issue on Statistical and Machine Learning Modeling in Computational Epigenetics Epigenetics has recently emerged as one of the hottest fields in life sciences for studying heritable change in phenotype, gene function, or gene expression that are not directly encoded in the DNA itself. Up-to-date studies have shown that epigenetic modulations are fundamental in many developmental processes, from tissue and organ formation to allele-specific gene expression. When these normal epigenetic patterns modify, pattern of gene expression can be deregulated, and it has been proven that such mechanisms are central in several disorders and diseases, among which are psychiatric disorders, obesity, and etiology of a number of diseases such as cancer, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer, just to name a few. Today, thanks also to several large human epigenome projects, scientists have a better understanding of the basic principles of epigenetic mechanisms as well as their relevance to health disorders and disease. At the heart of this fascinating research field are computational tools that, by analyzing complex genomic information, play an essential role in discovering evidences to define new assessable hypotheses. In particular, the literature at a glance shows the effectiveness of a combination of statistical and machine learning techniques in several epigenetic analyses. This special issue aims to host original papers and reviews on recent research advances and the state-of-the-art methods in the fields of statistical and machine learning methodologies and algorithm design for the study of epigenetic mechanisms. Especially welcome are also software systems with a special emphasis on tools developed with the help of big data distributed processing framework like Hadoop and Spark to properly manage the huge amount of data coming from epigenome-scale experiments. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:Machine learning Statistical learning theory Fuzzy logic and systems Neuro-fuzzy systems Granular computing Data mining Probabilistic and statistical modelling Algorithms designed for epigenomic big data High-throughput data in the broad context of epigenomics Analysis, modeling, and prediction of DNA methylation patterns Analysis, modeling, and prediction of histone modifications in DNA sequences Identification of abnormal DNA methylation within CpG islands in different diseases Analysis of epigenetic marks in stem cells Analysis of miRNA changes in cancer and other diseases Simultaneous analysis of methylome and transcriptome Analysis of reciprocal regulation of noncoding RNA and methylation Study of the epigenetic role in metabolomics Analysis of microbiome role in epigenetic regulation of gene expression Authors can submit their manuscripts through the Manuscript Tracking System at https://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/bmri/computational.biology/acim/ Submission deadline: Friday, 2 March 2018 Publication date: July 2018 Antonino Staiano Department of Science and Technology University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy antonino.staiano at uniparthenope.it ************************************************************ ************************************************ Antonino Staiano, PhD Assistant Professor Dept. Science and Technology University of Naples Parthenope, Italy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sofmac at gmail.com Sat Feb 3 16:59:07 2018 From: sofmac at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Sofus_Macsk=C3=A1ssy?=) Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2018 13:59:07 -0800 Subject: Connectionists: CFP - DSAA-2018 Special Session Proposals - submission deadline: 5 Mar 2018 Message-ID: Dear List, Please see the call for proposals for DSAA-2018 Special Sessions below. Please contact the organizing committee if you have any questions. ===================================================== IEEE DSAA 2018 Call for Special Session Proposals ===================================================== Important Dates * Proposal submission: March 5, 2018 * Acceptance notification: March 12, 2018 * Special session dates: Oct 2 ? 4, 2018 ===================================================== IEEE DSAA Introduction The IEEE International Conference on Data Science and Advanced Analytics (DSAA) aims to be the flagship annual meeting spanning the interdisciplinary field of Data Science. DSAA focuses on the science of data science, as well as the implications of the science for applications to industry, government, and society. From the science side, DSAA spans all of the component fields of data science, including statistics, probabilistic and mathematical modeling, machine learning, data mining and knowledge discovery, complexity science, network science, business analytics, data management, infrastructure and storage, retrieval and search, security, privacy and ethics. From the applications side, DSAA aims both to show researchers important problems and issues that are revealed by real applications, and to show practitioners and users how the science can be applied to realize value. DSAA is intended to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of data science and analytics, as an alternative to the highly specialized disciplinary conferences. DSAA-2018 in Turin, Italy, is the 5th annual installment of the conference. This year brings the full collaboration of the American Statistical Association, to complement the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society and the ACM SIGKDD. This year DSAA also adds the support of the ISI Foundation, which has worked for 35 years to break down traditional silos in the sciences of complexity and data. DSAA-2018 aims to provide a premier forum that brings together researchers, industry and government practitioners, as well as developers and users of big data business for exchange of ideas on the latest theoretical developments in Data Science as well as on the best practice for a wide range of applications. === DSAA Special Sessions === Special sessions play a big role in promoting relevant focused areas that are not well covered in the main conference tracks, bringing together researchers, industry experts, practitioners and potential users who are interested in different aspects of data science and analytics. DSAA 2018 will feature a number of special sessions that are intended to cover some of the relevant but more specialized topics. For the record, DSAA 2017 featured 8 special sessions, the list of which is available online at the 2017 conference Web page. Special session proposals will be reviewed based on the quality of the proposals and their relationship to the main conference topics; preference will be given to timely topics that will favor highly interactive discussions and exchange of ideas. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: * Fairness and Ethics * Civic Rights * Discrimination * Financial and Banking Data: Opportunities and Risks * Social Good * Emergence of Inequalities * Education * Safety * Fraud Detection vs Privacy Concerns * Fake News vs. Censorship * Health * Uses and Limitations of Deep Learning * Causality * Other emerging topics === Logistics === Both the paper submission date and the notification date for all special sessions are the same as those of the main conference tracks. Special session organizers will form a program committee, will assign reviewers to papers and will make recommendations of acceptance/rejection for papers in their sessions. === DSAA Special Session Paper Selection and Publishing === To guarantee a uniform quality control for special sessions and to be consistent with the main conference, final decisions of acceptance/rejection are done by the DSAA program chair and/or general chair. Special sessions proposals should be submitted to the special session chairs at the following email address: dsaa2018_ss at isi.it The special session proposals must include: 1. Title, 2. Aims and scope, 3. Topics of interest, 4. Relevance to the main conference tracks and topics, 5. Organizers, 6. Past special sessions or relevant events, and 7. Potential committee members 8. Potential invited speakers For each organizer in (5), provide name, affiliation, country, email and a short biographical sketch, describing relevant qualifications and experience; identify at least one organizer as the contact person. For (6), list any special session or relevant events (e.g. workshops) the organizers have organized in recent years; for each, list the year, the conference, number of submissions, number of papers accepted, number of participants, etc. For (7), give a list of qualified committee members who could be invited. For (8), please consider to provide the names of one or two authoritative speakers that could open the special session, and that can deliver a comprehensive overview of the topic of interests. Accepted special session papers will be included in IEEE Xplore. === Special Session Chairs === Sofus Macskassy HackerRank Giancarlo Ruffo University of Turin === Important Dates === * Proposal submission: March 5, 2018 * Acceptance notification: March 12, 2018 * Special session dates: Oct 2 ? 4, 2018 === Website and Contact Information === For further information about the sessions and DSAA-2019, please visit: https://dsaa2018.isi.it/calls/call-for-special-sessions We look forward to your participation, The DCAA-2018 Special Sessions Committee Email: dsaa2018_ss at isi.it ===================================================== -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dengdehao at gmail.com Sun Feb 4 02:47:46 2018 From: dengdehao at gmail.com (Teng Teck Hou) Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2018 15:47:46 +0800 Subject: Connectionists: [INNS-BDDL 2018] Extension of paper submission deadline to 15th February 2018 Message-ID: <5a76baa0.c11c620a.5a08d.a796@mx.google.com> Apologies for cross postings. ########################################################### CALL FOR PAPERS The 3rd INNS Conference on Big Data and Deep Learning 2018 April 17-19, 2018, Bali, Indonesia Homepage: http://www.innsbigdata2018.org #######################Description:###################### The International Neural Network Society (INNS) is the premiere organization for individuals interested in a theoretical and computational understanding of the brain and applying that knowledge to develop new and more effective forms of machine intelligence. INNS was formed in 1987 by the leading scientists in the neural network field. Researchers and colleagues who work in the area of big data and machine learning, we are happy to announce "The 3 rd INNS Conference on Big Data and Deep Learning 2018 (INNS BDDL 2018) will be held on April 18 ? 19, 2018 in Sanur ? Bali, Indonesia. The aim of this conference is to create a valuable and important forum for scientists and engineers throughout the world to present the latest research findings and idea at the forefront of Big Data and Deep Learning. Accepted papers will be published in the Procedia Computer Science by Elsevier, which is indexed by Scopus. Several papers will be selected for possible publication in top journals. A preliminary list of such journals includes: - Cognitive Systems Research (Scopus SJR 0.648, Impact Factor 1.182) - Cognitive Computation (Scopus SJR 0.823, Impact Factor 3.441) - Big Data Analytics - Evolving Systems (Scopus SJR 0.459, Impact Factor 1.067) - International Journal of Neural Systems (Scopus SJR 1.121, Impact Factor 6.333) - and possibly others The conference will feature a comprehensive technical program with technical tracks on: Track 1: Big Data Track 2: Big Data Algorithms Track 3: Deep Learning Track 4: Application Areas Important Dates ################################################################### * Deadline of full paper submission 15 February 2018 * Decision notification 15 March 2018 * Conference 17 - 19 April 2018 ################################################################### Previous INNS Conference: INNS 2016 in Thessaloniki, Greece INNS 2015 in San Francisco, USA #################### Organizing committees ############### General chairs Seiichi Ozawa, Kobe University, Japan Ah-Hwee Tan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Program Chairs Plamen P. Angelov, Lancaster University, UK Asim Roy, Arizona State University, USA Mahardhika Pratama, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Local Committee Chairs Dieky Adzkiya, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Advisory Board Yew-Soon Ong, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Robert Kozma, University of Memphis, USA Sankar K. Pal, Indian Statistical Institute, India Haibo He, University of Rhode Island, USA Witold Pedrycz, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada Leszek Rutkowski, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Nikola Kasabov, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand Fernando Gomide, University of Campinas, Brazil Marley Vellasco, Pontif?cia Universidade Cat?lica do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Yoonsuck Choe, Texas A&M University Minho Lee, Kyungpook National University, South Korea Bao-Liang Lu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China Irwin King, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong kong Mohammad Nuh, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Joni Hermana, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Heru Setyawan, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Tutorials/Workshop Chairs Igor Skrjanc, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Sundaram Suresh, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Poster Sessions Chairs Eko Setiadji, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Agus Salim, La Trobe University, Australia Special Sessions Chairs Justin Wang, La Trobe University, Australia Yongping Pan, National University of Singapore, Singapore Panel Chairs Sreenatha Anavatti, University of New South Wales, Australia Mukesh Prasad, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia Achmad Affandi, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Awards Chairs Tapabrata Ray, University of New South Wales, Australia Dejan Dovzan, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Richard J. Oentaryo, McLaren Applied Technologies, Singapore Publication Chairs Edwin Lughofer, Johannes Kepler University, Austria Jose Antonio Iglesias, Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain Moamar Sayed?Mouchaweh, Institute Mines Telecom Lille Douai, France Publicity Chair Simone Scardapane, Sapienza University, Italy Teng Teck Hou, Singapore Management University, Singapore Hendro Nurhadi, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia International Liaison Chairs Yun Sing Koh, University of Auckland, New Zealand Deepak Puthal, University of Technology Sydney, Australia Wirawan, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Webmaster Mohamad Abdul Hady, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Andri Ashfahani, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Choiru Za?in, La Trobe University, Australia ###### Topics and Areas include, but not limited to the following###### ==BIG DATA Autonomous, online, incremental learning in big data High dimensional data, feature selection, feature transformation for big data Scalable algorithms for big data Big data analytics Data stream analytics Parallel & distributed computing for big data analytics (cloud, map-reduce, etc.) Online learning Online multimedia/stream/text analytics Link and graph mining Big data and cloud computing, large scale stream processing on the cloud Big data and collective intelligence/collaborative learning Big data and hybrid systems Big data and self-aware systems Big data and infrastructure Big data visualization ==Big Data Algorithm Neuromorphic hardware for scalable machine learning Evolving systems for big data analytics Evolutionary systems and big data Fuzzy systems and big data Cognitive modelling and big data Probabilistic approach for big data Concept drift detection for big data Granular computing for big data Transfer learning for big data ==Deep Learning Deep belief network Convolutional neural network Long short term memory Deep network architecture Deep autoencoder Deep stacked network Deep learning for natural language processing Deep learning for machine vision Evolving deep network Transfer learning in deep learning Online deep learning ==Application Areas Banking and Securities Communications, Media and Entertainment Healthcare Providers Education Manufacturing & Natural Resources Government Insurances Retail & Wholesale Trade Transportation Energy & Utilities, Etc. ##########################Sponsoring Organizations########################## * INNS - International Neural Network Society * PUI-PT MIA-RC ITS - Mechatronics and Industrial Automations - Research Center, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia * Elsevier ############################################################################ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From joseph.austerweil at gmail.com Sun Feb 4 11:41:33 2018 From: joseph.austerweil at gmail.com (Joseph Austerweil) Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2018 10:41:33 -0600 Subject: Connectionists: CFP: Mathematical Psychology/ICCM 2018 Message-ID: Call for papers - MathPsych/ICCM 2018 University of Wisconsin, Madison July 21st-24th, 2018 (July 21st is for Workshops, Tutorials & Opening reception) Submissions are due March 15th, 11.59pm CDT. We invite you to MathPsych/ICCM 2018, the joint gathering of the 51st Annual Meeting of the Society for Mathematical Psychology and the 16th International Conference on Cognitive Modeling (ICCM): the premier conference for research on computational models and computation-based theories of human cognition. Following our success in 2017, ICCM has again joined forces with the Society for Mathematical Psychology to create a conference in which all sessions are open to all attendees, and cross-talk is highly encouraged. MathPsych/ICCM 2018 is a forum for presenting and discussing the complete spectrum of cognitive modeling approaches, including connectionism, symbolic modeling, dynamical systems, Bayesian modeling, and cognitive architectures. Research topics can range from low-level perception to high-level reasoning. We also welcome contributions that use computational models to better understand neuroscientific data. We are pleased to announce four world-class invited speakers: Angela Yu (University of California, San Diego) Naomi Feldman (University of Maryland) Jennifer Trueblood (Vanderbilt University, Estes Early Career Award winner) Leslie Blaha (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, FABBS Early Career Award winner) We will have three invited symposia: - On the relationship between scientific practice and statistical practice (Organizers: Rich Shiffrin & Joachim Vandekerckhove) - Probabilistic Specification and Quantitative Testing of Decision Theories (Organizers: Michel Regenwetter & Clintin Stober) - Computational Brain & Behavior, a new journal sponsored by the Society for Mathematical Psychology (Organizer: Scott Brown) We have separate submissions for the MathPsych parallel tracks and the ICCM single-track. For MathPsych, submissions are brief 250-word abstracts to be considered for both talks and posters. For ICCM submissions are 6-page full papers to be considered for talks, and 2-page poster abstracts. We are working with TopiCS to create a special issue based on the best full ICCM papers. Submissions may be made by researchers, faculty, post-docs, graduate students and undergraduate students. Any one person may present only one paper, but may also be a co-author of other papers (when you are presenting author of a MathPsych paper, you cannot also be a presenting author of an ICCM paper and vica versa). We also welcome pre-conference workshop/tutorial submissions that are not specific to MathPsych or ICCM. All types of submissions are due on March 15th, 11.59pm CDT. More information can be found on our website: http://mathpsych.org/conferences/2018/ Registration fees have not yet been determined, although we expect they will be approximately $200 (faculty/professionals) and $80 (students). Registration will open on May 1st. We hope to see you in Madison! Ion Juvina, Joseph Houpt, and Christopher Myers (ICCM co-chairs) Joseph Austerweil and Joseph Houpt (MathPsych co-chairs) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From erdi.peter at wigner.mta.hu Sun Feb 4 13:01:43 2018 From: erdi.peter at wigner.mta.hu (=?ISO-8859-2?Q?=C9rdi_P=E9ter?=) Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2018 19:01:43 +0100 (CET) Subject: Connectionists: Systems Neuroscience: a study abroad summer program in Budapest In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Our Dear Colleagues: BSCS-US announces a study abroad program in Budapest: Systems Neuroscience: a study abroad summer program Program start/end dates June 11th - Aug 3th, 2018 The BSCS Systems Neuroscience Program takes place at and academically supervised by the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University Medical School, Budapest. Transcript is issued by the Registrar of the Semmelweis University Medical School, and will be sent directly to the Registrar of your college/university. For details, see: http://sysneuro-semester.org/ [sysneuro-semester.org] Inquiry: Program directors / academic supervisors P?ter ?rdi perdi at kzoo.edu L?szl? N?gyessy John Milton Office: bscs at bscs-us.org With kind regards, P?ter ?rdi http://people.kzoo.edu/~perdi/ aboutranking.com From antonino.staiano at uniparthenope.it Mon Feb 5 03:48:10 2018 From: antonino.staiano at uniparthenope.it (Antonino Staiano) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2018 09:48:10 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: CfP 10th International Conference on Ecological Informatics (Jena, Germany September 24-28 2018) Message-ID: Call for papers Regular Session: Understanding species distribution, population dynamics and phenology by machine learning. (Session Chairs: Antonino Staiano, Alberto Lanzoni and Friedrich Recknagel) within the general theme: ECOLOGICAL DATA SYNTHESIS BY MACHINE LEARNING AND HYBRID MODELLING Regular session 2.1: Understanding species distribution, population dynamics and phenology by machine learning Inferential modelling by machine learning techniques allows efficient and user-friendly analysis and synthesis of highly complex ecological data. Methods like random forest, quantile regression forest, Maxent, GARP have been successfully applied for species distribution modelling of extensive spatial data resulting in species response curves that describe a species? response to a given habitat condition, and illustrate specific habitat requirements for the species. Non-supervised artificial neural networks, regression trees and canonical correspondence analyses allow to ordinate and classify complex ecological data. Applications of support vector machines, supervised artificial neural networks and evolutionary algorithms to large spatial and temporal data allow to predict population dynamics and reveal phenology. This session welcomes papers on all aspects of inferential modelling of ecological data by means of novel machine learning techniques. The call is available at http://icei2018.uni-jena.de/calls/. For full consideration please submit your abstract to the session via EasyChair by March 18, 2018. Antonino Staiano Department of Science and Technology University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy antonino.staiano at uniparthenope.it ************************************************************ ************************************************ Antonino Staiano, PhD Assistant Professor Dept. Science and Technology University of Naples Parthenope, Italy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hrvoje.stojic at protonmail.com Mon Feb 5 04:37:33 2018 From: hrvoje.stojic at protonmail.com (Hrvoje Stojic) Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2018 04:37:33 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: PhD positions at Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research Message-ID: Dear all, we have a call for PhD positions in cognitive and computational neuroscience opened at University College London, Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research. The deadline is quite soon, 11 February 2018. Details about the call are in the attachment. Best regards, Hrvoje Stojic -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: MPC_PhD_Advert_final.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 120261 bytes Desc: not available URL: From bodenhofer at bioinf.jku.at Mon Feb 5 05:31:03 2018 From: bodenhofer at bioinf.jku.at (Ulrich Bodenhofer) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2018 11:31:03 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Two Research Fellows in Machine Learning / Deep Learning, Hochreiter Group, Linz, Austria Message-ID: <2bb55bf8-67ea-61e5-af17-375b48e02b85@bioinf.jku.at> Two Research Fellows in Machine Learning / Deep Learning, Hochreiter Group, Linz, Austria Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU), Austria, is looking for two post-doctoral research fellows to advance machine learning and deep learning with Sepp Hochreiter. These six year positions are affiliated with the LIT AI Lab and the Institute of Bioinformatics. Job description: ??? ? Conduct independent research and collaborate in machine learning and deep learning projects ??? ? Publish in renowned international journals and conferences ??? ? Supervise students; give lectures; support study programs Requirements: ??? ? PhD degree ??? ? Track record in machine learning (e.g. deep learning, reinforcement learning, kernel methods, probabilistic modeling) ??? ? Knowledge in one or more of the following application domains is a plus: bio-/chemoinformatics, signal processing, vision, speech, natural language processing ??? ? Willingness and ability to work in a team and to support students and junior researchers About the group: Within the last years, Sepp Hochreiter (who is best known for the invention of LSTM, for the Vanishing Gradient problem, ?Flat Minima?, and ?Learning to Learn?) has built up a dynamic team of ~20 researchers. The group has recently achieved widely acclaimed successes, such as, winning the NIH?s Tox21 toxicity prediction challenge with deep learning, the ELU activation function, Self-Normalizing Networks, and the proof of GAN learning convergence. The group has many international collaborations and receives funding from companies, such as, Johnson&Johnson, Merck, Bayer, Zalando, and Audi, e.g. through the Audi.JKU Deep Learning Center or the newly established LIT AI Lab. About the location: The area offers excellent quality of living in the heart of Europe ? close to the alps between Vienna, Salzburg, Prague and Munich. Linz provides a superb cultural environment, e.g. with the Ars Electronica Festival and the nearby Salzburg Festival. Moreover, the world-cultural heritage sites Hallstatt and ?esk? Krumlov are less than two hours away. The picturesque and versatile landscape provides countless options for recreation and sports in nature (skiing, hiking, climbing, cycling, and many more). If you have questions, please contact: Prof. Dr. Sepp Hochreiter, +43 732 2468 4520, Sepp.Hochreiter at jku.at. Prospective applicants interested in these positions are requested to electronically send an application via the online portal http://jku.at/application. Please include ?Job Reference Number 3534? in your application. From A.K.Seth at sussex.ac.uk Mon Feb 5 06:14:44 2018 From: A.K.Seth at sussex.ac.uk (Anil Seth) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2018 11:14:44 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Funded PhD at the University of Sussex: Causality and complexity in human neural dynamics during natural vision Message-ID: A funded PhD position is available at the University of Sussex, UK, application deadline Feb 16 2018. Causality and complexity in human neural dynamics during natural vision A PhD studentship in the area of computational neuroscience is available at the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, within Prof Anil Seth's group based in the Department of Informatics. It is a collaborative project with the group of Prof. Rafael Malach at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and Prof. Ashesh Mehta from the Feinstein Institute in New York. The position is co-funded by the University of Sussex and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). This project offers an exciting opportunity to apply leading-edge analytical methods to unique sources of data, in order to unravel the neural basis of conscious vision. The successful candidate will develop and apply dynamical complexity measures and functional connectivity analysis to detailed intracranial recordings obtained from humans during unconstrained real-world movement, with simultaneous video. A key advantage of this set-up is the availability of extensive high-resolution coverage of the entire (human) visual brain, acquired during ecologically valid visual behavior. Other sources of data may also be analysed during the project. The overall goal is to work towards an explanatory bridge from network-level neural dynamics to large-scale theories of perception and consciousness (e.g., global workspace theory, predictive processing). More details, including how to apply, are here: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/phd/fees-and-scholarships/scholarships/view/870 (please note funding is sufficient to cover fees and living expenses for UK/EU students only). Additional details are here: https://www.findaphd.com/search/projectdetails.aspx?PJID=92986 --------------------------------------------- Anil K. Seth, D.Phil. University of Sussex, UK Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Co-Director, Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science Editor-in-Chief, Neuroscience of Consciousness www.anilseth.com @anilkseth -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From trungdung.ngo at gmail.com Mon Feb 5 09:30:14 2018 From: trungdung.ngo at gmail.com (Ngo Trung Dung) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2018 10:30:14 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: [Jobs] Open PhD and Master positions in Robotics at Morelab.org, Canada Message-ID: The Morelab.org has open PhD and Master positions with full scholarship. Applicants with backgrounds in Robotics, Control Engineering, Robot Vision and AI are welcome. Research interests and achievements in socially aware robotics, sensor and data fusion, motion planning and control, and machine learning are preferable. Practical experiences and skills in ROS and Matlab are required for these positions. Feel free to contact the lab director (morelab.org at gmail.com) for more information. Please send your CV, degrees, samples of your research works along with a research statement explaining your research experiences and achievements. Our recent works for your references: Toward socially aware robot navigation in dynamic and crowded environments: A proactive social motion model , XT Truong, TD Ngo, IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering 14 (4), 1743-1760 Dynamic social zone based mobile robot navigation for human comfortable safety in social environments , XT Truong, TD Ngo, International Journal of Social Robotics 8 (5), 663-684. ?To Approach Humans??: A Unified Framework for Approaching Pose Prediction and Socially Aware Robot Navigation , XT Truong, TD Ngo, IEEE Transaction on Cognitive and Developmental Systems. Our demonstrations: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheMoreThanOne/videos Thanks, Trung Dung Ngo -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From astrid.prinz at emory.edu Mon Feb 5 09:18:42 2018 From: astrid.prinz at emory.edu (Prinz, Astrid A) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2018 14:18:42 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoctoral position to develop bio-inspired life-long learning machines, Emory University In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: The Prinz lab at Emory University in Atlanta invites highly motivated individuals to apply for a Postdoc position starting immediately. Applications will be processed as soon as received. The overall aim of the project is to create bio-inspired lifelong learning machines. The project is a collaborative effort with partner labs at Georgia State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology that combines approaches from computer science and neurobiology. The successful candidate is expected to hold a PhD in computer science, mathematics, physics, engineering, neuroscience, biology, or a related area and have experience in one of the following topics: - Neural Networks - Neural Plasticity - Neural Homeostasis - Computational Modeling - Machine Learning - Electrophysiology - Dynamic Clamp Application: The applicant should have a good track record of research publications in an area related to the project aim. Non-binding pre-application inquiries into details related to the position are encouraged and can be made immediately and informally by email to astrid.prinz at emory.edu. The complete application, also to be made electronically to the same email, must include: - A motivated application, including a research statement and a cogent argument for how qualified you are for the position - A full CV, including name, address, phone number, e-mail, previous and present employment and academic background - Documentation of academic degrees (copy of degree certificates etc.) - Top 3 publications - A numbered list of publications. The enclosed publications should be marked with an asterisk (*) For questions please contact: astrid.prinz at emory.edu. Astrid A. Prinz, PhD Associate Professor Department of Biology Emory University O. Wayne Rollins Research Center, Room 2105 1510 Clifton Road Atlanta, GA 30322 phone: 404-727-5191 fax: 404-727-2880 e-mail: astrid.prinz at emory.edu website: http://www.biology.emory.edu/research/Prinz/ ________________________________ This e-mail message (including any attachments) is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this message (including any attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender by reply e-mail message and destroy all copies of the original message (including attachments). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From delisyannis at gmail.com Mon Feb 5 14:57:25 2018 From: delisyannis at gmail.com (Yannis Delis) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2018 19:57:25 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: PhD position at the University of Leeds Message-ID: PhD Position: Computational approaches to the neural control of movement We are seeking UK/EU candidates for a fully funded PhD position at the School of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Leeds. The successful candidate will work with Dr. Ioannis Delis and will have the opportunity to interact and collaborate with other members of the Motor Control group. The ideal candidate will have an interest in some of the following areas: Recording and analysis of EMG, EEG and kinematic signals, design of complex behavioral experiments/tasks, biomedical signal processing, machine learning, statistical pattern recognition, cognitive modeling. No extensive previous experience in the above is required. However, a strong propensity for interdisciplinary research and a keen interest in understanding how the brain controls movement as well as extensive programming experience (Matlab and/or Python) is highly desirable. Interested candidates are invited to contact Dr. Ioannis Delis (*i.delis at leeds.ac.uk *) emailing their CV and briefly explaining their interest in this position. Starting date is flexible (September 2018 would be preferred). Project description: The aim of this project is to develop a mathematical analysis framework to a) analyze neurophysiological (EMG/EEG) and behavioural signals (kinematics/accuracy/response time) and b) model sensory-motor behavior in order to understand how the human brain and spinal cord interact with the musculoskeletal system to generate movement. The post holder will have the opportunity to a) develop new advanced methods based on machine learning, signal processing and information theory, b) design and perform behavioural experiments with human subjects and c) analyze experimental data in collaboration with experimental neuroscience laboratories. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From salah at boun.edu.tr Tue Feb 6 03:46:53 2018 From: salah at boun.edu.tr (Albert Ali Salah) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2018 17:46:53 +0900 Subject: Connectionists: CFP: HBU 2018 at FG (extended deadline) Message-ID: CALL FOR PAPERS: 8th Int. Workshop on Human Behavior Understanding (HBU) in conjunction with 2nd Int. Workshop on Automatic Face Analytics for Human Behavior Understanding (FaceHUB) at IEEE Face & Gesture 2018 - Xi'An, 15-19 May 2018 https://www.cmpe.boun.edu.tr/hbu/2018/ Workshop Description With development of computer vision and sensor technology, it becomes possible to analyze human behavior via various ways at different time-scales and at different levels of interaction and interpretation. Understanding human behavior automatically opens up enormous possibilities for human-computer interaction, with a potential of endowing the computers with a capacity to attribute meaning to users' attitudes, preferences, personality, social relationships, etc., as well as to understand what people are doing, the activities they have been engaged in, and their routines. This workshop aims to inspect developments in selected areas where smarter computers that can sense human behavior have great potential to revolutionize the application domain. We ultimately seek to re-define the relationship between the computer and the interacting human, moving the computer from a passive observer role to a socially active participant role and enabling it to drive different kinds of interaction. The 8th Int. Workshop on Human Behavior Understanding (HBU) and 2nd Int. Workshop on Automatic Face Analytics for Human Behavior Understanding (FaceHUB) are jointly organized at IEEE FG as a single-track, one day event, to gather researchers on behavior analysis and analytics. It will have two specific focus sessions dealing with "face analytics" and "behavior analysis for smart cars". Session 1 "Face analytics": There is strong evidence that face analytic for human behavior understanding could also be highly beneficial in human computer interaction. Application scenarios include analyzing emotions while the person is watching emotional movies or advertisements, playing video games, driving a car, is under health monitoring or crime investigation, or is participating in interactive tutoring. Furthermore, long-term continuous monitoring and analysis of expressions provides important information for assessing personality but also provide cues of psychological disorders. Session 2 "Behavior analysis for smart cars": The computational capabilities of cars are rapidly increasing. While a lot of attention is directed towards what goes on outside the car, and to autonomous driving systems, the inside of the car is very interesting too. In the transition period from human-driven cars to fully autonomous cars, there is great interest in improved driver assistance, safety, and comfort systems. When the fully autonomous car is realized, there will still be a need for looking inside the car, for better car-customer interaction. This workshop will solicit human behavior analysis solutions that clearly advance the field, and also to propose novel application scenarios. The covered topics may span items from the following topic dimensions, as well as target a focus theme challenge: Human Behavior Analysis Systems -Action and activity recognition -Single and multimodal affect analysis -Gaze, attention and saliency -Gestures and haptic interaction -Learning and adaptation -Social signal processing -Voice and speech analysis Theory and Methodology of Human Interactive Behaviors -Data collection, annotation, and benchmarking -Interaction design -Theoretical frameworks of behavior analysis -User studies and human factors Session 1: Face analytics -Automatic deception detection -Deep learning models for facial analysis -Face alignment and fiducial point detection -Continuous and dynamic facial behavior analysis -Emotion recognition in the wild -Temporal models for face analysis -Facial action unit detection and recognition -Group emotion analysis -Long-term behaviors and interaction -Micro-expression detection, recognition and understanding -Spontaneous affect databases: collection and annotation -Cross-domain facial expression recognition -Spontaneous facial expression analysis -Multimodal emotion recognition Session 2: Behavior analysis for smart cars -Advanced driver assistance systems, assisting elderly drivers -Behavior analysis for car safety -Car driving simulation analysis -Driver identification and biometrics -Driver's face monitoring, drowsiness and fatigue detection -Head pose and attention tracking -Human factors and driver personalization -Human-car interaction -In-car social signals: aggression, frustration, boredom -Multimodal interactive systems in cars -Posture assessment and comfort analysis Submission Submission site is open, and accessible at: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=hbu2018 Each paper will be reviewed by at least two members of the scientific Program Committee, in double-blind fashion. The submitted papers should present original work, not currently under review elsewhere and should have no substantial overlap with already published work. Submissions should be submitted in PDF and should be no more than 8 pages in IEEE FG 2018 paper format. Accepted papers will be included in the Proceedings of IEEE FG 2018 and Workshops and will be sent for inclusion into the IEEE Xplore digital library. Dates 11 February, Submission deadline (final extension) 20 February, Notification of acceptance 1 March, Camera ready submission 15 May, Tentative workshop date Special Issues Two journal special issues are organized from the two focus themes of the HBU Workshop. One issue on `behavior analysis for smart cars` will be edited as a thematic issue of Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments. A second issue on `Automatic face analytics for human behavior understanding` will be edited at Image and Vision Computing. Authors will be invited to submit suitably extended versions of their papers to these special issues. Keynotes Stephen Brewster, University of Glasgow, "Designing new user interfaces for cars" * Hongying Meng, Brunel University London, "Recent Advances in Automatic Emotion Detection from Facial Expression" *(sponsored by the ACM Distinguished Speakers program) People Program Committee Tadas Baltrusaitis, Microsoft Corporation, UK Wei Chen, China University of Mining and Technology, CN Adrian Davison, University of Manchester, UK Hamdi Dibeklioglu, Bilkent University, TR Jordi Gonzalez, CVC Barcelona, ES J?rgen Gall, Univ. of Bonn, DE Heikki Huttunen, Tampere University of Technology, FI Julian Kooij, Delft University of Technology, NL Peng Liu, Aware, US Marwa Mahmoud, Univ. of Cambridge, UK Matei Mancas, Univ. of Mons, BE Javier J. Sanchez Medina, ULPGC, ES Teruhisa Misu, Honda Research Institute, US Wenxuan Mou, Queen Mary University of London, UK Eshed Ohn-Bar, Carnegie Mellon University, US Shogo Okada, JAIST, JP Yannis Panagakis, Imperial College London, UK Senya Polikovsky, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, DE Nicu Sebe, University of Trento, IT Caifeng Shan, Philips Research, NL Karan Sikka, Stanford Research Institute, US Xiaoyang Tan, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, CN Yan Tong, University of South Carolina, US Fernando De la Torre, Facebook, US Mohan M. Trivedi, University of California San Diego, US Ruiping Wang, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CN Sujing Wang, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CN Jacob Whitehill, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, US Lijun Yin, University of Binghamton, US Zeynep Yucel, Okayama University, JP Organizers Carlos Busso, Univ. of Texas at Dallas Xiaohua Huang, Univ. of Oulu Takatsugu Hirayama, Nagoya Univ. Guoying Zhao, Univ. of Oulu & Northwest Univ. of China Albert Ali Salah, Bo?azi?i Univ. & Nagoya Univ. Matti Pietikainen, Univ. of Oulu Roberto Vezzani, Univ. of Modena and Reggio Emilia Wenming Zheng, Southeast Univ. Abhinav Dhall, Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar -- Dr. Albert Ali Salah http://www.cmpe.boun.edu.tr/~salah/ Nagoya University, Future Value Creation Research Center (FV-CRC), Graduate School Informatics Bogazici University, Computer Engineering Dept. & Cognitive Science MA Program http://www.cogsci.boun.edu.tr From guangliang.li2010 at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 05:25:18 2018 From: guangliang.li2010 at gmail.com (Guangliang Li) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2018 18:25:18 +0800 Subject: Connectionists: Second CfP - ICRA 2018 Workshop on Animated and Real Life Personal Robots In-Reply-To: References: <00ACB31C-497F-428C-98E5-0F78F0FB79CD@gmail.com> Message-ID: Apologies for cross posting! *****Second Call for contributions***** International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2018) workshop on "At the Crossroads: Blurring the Lines between Animated and Real Life Personal Robots" https://sites.google.com/site/icra2018workshop/home May 21, 2018 Brisbane, Australia ------------------------------------ Important dates: Submission deadline: March 15th, 2018 Notification of Acceptance: April 15th, 2018 ------------------------------------ Objectives: The vision of the personal robot has generally been shaped by human perceptions of robots through media and animation. The movie industry has produced animated robot movies for generation across genres with great successes while the advancement in AI is narrowing the gap between fiction and reality. To animate, and the related words, animation, animated and animator all derive from the Latin verb, animare, which means ?to give life to'. In the context of robotics, this involves the design and programming of attributes in order to create the illusion of life. Anthropomorphism, the suspension of disbelief, aesthetics, observation, storytelling, performance, articulation of personality through movement and gesture, and the physiological and psychological nature of character are all aspects of animation that animators deal with on a daily basis. In the meantime, researchers have been working relentlessly in the pursuit of bringing human-like capabilities to machines through AI. In this workshop we would like to explore the principals and practice of animators drawing in from their experience that delivered us robot characters we come to love and adore. Their skills together with the techniques of robotics can contribute immensely in giving ?the illusion of life? to personal robots and assist in enhancing human-robot interaction experience. ------------------------------------ We invite interested researchers to submit your work or ideas addressing topics related to the workshop to EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=apr2018 . Papers should be submitted electronically with two-column format in the IEEE style. The length of submitted Paper should be up to 6 pages. The reviewing process is single blind. The accepted papers will have the opportunity to present your work/ideas in a poster session or oral presentation. We are currently considering the publication of the accepted papers to a special issue or a book chapter. ----------------------------------- Topics of interest: ? Animation in robotics design ? Aesthetics, Movement and the Uncanny Valley ? Anthropomorphism, hyper realism and robotics: to be or not to be ? The principles of animation and Human-robotic interaction ? The performative robot ? Facial animation and communication ? Attributes and emotion ? Designing for Empathy ? Emotional Affordance and the animator's toolkit ? Socially Intelligent Robots ? Collaborative Robotics ? Human Robot Interaction ? Human Behaviour Modeling ? Affective Computing ? Mutual shaping of robots and human ? Performance metrics and benchmarking ? Designing and animating life ? Body language and communication ? Suspension of Disbelief ? Evaluation of the affects of mimicry and originality in robot design ? Paralanguage and the communicative robot ? Navigating the languages of science and design in robotics -------------------------------------- Invited Speakers: ? Deane Taylor, Animation Concept Artist, Production Designer, Illustrator and Director, USA ? Rachid Alami , LAAS CNRS, France --------------------------------------- Organizing Committee: Randy Gomez , Honda Research Institute Japan Deborah Szapiro, University of Technology Sydney Luis Merino, University of Pablo Olavide Guangliang Li , Ocean University of China Keisuke Nakamura , Honda Research Institute Japan Manuel Muehlig , Honda Research Institute Europe Bert Bongers , University of Technology Sydney Hiroshi Okuno , Waseda University and Kyoto University Please check the updates on the workshop website: https://sites.google.com/site/icra2018workshop/home . If you have any questions, please contact Guangliang Li guangliangli at ouc.edu.cn or Randy Gomez r.gomez at jp.honda-ri.com ------------------------ Guangliang Li Assistant Professor, Department of Electronic Engineering, College of Information Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, China Songling Road 238, 266100, Qingdao, China Room: South Building B208 Email: guangliang.li2010 at gmail.com https://guangliangsite.wordpress.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From r.pascanu at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 06:15:15 2018 From: r.pascanu at gmail.com (Razvan Pascanu) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2018 11:15:15 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Transylvanian Machine Learning Summer School (TMLSS) - APPLICATIONS OPEN - Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 16-22 July 2018 Message-ID: *Call for Participation (apologies for crossposting)Transylvanian Machine Learning Summer SchoolJuly 16-22, 2018, Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaWeb: www.tmlss.ro Email: contact at tmlss.ro Important datesDeadline for applications: March 30, 2018, 23:59 EETNotification of acceptance: April 27, 2018Motivation and descriptionTMLSS is a machine learning summer school that aims to popularize topics around machine learning and artificial intelligence and to encourage research in these fields. The summer school will be held in Eastern Europe -- this year in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. By bringing together high quality lecturers and students from all over the world, we strive to enable communication and networking between the Eastern Europe research community and students and researchers from established groups around the world. The school is open to participants from all over the world. The selection process has equal opportunities and diversity at heart, and will assess interest and knowledge of machine learning. The theme of this edition will be Deep Learning and Reinforcement Learning. The programme consists of lectures and hands-on practical sessions on core topics such as Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, Reinforcement Learning, and Generative Models. Additional advanced topics include Robotics and the Theory of Neural Networks.List of confirmed lecturersDoina Precup, McGill University & DeepMindDumitru Erhan, Google BrainGuido Mont?far, University of California, Los AngelesJan Chorowski, University of Wroc?aw & Google BrainKyunghyun Cho, New York University & Facebook AI ResearchLucian Bu?oniu, Technical University of Cluj-NapocaLuigi Malag?, Romanian Institute of Science and TechnologyMarius Leordeanu, Politechnica University of Bucharest & Institute of Mathematics of the Romanian AcademyRaia Hadsell, DeepMindRazvan Pascanu, DeepMindUlrich Paquet, DeepMindLabs are led byDiana Borsa, DeepMind & University College LondonMihaela Rosca, DeepMindViorica Patraucean, DeepMindWojtek Czarnecki, DeepMindOrganizersDoina Precup, McGill University & DeepMindLuigi Malag?, Romanian Institute of Science and TechnologyR?zvan Florian, Romanian Institute of Science and TechnologyRazvan Pascanu, DeepMindViorica Patraucean, DeepMindPartnersRomanian Institute of Science and Technology, Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaBabes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaPoster session Participants are encouraged to present posters on their research work and interests. The work described does not have to be novel. For example, participants can present their experience of reproducing published work.Presenting a poster increases the chance of being selected. Participants that choose to present a poster will be asked to submit an abstract during registration. Best posters and most original ideas will be awarded during the school!Social eventsThe programme includes several opportunities for socializing and networking, such as welcoming reception, half-day trip around Cluj, farewell dinner.Scholarships A limited number of scholarships will be offered to participants, based on financial considerations.More info: https://tmlss.ro/ Email: contact at tmlss.ro Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TMLSS.ro/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TMLSS2018 * -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From m.reske at fz-juelich.de Tue Feb 6 06:35:03 2018 From: m.reske at fz-juelich.de (Martina Reske) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2018 12:35:03 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Open position: Coordinator Scientific Computing at Research Center Juelich, Germany Message-ID: Dear Connectionist community The Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM) investigates the structure and function of the human brain on different spatial and temporal scales within the research program ?Decoding the Human Brain?. The brain?s high complexity and plasticity over the lifespan of an individual, as well as changes during neuropsychiatric disorders, requires the use of innovative imaging methods and supercomputing technology. Basic neuroscience research heavily relies on modeling and simulation, which are necessary to approach the brain?s immense complexity, manage the huge amount of resulting data, and develop reliable control techniques. Acquired knowledge allows for the translation of basic findings into clinical applications to better understand neurological and psychiatric disorders, to refine diagnostic processes, and to develop therapy strategies ? crucial tasks we have to face in ageing societies. The department INM-6, Computational and Systems Neuroscience, develops mathematical models of neuronal dynamics and function. We are active in neuromorphic computing and develop simulation technologies and analysis tools. We are looking to recruit a Coordinator Scientific Computing Your Job: * Design and continuous advancement of a roadmap for scientific computing with regard to hard- and software * Designing a cloud infrastructure and digitized workflows in theoretical neuroscience * Studying international developments in hard- and software in the fields of simulation and data science in neuroscience * Planning, purchasing, set-up and management of UNIX, Linux, Mac OS and Windows systems, communication systems and software * Support of institute?s databases and online tools (webdav, git, wordpress, website); user management * Further development of simulation and analysis codes with regard to system near aspects * Measurement of energy-to-solution and time-to-solution of simulations and analysis codes for scientific studies * Direct support of scientists * Participation in working group leaders? meeting * Participation in relevant IT committees at Forschungszentrum Juelich * Participation in educating staff in HPC aspects Your Profile: * Completed study of informatics, mathematics or physics * Substantial expertise in C, C++ and Python * Substantial knowledge of UNIX, Windows and Mac OS * Experience with administration of HPC clusters, file, web and print servers as well as with parallel computing (ideally in neuroscience) * Beneficial: Basic knowledge of neuroscience concepts * Ability and willingness to work independently and proactively * Confident appearance and ability to work cooperatively in an interdisciplinary environment * Good interpersonal and communication skills * Structured and systematic working style * Fluent in English (spoken and written) Our Offer: * International, interdisciplinary working environment on an attractive research campus, ideally situated between the cities of Cologne, D?sseldorf, and Aachen * A comprehensive further training Programme * Flexible working hours and various opportunities to reconcile work and family life * Limited for 2 years with possible longer-term prospects * Salary and social benefits in conformity with the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Civil Service (TV?D) Forschungszentrum J?lich aims to employ more women in this area and therefore particulary welcomes applications from women. We also welcome applications from disabled persons. We look forward to receiving your application, preferably online via our online recruitment system on our career site, quoting the reference number 2017-321. Contact Human Resource Development and Recruiting Kristin Lux Tel.:+49 2461 61 9700 -- Dr. Martina Reske Scientific Coordinator Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience J?lich Research Centre and JARA J?lich, Germany Work +49.2461.611916 Work Cell +49.151.26156918 Fax +49.2461.619460 www.csn.fz-juelich.de ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From guangliang.li2010 at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 07:36:31 2018 From: guangliang.li2010 at gmail.com (Guangliang Li) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2018 20:36:31 +0800 Subject: Connectionists: Second CfP - ICRA 2018 Workshop on Animated and Real Life Personal Robots In-Reply-To: References: <00ACB31C-497F-428C-98E5-0F78F0FB79CD@gmail.com> Message-ID: <8E1FA156-2746-4F32-B600-0340DC207FCD@gmail.com> Sorry, the correct link to the website of the workshop is: https://sites.google.com/site/icra2018workshop/ Best regards, Guangliang > On Feb 6, 2018, at 6:25 PM, Guangliang Li wrote: > > Apologies for cross posting! > > *****Second Call for contributions***** > > International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2018) workshop on "At the Crossroads: Blurring the Lines between Animated and Real Life Personal Robots" > https://sites.google.com/site/icra2018workshop/home > May 21, 2018 > > Brisbane, Australia > > ------------------------------------ > Important dates: > > Submission deadline: March 15th, 2018 > > Notification of Acceptance: April 15th, 2018 > > ------------------------------------ > > Objectives: > The vision of the personal robot has generally been shaped by human perceptions of robots through media and animation. The movie industry has produced animated robot movies for generation across genres with great successes while the advancement in AI is narrowing the gap between fiction and reality. > > To animate, and the related words, animation, animated and animator all derive from the Latin verb, animare, which means ?to give life to'. In the context of robotics, this involves the design and programming of attributes in order to create the illusion of life. Anthropomorphism, the suspension of disbelief, aesthetics, observation, storytelling, performance, articulation of personality through movement and gesture, and the physiological and psychological nature of character are all aspects of animation that animators deal with on a daily basis. In the meantime, researchers have been working relentlessly in the pursuit of bringing human-like capabilities to machines through AI. > > In this workshop we would like to explore the principals and practice of animators drawing in from their experience that delivered us robot characters we come to love and adore. Their skills together with the techniques of robotics can contribute immensely in giving ?the illusion of life? to personal robots and assist in enhancing human-robot interaction experience. > > ------------------------------------ > We invite interested researchers to submit your work or ideas addressing topics related to the workshop to EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=apr2018 . Papers should be submitted electronically with two-column format in the IEEE style. The length of submitted Paper should be up to 6 pages. The reviewing process is single blind. The accepted papers will have the opportunity to present your work/ideas in a poster session or oral presentation. We are currently considering the publication of the accepted papers to a special issue or a book chapter. > > ----------------------------------- > Topics of interest: > > ? Animation in robotics design > > > ? Aesthetics, Movement and the Uncanny Valley > > > ? Anthropomorphism, hyper realism and robotics: to be or not to be > > > ? The principles of animation and Human-robotic interaction > > > ? The performative robot > > > ? Facial animation and communication > > > ? Attributes and emotion > > > ? Designing for Empathy > > > ? Emotional Affordance and the animator's toolkit > > > ? Socially Intelligent Robots > > > ? Collaborative Robotics > > > ? Human Robot Interaction > > > ? Human Behaviour Modeling > > > ? Affective Computing > > > ? Mutual shaping of robots and human > > > ? Performance metrics and benchmarking > > > ? Designing and animating life > > > ? Body language and communication > > > ? Suspension of Disbelief > > > ? Evaluation of the affects of mimicry and originality in robot design > > > ? Paralanguage and the communicative robot > > > ? Navigating the languages of science and design in robotics > > -------------------------------------- > Invited Speakers: > > ? Deane Taylor, Animation Concept Artist, Production Designer, Illustrator and Director, USA > > ? Rachid Alami , LAAS CNRS, France > > --------------------------------------- > Organizing Committee: > > Randy Gomez > , Honda Research Institute Japan > > > Deborah Szapiro, University of Technology Sydney > > > Luis Merino, University of Pablo Olavide > > > Guangliang Li > , Ocean University of China > > > Keisuke Nakamura > , Honda Research Institute Japan > > > Manuel Muehlig > , Honda Research Institute Europe > > > Bert Bongers > , University of Technology Sydney > > > Hiroshi Okuno > , Waseda University > and Kyoto University > > > Please check the updates on the workshop website: https://sites.google.com/site/icra2018workshop/home . If you have any questions, please contact Guangliang Li guangliangli at ouc.edu.cn or Randy Gomez r.gomez at jp.honda-ri.com > > ------------------------ > Guangliang Li > Assistant Professor, Department of Electronic Engineering, > College of Information Science and Engineering, > Ocean University of China, China > > Songling Road 238, 266100, Qingdao, China > Room: South Building B208 > Email: guangliang.li2010 at gmail.com > https://guangliangsite.wordpress.com > > > > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From marcdorn at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 08:31:17 2018 From: marcdorn at gmail.com (Marcio Dorn) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2018 14:31:17 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: RITA EHSOP - Extension of paper submission deadline to 01/03/2018 Message-ID: Apologies for cross postings. -- Prof. Dr. M?rcio Dorn Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Institute of Informatics Av. Bento Gon?alves 9500, 91501-970 - Porto Alegre, RS - Brasil Pr?dio 72 Sala 217 Tel: +55 51 3308-6824 Lattes CV: http://lattes.cnpq.br/6355224981962273 + ???????????????????????????????????? + Special Issue on "Exact and Heuristic Solutions for Optimization Problems? - Revista de Inform?tica Te?rica e Aplicada (RITA) - Extended Deadline Many real-world problems may be formulated as optimization problems, and high-quality solutions for solving hard optimization problems are required. This Special Issue on Exact and Heuristic Solutions for Optimization Problems focuses on publishing original and high-quality papers that significantly contribute to the areas of Combinatorial Optimization, Continuum Optimization and with the design and Application of algorithms for solving real-life optimization problems. Papers must be written in English, according to the RITA (ISSN 2175-2745) formatting guidelines. Only full papers are accepted for submission. Papers will be refereed through a blind process for technical merit and content. Topics of Interest (not limited to): Operational Research Applications Combinatorial Optimization Methods Continuous Optimization Methods Dynamic Optimization Problems Constraint Programming Exact, Metaheuristic, and Matheuristic Methods Multi-Objective Optimization Valid Inequalities and Decompositions Heuristics Combined with Machine Learning Techniques Parallel and Cooperative Metaheuristics Evolutionary Algorithms Papers will be submitted to the journal following the traditional online submission process but authors should select the Special Issue ? ?Exact and Heuristic Solutions for Optimization Problems?. Full details of submission procedures and requirements are available at http://seer.ufrgs.br/rita RITA DBLP: http://dblp.uni-trier.de/db/journals/rita/index.html RITA Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com.br/citations?user=oO-u734AAAAJ&hl=pt-BR IMPORTANT DATES Paper Submission Deadline: Mar, 01, 2018 (extended) First Round Notification: Apr, 19, 2018 Revision: May, 3, 2018 Final Decision: Jun, 7, 2018 Publication Date: Jul, 12, 2018 Editor-In-Chief: Prof. Dr. M?rcio Dorn Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil E-mail: mdorn at inf.ufrgs.br Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Regina Berretta University of Newcastle, Australia E-mail: regina.berretta at newcastle.edu.au Prof. Dr. Luciana S. Buriol Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil E-mail: buriol at inf.ufrgs.br + ???????????????????????????????????? + -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: RITA-Special-ISSUE-Exact_and_Heuristic_Solutions_for_Optimization_Problems.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 72817 bytes Desc: not available URL: From smartstart at fz-juelich.de Tue Feb 6 09:31:46 2018 From: smartstart at fz-juelich.de (Smart Start Coordination Office) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2018 15:31:46 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Apply now and start smart Message-ID: Ready for a SMARTSTART into Computational Neuroscience? We invite first and second-year Master students with a background in fields such as physics, mathematics, biology, computer sciences, engineering, psychology or medicine to apply to our joint training program SMARTSTART. The program aims at complementing previous studies with concepts, theories and techniques of Computational Neuroscience. SMARTSTART consists of two programs. Both of them last one year and take place at numerous locations of the Bernstein Network throughout Germany. SMARTSTART 1 aims at current first year second-year Master students. It provides financial support to attend supplementary courses and training visits at participating institutions. Students will receive an experienced faculty mentor who will advise and guide them at this educational stage. SMARTSTART 2 aims at current second year master students, who will have achieved a master's degree by October 2018 and who intend to start a PhD project. Participants will be financially supported to thoroughly plan and prepare a collaborative PhD project between two labs. The program provides a 65% employment for 12 months as well as personal travel allowance for lab vistis and courses. Both SMARTSTART programs will commence October 2018. The application deadline is Wednesday, February 28, 2018. For more information please visit our website: www.smartstart-compneuro.de Best regards, Kathrin Hebert -- Coordination Office Smart Start - Joint Training Program in Computational Neuroscience Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum J?lich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9593 mail: smartstart at fz-juelich.de web: www.nncn.de Twitter: NNCN_Germany YouTube: Bernstein TV Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mpavone at dmi.unict.it Tue Feb 6 16:50:54 2018 From: mpavone at dmi.unict.it (Mario Pavone) Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2018 22:50:54 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: META'2018 International Conference on Metaheuristics and Nature Inspired Computing Message-ID: <20180206225054.Horde.5I32auph4B9aeiM_5LB0BfA@mbox.dmi.unict.it> Apologies for cross-posting. Appreciate if you can distribute this CFP to your network. ********************************************************************** META'2018 International Conference on Metaheuristics and Nature Inspired Computing 27-31 Oct 2018 Marrakech, Morocco http://meta2018.sciencesconf.org/ ********************************************************************** META is one of the main event focusing on the progress of the area of metaheuristics and their applications. As in previous editions, META?2018 will provide an opportunity to the international research community in metaheuristics to discuss recent research results, to develop new ideas and collaborations, and to meet old friends and make new ones in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. All selected papers will be published in the conference proceedings. Following the tradition, selected long papers will be published in a postponed Springer book as in META'2014 and META'2016. At least, 2 special special issues in ISI and SCOPUS journals are also confirmed: - Special issue in Optimization and learning in Wiley Journal ITOR - International Journal on Operational Research (deadline for submission: 31 May 2018) - Special issue in Metaheuristics for 4.0 industry in Elsevier Journal Swarm-and-Evolutionary-Computation (deadline for submission: 31 May 2018) META'2018 welcomes presentations that cover any aspects of metaheuristic research such as new algorithmic developments, high-impact applications, new research challenges, theoretical developments, implementation issues, and in-depth experimental studies. META'2018 strives for a high-quality program that will be completed by a number of invited talks, tutorials, workshops and special sessions. The scope of the META?2018 conference includes, but is not limited to: * Local search, tabu search, simulated annealing, VNS, ILS, ? * Evolutionary algorithms, swarm optimization, scatter search, ? * Emergent nature inspired algorithms: quantum computing, artificial immune systems, bee colony, DNA computing, ? * Parallel algorithms * Hybrid methods with machine learning, game theory, mathematical programming, constraint programming, co-evolutionary, ? * Application to: logistics and transportation, networks, scheduling, data mining, engineering design, energy, cloud, bio-medical, ? * Theory of metaheuristics, landscape analysis, convergence, problem difficulty, very large neighbourhoods, ? * Multi-objective optimization, bi-level optimization * Dynamic optimization, problems with uncertainty, ? * Parameter tuning (static, dynamic, adaptive, self-adaptive) * Hyper-heuristics, cross-domain metaheuristics * Software frameworks for metaheuristics and nature inspired computing Submission of papers: ____________________ - Submission of papers via the website S1) Short papers: Extended abstracts of work-in-progress and position papers of a maximum of 3 pages. S2) Long papers: Original research contributions of a maximum of 10 pages. S3) Journal papers: High-quality manuscripts that have recently, within the last year, been submitted or accepted for journal publication. For this special case, the submission should have the same title that the accepted work, the abstract AND the complete reference of the work. - Proceedings of the conference will be provided. Selected papers of type S1 and S2 will be published in a Springer book and international journals (ISI journals). - Predefined styles are available on the website http://meta2018.sciencesconf.org/ - Proposals for invited sessions, workshops and tutorials: Deadline 15th March 2018. contact meta2018 at sciencesconf.org Important dates _______________ - Submission deadline: April 13, 2018 - Notification of acceptance: May 15, 2018 From tarek.besold at googlemail.com Wed Feb 7 10:00:44 2018 From: tarek.besold at googlemail.com (tarek.besold at googlemail.com) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2018 15:00:44 -0000 Subject: Connectionists: Final Call for Participation: Cognitive Computation Symposium - Thinking Beyond Deep Learning // City, University of London (UK) // Feb. 27, 2018 Message-ID: <004101d3a024$6e998ce0$4bcca6a0$@gmail.com> Dear all, we are almost sold out, but still have a few tickets left for our "Cognitive Computation Symposium: Thinking Beyond Deep Learning" (CoCoSym 2018) at City, University of London, on February 27, 2018. Event URL: http://www.neural-symbolic.org/CoCoSym2018/index.html Direct link to the registration system: http://estore.city.ac.uk/product-catalogue/conference-events/school-specific -events/cognitive-computation-symposium-thinking-beyond-deep-learning Together with a diverse list of invited speakers, we want to address the following three questions: 1) Will development in Deep Learning completely solve the problem(s) of Artificial Intelligence? 2) If not, how could and/or should AI and ML continue towards such a general solution? 3) What is going to be "the next big thing" that lets us build beyond the recent success of Deep Learning? We would be happy to welcome you for the CoCoSym 2018 at City, University of London! Cheers, Tarek. --- Tarek R. Besold, PhD WWW: http://www.cat-ai.org Twitter: @jeublanc LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tarekbesold/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mlsp at neuro.kuleuven.be Wed Feb 7 11:08:33 2018 From: mlsp at neuro.kuleuven.be (2017 IEEE International Workshop on Machine Learning fo Signal Processing) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2018 17:08:33 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: call for papers - MLSP2018 IEEE International Workshop on MACHINE LEARNING FOR SIGNAL PROCESSING Message-ID: MLSP2018 IEEE International Workshop on MACHINE LEARNING FOR SIGNAL PROCESSING September 17-20, 2018 Aalborg, Denmark MLSP2018.CONWIZ.DK CALL FOR PAPERS The 28th MLSP workshop in the series of workshops organized by the IEEE Signal Processing Society MLSP Technical Committee will present the most recent and exciting advances in machine learning for signal processing through keynote talks, tutorials, as well as special and regular single-track sessions. Prospective authors are invited to submit papers on relevant algorithms and applications including, but not limited to: - Learning theory and modeling - Neural networks and deep learning - Bayesian Learning and modeling - Sequential learning; sequential decision methods - Information-theoretic learning - Graphical and kernel models - Bounds on performance - Source separation and independent component analysis - Signal detection, pattern recognition and classification - Tensor and structured matrix methods - Machine learning for big data - Large scale learning - Dictionary learning, subspace and manifold learning - Semi-supervised and unsupervised learning - Active and reinforcement learning - Learning from multimodal data - Resource efficient machine learning - Cognitive information processing - Bioinformatics applications - Biomedical applications and neural engineering - Speech and audio processing applications - Image and video processing applications - Intelligent multimedia and web processing - Communications applications - Other applications including social networks, games, smart grid, security and privacy DATA ANALYSIS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING COMPETITION MLSP2018 seeks proposals for Data Analysis and Signal Processing Competition. The goal of competition is to advance the current state-of-the-art in theoretical and practical aspects of signal processing domains. SPECIAL SESSIONS Special Sessions will be included to address research in emerging or interdisciplinary areas of particular interest, not covered already by traditional MLSP sessions. BEST STUDENT PAPER AWARD The MLSP Best Student Paper Award will be granted to the best paper for which a student is the principal author and presenter. NETWORKING MLSP Networking will be organized as a new initiative to focus on stimulating collaboration among participants to solve grand societal challenges using machine learning and signal processing. PAPER SUBMISSION Prospective authors are invited to submit a double column paper of up to six pages using the electronic submission procedure at http://mlsp2018.conwiz.dk. Accepted papers will be published on a password-protected website that will be available during the workshop. The presented papers will be published in and indexed by IEEE Xplore. IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES: Paper submission deadline May 1, 2018 Paper update deadline May 4, 2018 Review notification June 18, 2018 Rebuttal period June 18-24, 2018 Reviewer discussion period June 25-30, 2018 Decision notification July 6, 2018 Camera-ready papers and Author advance registration July 31, 2018 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: General Chair: Zheng-Hua Tan, Aalborg University, Denmark Program Chairs: Nelly Pustelnik, ENS Lyon, France Zhanyu Ma, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, China Finance Chair: B?rge Lindberg, Aalborg University, Denmark Data Competition Chairs: Karim Seghouane, University of Melbourne, Australia Yuejie Chi, Ohio State University, USA Publicity and Social Media Chairs: Marc Van Hulle, KU Leuven, Belgium Jen-Tzung Chien, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Web and Publication Chair: Jan Larsen, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark Advisory Committee: S?ren Holdt Jensen, Aalborg University, Denmark Theodoridis Sergios, University of Athens, Greece Raviv Raich, Oregon State University, USA Vince Calhoun, University of New Mexico, USA From mlsp at NEURO.KULEUVEN.BE Wed Feb 7 11:11:03 2018 From: mlsp at NEURO.KULEUVEN.BE (2018 IEEE International Workshop on Machine Learning fo Signal Processing) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2018 17:11:03 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: call for papers - MLSP2018 IEEE International Workshop on MACHINE LEARNING FOR SIGNAL PROCESSING In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <91eeb534-04bd-d9fb-411f-b54835d36966@neuro.kuleuven.be> MLSP2018 IEEE International Workshop on MACHINE LEARNING FOR SIGNAL PROCESSING September 17-20, 2018 Aalborg, Denmark MLSP2018.CONWIZ.DK CALL FOR PAPERS The 28th MLSP workshop in the series of workshops organized by the IEEE Signal Processing Society MLSP Technical Committee will present the most recent and exciting advances in machine learning for signal processing through keynote talks, tutorials, as well as special and regular single-track sessions. Prospective authors are invited to submit papers on relevant algorithms and applications including, but not limited to: - Learning theory and modeling - Neural networks and deep learning - Bayesian Learning and modeling - Sequential learning; sequential decision methods - Information-theoretic learning - Graphical and kernel models - Bounds on performance - Source separation and independent component analysis - Signal detection, pattern recognition and classification - Tensor and structured matrix methods - Machine learning for big data - Large scale learning - Dictionary learning, subspace and manifold learning - Semi-supervised and unsupervised learning - Active and reinforcement learning - Learning from multimodal data - Resource efficient machine learning - Cognitive information processing - Bioinformatics applications - Biomedical applications and neural engineering - Speech and audio processing applications - Image and video processing applications - Intelligent multimedia and web processing - Communications applications - Other applications including social networks, games, smart grid, security and privacy DATA ANALYSIS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING COMPETITION MLSP2018 seeks proposals for Data Analysis and Signal Processing Competition. The goal of competition is to advance the current state-of-the-art in theoretical and practical aspects of signal processing domains. SPECIAL SESSIONS Special Sessions will be included to address research in emerging or interdisciplinary areas of particular interest, not covered already by traditional MLSP sessions. BEST STUDENT PAPER AWARD The MLSP Best Student Paper Award will be granted to the best paper for which a student is the principal author and presenter. NETWORKING MLSP Networking will be organized as a new initiative to focus on stimulating collaboration among participants to solve grand societal challenges using machine learning and signal processing. PAPER SUBMISSION Prospective authors are invited to submit a double column paper of up to six pages using the electronic submission procedure at http://mlsp2018.conwiz.dk. Accepted papers will be published on a password-protected website that will be available during the workshop. The presented papers will be published in and indexed by IEEE Xplore. IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES: Paper submission deadline May 1, 2018 Paper update deadline May 4, 2018 Review notification June 18, 2018 Rebuttal period June 18-24, 2018 Reviewer discussion period June 25-30, 2018 Decision notification July 6, 2018 Camera-ready papers and Author advance registration July 31, 2018 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: General Chair: Zheng-Hua Tan, Aalborg University, Denmark Program Chairs: Nelly Pustelnik, ENS Lyon, France Zhanyu Ma, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, China Finance Chair: B?rge Lindberg, Aalborg University, Denmark Data Competition Chairs: Karim Seghouane, University of Melbourne, Australia Yuejie Chi, Ohio State University, USA Publicity and Social Media Chairs: Marc Van Hulle, KU Leuven, Belgium Jen-Tzung Chien, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Web and Publication Chair: Jan Larsen, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark Advisory Committee: S?ren Holdt Jensen, Aalborg University, Denmark Theodoridis Sergios, University of Athens, Greece Raviv Raich, Oregon State University, USA Vince Calhoun, University of New Mexico, USA From minaiaa at gmail.com Wed Feb 7 13:22:02 2018 From: minaiaa at gmail.com (Ali Minai) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2018 13:22:02 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: Call for Abstracts - 2018 International Conference on Complex Systems Message-ID: Call for Abstracts Ninth International Conference on Complex Systems (ICCS 2018) Host: New England Complex Systems Institute July 22 - 27, 2018 Hyatt Regency Cambridge, MA, USA ********************************************************************** To register: http://www.necsi.edu/events/iccs2018/ The International Conference on Complex Systems is a unique interdisciplinary forum that unifies and bridges the traditional domains of science and a multitude of real world systems. Participants will contribute and be exposed to mind expanding concepts and methods from across the diverse field of complex systems science. Special Topic - Artificial Intelligence: This year?s conference will include a day on AI, including its development and potential future. This session will be chaired by Iyad Rahwan of MIT's Media Lab. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION AND PROCEEDINGS PUBLICATION: For presentation at the conference, authors should submit an abstract through EasyChair. All the accepted abstracts will be published in the online proceedings on the conference website. Authors of accepted abstracts may submit full papers for inclusion in the online proceedings. Full paper submission is optional. Make sure to register for the conference on our website in addition to submitting to EasyChair. IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES Workshop proposal: February 16, 2018 Abstract submission: February 16, 2018 Notification to authors: March 30, 2018 Early registration: April 13, 2018 Camera-ready abstract & full paper submission: May 4, 2018 (full paper submission is optional) Late abstract submission: June 1, 2018 Conference: July 22-27, 2018 ICCS TOPICS: UNIFYING THEMES IN COMPLEX SYSTEMS Sessions will be structured around both themes and systems. The themes are: ? Emergence: The relationship between components and collective properties and behaviors; the relationship of internal structure to external influence; multiscale structure and dynamics; self-similarity and fractals. ? Complexity & Information: Defining and measuring complexity; characterizing the information necessary to describe complex systems; structuring, storing, accessing, distributing, visualizing and analyzing information describing complex systems; the dynamics of information and its computational characterization. ? Dynamics & Self-Organization: Time series analysis and prediction; nonlinear dynamics and chaos; temporal correlations; the time scale of dynamic processes; spatio-temporal patterns; dynamic scaling; pattern formation; evolution, development and adaptation; interaction between internal dynamics and external inputs; programmability of self-organization. ? Structures & Networks: Complex network topologies; multilayer and multiplex networks; dynamical networks; adaptive networks; temporal networks; network modeling and analysis; small-world and scale-free networks; connectivity and centrality; motifs, cliques and communities, modularity, degeneracy, redundancy, and substructure; network visualization. ? Methodology: Computer simulation; agent-based modeling; data-driven research; machine learning; artificial intelligence; analytical methods; nonlinear statistics; soft computing; methods and tools for complex systems education. The system categories are: ? Mathematical, Physical & Chemical Systems: Non-equilibrium processes; hydrodynamics; glasses; nonlinear chemical dynamics; complex fluids; molecular self-organization; information and computation in quantum and classical physical systems; supramolecular chemistry; spatio-temporal patterns in physical systems from subatomic to astrophysical. ? Bio-Molecular & Cellular Systems: Systems biology; protein and DNA folding; bio-molecular informatics; membranes; cellular response and communication; genetic regulation; gene cytoplasm interactions; development; cellular differentiation; primitive multicellular organisms; the immune system; origins of life; biological networks in human health: protein-protein interaction, metabolic and gene regulatory networks; Systems pharmacology. ? Physiological & Psychological Systems: Nervous system; sensorimotor systems; computational models of neural and cognitive function; perception, cognition, memory and action; psychological dysfunction; pattern recognition; learning and development; human machine interaction; autonomous mental development; neurocognitive networks. ? Organisms & Populations: Population biology; collective behavior of animals; ecosystems; ecology; ecological networks; microbiome; speciation; evolution. ? Human Social & Economic Systems: Social networks; socio-technical systems; computational social science; collective intelligence; corporate and social structures and dynamics; organizational behavior and management; urban development; city science; economies and markets; financial systems; risk management; globalization; military systems; global conflicts; social unrest; political networks; interactions between human and natural systems. ? Engineered Systems: Design and manufacturing; nano-technology; bioengineering; modified and hybrid biological organisms; computer based interactive systems; multi-agent systems; artificial life; artificial intelligence; robots; communication networks; the Internet; traffic systems; distributed control; resilience; self organizing artifacts; complex systems engineering; biologically inspired engineering; synthetic biology; sensor networks. WORKSHOPS There will be several time slots available during the conference for organizing workshops on specific topics. All the accepted abstracts/papers for the workshops will be included in the conference proceedings as well. If you are interested in organizing a workshop, email the following information to programs at necsi.edu by January 19, 2018: ? Name(s) and contact information of the workshop organizer(s) ? Title of the workshop ? A short description of the workshop: (aim, scope, target audience, format and expected outcome) ? A list of confirmed and prospective speakers INVITED SPEAKERS Albert-L?szl? Barab?si (Northeastern University, USA) Cameron Kerry (MIT Media Lab, USA) Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Real World Risk Institute, USA) Stuart Kauffman (Institute for Systems Biology, USA) Peter Turchin (University of Connecticut, USA) Olaf Sporns (Indiana University Network Science Institute, USA) Iyad Rahwan (MIT Media Lab, USA) Sandy Pentland (MIT Media Lab, USA) Irving Epstein (Brandeis University, USA) Simon DeDeo (Carnegie Mellon University, USA) H. Eugene Stanley (Boston University, USA) Stephen Wolfram (Wolfram Research) C?sar Hidalgo (MIT Media Lab, USA) ORGANIZATION Executive Committee Conference Chair Emeritus: Yaneer Bar-Yam (New England Complex Systems Institute, USA) General Chair: Ali A. Minai (University of Cincinnati, USA) Program Chair: Dan Braha (University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, USA) Alfredo J. Morales (New England Complex Systems Institute, USA) Carlos Gershenson (National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico) Special Sessions Chair: Marc Santolini (Northeastern University, USA) Emma Towlson (Northeastern University, USA) Sponsors Chair: Kim Severino (New England Complex Systems Institute, USA) Logistics Chair: Sageet Braha (New England Complex Systems Institute, USA) Elisabeth Perry-Montgomery (New England Complex Systems Institute, USA) Program Committee PC members TBA LOCATION AND ACCOMMODATIONS The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, Massachusetts, minutes from Boston. Reservations can be made directly with Hyatt reservations at 1-888-421-1442, or online at: https://aws.passkey.com/go/NECSI A block of rooms has been reserved at a conference discount rate starting at $259 + tax per night. Internet access is included. These rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To receive the discount rate identify yourself as a member of ICCS 2018. These rates are available until June 29th, 2018. Cancellations may be made up to 48 hours in advance without penalty. FOR MORE INFORMATION Conference website: necsi.edu/events/iccs2018/ Contact us at programs at necsi.edu New England Complex Systems Institute 277 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139 Phone: 617-547-4100 Fax: 617-661-7711 necsi.edu *Ali A. Minai, Ph.D.* Professor Complex Adaptive Systems Lab Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science 828 Rhodes Hall University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH 45221-0030 Past-President (2015-2016) International Neural Network Society Phone: (513) 556-4783 Fax: (513) 556-7326 Email: Ali.Minai at uc.edu minaiaa at gmail.com WWW: http://www.ece.uc.edu/~aminai/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jbaimon at sandia.gov Wed Feb 7 12:58:52 2018 From: jbaimon at sandia.gov (Aimone, James Bradley) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2018 17:58:52 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: 2018 NICE Workshop Agenda and Registrations Message-ID: <7bbb4b2048434978b85934a52e10b662@ES04AMSNLNT.srn.sandia.gov> Registrations and agenda are available for the 2018 Neural Inspired Computing Elements (NICE) Workshop on February 27-March 1 in Hillsboro, OR at Intel's Campus. There will be a wide range of invited and accepted abstract presentations at the NICE 2018 conference that will focus on aspects of neuroscience, theories, algorithms for neuromorphic systems that support the overarching workshop theme of new computing methods and new applications. In addition, three new neuromorphic chip architectures - the BrainScaleS-2 chip, the SpiNNaker-2 chip, and the Intel Loihi research chip - will be revealed with demos. Information can be found at: http://niceworkshop.org/2018-nice-workshop/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stolcke at icsi.berkeley.edu Wed Feb 7 17:09:55 2018 From: stolcke at icsi.berkeley.edu (Andreas Stolcke) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2018 14:09:55 -0800 Subject: Connectionists: Interspeech 2018 Call for Papers Message-ID: Dear colleague: Interspeech 2018 will be held in India during September 2-6, 2018, at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad, India. We invite you to submit your research papers as well as proposals for special sessions and challenges, tutorials, and satellite workshops. The call for papers is attached below. For more details, please visit: http://www.interspeech2018.org. We look forward to your participation in Interspeech 2018. Sincerely, Team Interspeech 2018 == Interspeech 2018 September 2-6, 2018, Hyderabad International Convention Centre Hyderabad, Telangana, India http://www.interspeech2018.org Call for Papers, Proposals for Special Sessions and Challenges, Tutorials, and Satellite Workshops Interspeech is the world's largest and most comprehensive conference on the science and technology of spoken language processing. It will be held in India for the first time. Interspeech conferences emphasize interdisciplinary approaches addressing all aspects of speech science and technology, ranging from basic theories to advanced applications. Contributions to all areas of speech science and technology are welcome. In addition to regular oral and poster sessions, Interspeech 2018 will feature plenary talks by internationally renowned experts, tutorials, special sessions, show & tell sessions, and exhibits. The tutorials will be held in the Hyderabad International Convention Centre. A number of satellite events will also take place around Interspeech 2018. Original papers are solicited in, but not limited to, the following areas: 1. Speech Perception, Production and Acquisition 2. Phonetics, Phonology, and Prosody 3. Analysis of Paralinguistics in Speech and Language 4. Speaker and Language Identification 5. Analysis of Speech and Audio Signals 6. Speech Coding and Enhancement 7. Speech Synthesis and Spoken Language Generation 8. Speech Recognition ? Signal Processing, Acoustic Modeling, Robustness, and Adaptation 9. Speech Recognition ? Architecture, Search, and Linguistic Components 10. Speech Recognition ? Technologies and Systems for New Applications 11. Spoken Dialog Systems and Analysis of Conversation 12. Spoken Language Processing ? Translation, Information Retrieval, Summarization, Resources, and Evaluation A complete list of the scientific area topics including special sessions is available at http://interspeech2018.org/areas-and-topics/ Paper Submission Papers intended for Interspeech 2018 should be up to 4 pages of text. An optional fifth page could be used for references only. Paper submissions must conform to the format defined in the paper preparation guidelines and as detailed in the author's kit on the conference web page. Please be aware that Interspeech 2018 will use new templates and submissions will be accepted only in the new format. Submissions may also be accompanied by additional files such as multimedia files, to be included on the proceedings' USB drive. Authors must declare that their contributions are original and have not been submitted elsewhere for publication. Papers must be submitted via the online paper submission system. The working language of the conference is English, and papers must be written in English. Important Dates Submission portal opens: February 1, 2018 Abstract submission deadline: March 16, 2018 Final paper submission deadline: March 23, 2018 Acceptance/rejection notification: June 3, 2018 Camera-ready paper due: June 17, 2018 Special sessions and challenges proposals due: December 1, 2017 Satellite workshop proposals due: December 8, 2017 Show and Tell proposals due: March 30, 2018 Tutorial proposals due: February 1, 2018 Registration opens: June 10, 2018 [Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this email] == -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From julien.perez at naverlabs.com Thu Feb 8 05:24:03 2018 From: julien.perez at naverlabs.com (Julien Perez) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2018 11:24:03 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: [Postdoc] Reinforcement learning for autonomous robotics - Active Localization Message-ID: <009001d3a0c6$f44de230$dce9a690$@naverlabs.com> Dear all, Link to the description: http://www.europe.naverlabs.com/NAVER-LABS-Europe/Jobs/Researcher-in-Deep-Le arning-and-Reinforcement-Learning-multiple-positions Cheers, -- Julien Perez Lead - Machine Learning and Optimization group Naver Labs Europe -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From serge.thill at his.se Thu Feb 8 09:32:55 2018 From: serge.thill at his.se (Serge Thill) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2018 14:32:55 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Vacancies at the University of Plymouth In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: [Apologies for cross-posting] Dear colleagues, The University of Plymouth is seeking to fill *multiple positions* for* Lecturer/Associate Professor in Robotics*. All positions are full-time and of a permanent nature. The School of Computing, Electronics and Mathematics offers a wide range of degree programmes related to Technology in the areas of Robotics, Electronics, Computer Science and Mathematics. The School provides a stimulating teaching and research environment with strong connections to business and industry and offers excellent employment prospects for our graduates. We have a well-established interdisciplinary research base which covers: Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems (CRNS); Security, Communications & Networks; Nanotechnology & Electronics Research and Development. We have vacancies for enthusiastic, innovative and dynamic individuals to join our vibrant School to support Robotics and Machine Learning, especially as applied to solving real-world problems by building systems that can operate in close proximity to people. Areas of interest include (but are not limited to) the development of Soft Robotics, Autonomous Mobile Platforms, Human-Robot Interaction, and Machine Vision Systems using Deep Learning. One current focus in Plymouth is the design and construction of Agricultural Robots for fruit and vegetable harvesting. Applications are invited from experienced academics and/or professional engineers, who can demonstrate a commitment and enthusiasm for innovation in higher education and to the development of the next generation of Professional Engineers. You must have undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in relevant disciplines (such as Engineering/Maths/Physics/Computer Science) together with an international profile and reputation for research excellence. As well as carrying out cutting edge research, you will supervise and contribute to training of Research Assistants (RAs) and PhD students, as well as contributing to teaching within the BEng/MEng/MSc in Robotics, as well as other courses within the School. The Electronics and Robotics subject groups are renowned for excellence in producing high quality practical engineers and you should be able to support hardware and software projects. Apply here: https://hrservices.plymouth.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VACANCY_ID=867471ANFj&WVID=1602750fTZ&LANG=USA Contact for informal discussion: Dr Ian Howard, ian.howard at plymouth.ac.uk Further information about the school and its courses is available at www.plymouth.ac.uk/compmath with details of our research centre available at www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/crns Closing date: *12midnight, 1st March 2018.* The University of Plymouth is committed to an inclusive culture and respecting diversity, and welcomes applications from all sections of the community and is a Stonewall diversity champion. The University holds a Bronze Athena SWAN Award which recognises commitment to advancing women's careers in STEMM academia. The University of Plymouth has been recognised by Bloomberg as one of the 50 best UK employers for 2016. From m.fairbank at essex.ac.uk Thu Feb 8 09:23:50 2018 From: m.fairbank at essex.ac.uk (Fairbank, Michael H) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2018 14:23:50 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Professorship in Games and AI, at University of Essex, UK Message-ID: Dear all, We are looking to urgently hire a new professor to lead our Games+AI group here at the University of Essex. See https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VACANCY_ID=140562FcMY&WVID=9918109NEm&LANG=USA Closing date: 1st March 2018 Group details: http://csee.essex.ac.uk/labs/gig/ Thank you. Dr Michael Fairbank Lecturer in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Room 1NW.3.23 School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering University of Essex (UK) Web: https://www.essex.ac.uk/csee/staff/profile.aspx?ID=4649 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pblouw at uwaterloo.ca Thu Feb 8 12:04:56 2018 From: pblouw at uwaterloo.ca (Peter Blouw) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2018 12:04:56 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: Feb 15 Application Deadline - 2018 Nengo Summer School Message-ID: [All details about this school can be found online at https://www.nengo.ai/summerschool] The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo is excited to announce a special version of our annual Nengo summer school that will host the* first public access* to *Braindrop*, a new mixed analog-digital neuromorphic chip developed in collaboration with Stanford and Yale. In addition to introducing Braindrop, this two-week school will teach participants to use the Nengo simulation package to build state-of-the-art cognitive and neural models to run both in simulation and on neuromorphic hardware. Nengo provides users with a versatile and powerful environment for designing cognitive and neural systems, and has been used to build what is currently the world's largest functional brain model, Spaun [1]. Nengo is also being used to program a variety of state-of-the-art neuromorphic chips, including Braindrop! For a look at last year's summer school, check out this short video: https://goo.gl/4tVUkQ We welcome applications from all interested graduate students, research associates, postdocs, professors, and industry professionals with a relevant background. [1] Eliasmith, C., Stewart T. C., Choo X., Bekolay T., DeWolf T., Tang Y., Rasmussen, D. (2012). A large-scale model of the functioning brain. Science. Vol. 338 no. 6111 pp. 1202-1205. DOI: 10.1126/science.1225266. [ http://compneuro.uwaterloo.ca/files/publications/eliasmith.2012.pdf] Application Deadline: February 15, 2018 *Format*: A combination of tutorials and project-based work. Participants are encouraged to bring their own ideas for projects, which may focus on testing hypotheses, modeling neural or cognitive data, implementing specific behavioural functions with neurons, expanding past models, or providing a proof-of-concept of various neural mechanisms. Hands-on tutorials, work on individual or group projects, and talks from invited faculty members will make up the bulk of day-to-day activities. A project demonstration event will be held on the last day of the school, with prizes for strong projects! Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to: - interface Nengo with various kinds of neuromorphic hardware - build perceptual, motor, and cognitive models using spiking neurons - model anatomical, electrophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural data - use a variety of single cell models within a large-scale model - integrate machine learning methods into biologically oriented models - interface Nengo with cameras and robotic systems - implement modern nonlinear control methods in neural models - and much more... *Date and Location:* June 3th to June 15th, 2018 at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. *Applications*: Please visit http://www.nengo.ai/summerschool, where you can find more information regarding costs, travel, lodging, along with an application form listing required materials. If you have any questions about the school or the application process, please contact Peter Blouw (peter.blouw at appliedbrainresearch.com). We look forward to hearing from you! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From auke.ijspeert at epfl.ch Thu Feb 8 16:00:26 2018 From: auke.ijspeert at epfl.ch (Auke Ijspeert) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2018 22:00:26 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: In memoriam Jean-Marie Cabelguen, January 30 2018. Message-ID: <2004d2a1-a2f1-68bf-2d9c-35d2a0c42865@epfl.ch> [apologies in case of multiple copies] Dear Colleagues and Friends, It is with a great sadness that we heard that Professor Jean-Marie Cabelguen passed away on January 30, 2018 after battling cancer. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. As a researcher and lecturer in neurophysiology, he made profound contributions towards understanding the neural circuits underlying locomotion in vertebrate animals. A warm and passionate person, Jean-Marie was greatly appreciated by the scientific community to which he belonged. We created a website https://biorob2.epfl.ch/pages/cabelguen/ to allow his colleagues and friends to share some thoughts and memories about him. If you would like to do so, please write your messages (short or long, in any language) as an email to inmemoriam.jmc at epfl.ch , and they will be posted here. Thank you. Best wishes, Auke Ijspeert, Vanessa Charrier, Dimitri Ryczko, Alessandro Crespi -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Prof Auke Jan Ijspeert Biorobotics Laboratory EPFL-STI-IBI-BIOROB, ME D1 1226, Station 9 EPFL, Ecole Polytechnique F?d?rale de Lausanne CH 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Office: ME D1 1226 Tel: +41 21 693 2658 Fax: +41 21 693 3705 www:http://biorob.epfl.ch Email:Auke.Ijspeert at epfl.ch ----------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From robert.jenssen at uit.no Fri Feb 9 10:31:45 2018 From: robert.jenssen at uit.no (Robert Jenssen) Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2018 15:31:45 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Seeking faculty member in machine learning at UiT The Arctic University of Norway Message-ID: <089844a64a574f0c801cc197b7ab35ee@ex08.ad.uit.no> Professor/Associate Professor in Machine Learning for health data analysis We have a vacant position as professor/associate professor in the Machine Learning Group at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Please see the announcement here: https://www.jobbnorge.no/ledige-stillinger/stilling/147124/professor-associate-professor-in-machine-learning-for-health-data-analysis UiT Machine Learning Group: http://site.uit.no/ml Best wishes,? Robert Jenssen UiT Machine Learning Group http://site.uit.no/ml Department of Physics and Technology University of Tromso (UiT) - The Arctic University of Norway -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cgf at isep.ipp.pt Fri Feb 9 14:23:54 2018 From: cgf at isep.ipp.pt (Carlos Ferreira) Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2018 19:23:54 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Advanced School on Data Science for Big Data @ Porto (Portugal), 2-5 July 2018 Message-ID: <94ee156b-0634-3de2-246d-e681d8b79860@isep.ipp.pt> ****** Apologizes for multi-posts ****** ##################################### Advanced School on Data Science for Big Data Porto, 2-5 July 2018 ############################## ####### APPIA, the Portuguese Association for Artificial Intelligence is proud to announce EAIA 2018, a Summer School dedicated to Data Sciences for Big Data ? DS4BG. Data Science and Big Data are not only hot topics but also essential to current society. Economy, health, agriculture, energy, media, education, industry, mobility, leisure and all other human activities rely more and more on the advanced processing of large quantities of data. During 4 days, from2-5 July 2018, wewill discuss the current trends, advanced topics, and future directions in data science and big data. For more information visit:http://eaia2018.dcc.fc.up.pt/ ##################################### Topics: - Introduction to Data Science for Big Data; - Data Science for the Social Good; - Bias in the Web; - Meta Learning; - Big Data - Distributed Learning; - Data Streams Models; - Learning from Data Streams; - Geographic Data Mining; - Influence in Social Networks; - Multi-dimensional Bayesian network classifiers; - Recommender Systems; - Deep Learning & Reinforcement Learning; - ML: Looking Ahead. ##################################### Venue: Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto Rua do Campo Alegre 1021 /1055 4169-007 Porto, Portugal ##################################### Lecturers: - Albert Bifet; - Andre Carvalho; - Dino Pedreschi; - Fosca Giannotti; - Gianmarco De Francisci Morales; - Jose Carlos Principe; - Olivier Pietquin; - Pedro Larranaga; - Rayid Ghani; - Ricard Galvada; - Ricardo Baeza-Yates; ... ##################################### Registration: Registrations include attendance of all sessions, coffee breaks and lunches. We have a limit on the number of registrations (70 attendees), please register early! All participants will receive a letter of confirmation within three working days via e-mail after we receive the payment. Early Fees: - Students 250 eur - Appia* 350 eur - Industry 500 eur * APPIA members and researchers ##################################### Organization: - INESC TEC - LIAAD - Portuguese Association for Artificial Intelligence Carlos Ferreira ISEP | Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto Rua Dr. Ant?nio Bernardino de Almeida, 431 4249-015 Porto - PORTUGAL tel. +351 228 340 500 | fax +351 228 321 159 mail at isep.ipp.pt | www.isep.ipp.pt From antonino.staiano at uniparthenope.it Sat Feb 10 06:08:51 2018 From: antonino.staiano at uniparthenope.it (Antonino Staiano) Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2018 12:08:51 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: CIBB 2018: Call for Special Session Proposals Message-ID: CIBB 2018 : 15th Computational Intelligence methods for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Caparica, Portugal, September 6-8, 2018 http://eventos.fct.unl.pt/cibb2018/ Call for Papers, Tutorials and Special Sessions The main goal of the CIBB international conference is to provide a multi-disciplinary forum for researchers interested in the application of computational intelligence, in a broad sense, to open problems in bioinformatics, biostatistics, systems and synthetic biology and medical informatics. Cutting edge methodologies capable of accelerating life science discoveries will be discussed. Following its tradition and roots, this year's meeting will bring together researchers from the international scientific community interested in advancements and future perspectives in bioinformatics and biostatistics. Also of particular interest are current trends and future opportunities at the edge of computer and life sciences, together with the application of computational intelligence to system and synthetic biology, and the consequent impact on innovative medicine. Theoretical and experimental biologists are invited to participate in order to present novel challenges and foster multidisciplinary collaboration. The scientific program of CIBB 2018 will include Keynote Speakers, tutorials and special sessions. Contributed papers will be presented in plenary oral sessions, special sessions, or poster sessions. Topics of interest include, but are not restricted to: ? Next generation sequencing bioalgorithms ? Multi-omics data analysis ? High dimensional statistical analysis of omics data ? Algorithms for alternative splicing analysis ? Algorithms for molecular evolution and phylogenetic analysis ? Methods for the visualization of high dimensional complex omic data ? Software tools for bioinformatics ? Methods for comparative genomics ? Methods for functional classification of genes ? Methods for unsupervised analysis, validation and visualization of structures discovered in bio-molecular data ? Health-Informatics and Medical Informatics ? Methods for the integration of clinical and genetic data ? Heterogeneous data integration and data fusion for diagnostics ? Algorithms for pharmacogenomics ? Biomedical text mining and imaging ? Methods for diagnosis and prognosis within personalized medicine ? Statistical methods for the analysis of clinical data ? Prediction of secondary and tertiary protein structures ? Mass spectrometry data analysis in proteomics ? Algorithms for molecular evolution and phylogenetic analysis ? Bio-molecular databases and data mining ? Mathematical modeling and automated reasoning on biological and synthetic systems ? Computational simulation of biological systems ? Methods and advances in systems biology ? Spatio-temporal analysis of synthetic and biological systems ? Network systems biology ? Models for cell populations and tissues ? Methods for the engineering of synthetic components ? Modelling and engineering of interacting synthetic and biological systems ? Software tools for bioinformatics, biostatistics, systems and synthetic biology TUTORIALS AND SPECIAL SESSIONS CIBB 2018 will run a number of Tutorials and Special Sessions. Any topic of interest for the conference is eligible for a tutorial. Tutorials typically last from one to three hours. Special sessions focus on a specific, possibly cutting-edge, topic of interest for CIBB 2018. Special session organisers will be responsible for call dissemination, the reviewing process and organizing oral presentations. Typically, a special session will have at least 4 accepted papers and may have an invited speaker (to be negotiated). Tutorial proposals ? including title, a one page long abstract, and short CV of presenters ? due by 25th March 2018 ? send proposals to ? cibb2018 at campus.fct.unl.pt Special Session proposals ? including the session?s title and scope, short CV of sessions chairs, preliminary list of at least 4, possibly more, potential authors ? due by 25th March 2018 ? a special session is expected to have at least 4 accepted papers ? send proposals to ? cibb2018 at campus.fct.unl.pt PUBLICATION Pdf versions of accepted papers will be distributed at the conference. At least one author of an accepted paper is required to register and present their paper at the conference. Authors of accepted papers will be invited to submit an extended version of their work to a post-conference monograph. We plan to invite all papers for a volume in the Springer series of Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics (LNBI). Continuing the tradition of CIBB, we are also planning to invite the best papers, as an alternative to the publication on LNBI, to a special issue of an international scientific journal (such as BMC Bioinformatics, as in the latest editions). Antonino Staiano, University of Naples Parthenope antonino.staiano at uniparthenope.it *********************************************************** Antonino Staiano, PhD Assistant Professor Dept. Science and Technology University of Naples Parthenope, Italy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naotsu at gmail.com Fri Feb 9 17:18:35 2018 From: naotsu at gmail.com (Naotsugu Tsuchiya) Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2018 09:18:35 +1100 Subject: Connectionists: 2 x Tenure track position at Monash University, Psychology, Assistant / Associate Professor Message-ID: [Apologies for cross-posting] Dear colleagues, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia are opening two tenure-track positions in Psychology at the level of Assistant / Associate Professor. For the details, please see http://careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/job/572474/senior- lecturer-and-associate-professor-psychology Monash is full of thinkers and doers who are looking for their next challenge. So if you?ve forged a rewarding career so far, this role provides the perfect platform to join us. You?ll have access to quality research facilities, infrastructure and teaching spaces to do exciting work, along with opportunities to collaborate internationally. You?ll be part of a university that?s made up of inspirational, challenging thinkers and doers ? and continue doing work that makes a lasting impact. The Opportunity The Monash School of Psychological Sciences is ranked among the best in the world. Our School?s mission is to develop students and research outcomes that make significant contributions to improving the lives of others globally. Our overarching vision is to make significant and long-lasting impact that changes the world around us, beginning in infancy and across the lifespan. Drawing on the expertise of our staff and the University' unique research platforms and technology, our mission is to sustain and build on Monash's position with world-class research and teaching in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. The newly established Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences (MICCN; housed within the School of Psychological Sciences) will provide an exceptional research environment for discoveries that change of our understanding of the brain. Through excellent research and training, a wide network of international partners, and strong industry engagement MICCN will lay the foundation for a pipeline of discovery in areas of critical importance of the human brain and see that knowledge translated into the clinic, the workplace and the community. MICCN has four core integrated research programs: Addiction, Attention and Memory, Computational Neuroscience and Sleep. For these 2 important roles we are seeking the following: *Level C:* The Senior Lecturer will be expected to contribute to a world-class program of research that focuses on psychological science specifically in one of MICCN?s core integrated research programs, and will lead a national and emerging internationally competitive research group. The Senior Lecturer will also be expected to teach into the discipline of Psychology at the undergraduate level and supervise Honours and PhD students. As the ideal candidate you will have: - A doctoral qualification in Psychology or Cognate Discipline - Emerging track record of peer reviewed (competitive) grants, and a strong publication record in world-class journals as lead author, preferably aligned with one of MICCN?s integrated research programs. - Successful track record of high quality teaching *Level D:* The Associate Professor will be expected to have an established world-class program of research that focuses on psychological science specifically in one of MICCN?s core integrated research programs, and will lead an internationally competitive research group. The Associate Professor will also be expected to teach into the discipline of Psychology at the undergraduate level and supervise Honours and PhD students. As the ideal candidate you will have: - A doctoral qualification in Psychology or Cognate Discipline - Sustained track record of peer reviewed (competitive) grants, and publications in world-class journals as lead author, preferably aligned with one of MICCN?s integrated research programs. - Ability to be an effective leader of a research team and a successful track record in PhD supervision. - Successful track record of high quality teaching and education innovation These roles are full-time positions. Regards Nao Tsuchiya -- -- *Nao (Naotsugu) Tsuchiya* Associate Professor *Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences* Attention and Memory Program School of Psychological Sciences Monash University 770 Blackburn Monash Brain Imaging facility, Clayton, VIC 3800 Australia T: +61 3 9905 4564 <+61%203%209905%204564> E: naotsugu.tsuchiya at monash.edu W: homepage: http://users.monash.edu.au/~naotsugt/Tsuchiya_Labs_Homepage http://med.monash.edu.au/psych/email-sig/miccn-email-sig.jpg 2. Visiting Researcher at Department of Dynamic Brain Imaging, Advanced Telecommunications Research (ATR), Japan 3. Visiting Researcher at CiNet, Osaka University, Japan orcid.org/0000-0003-4216-8701 -- -- *Nao (Naotsugu) Tsuchiya* Associate Professor *Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences* Attention and Memory Program School of Psychological Sciences Monash University 770 Blackburn Monash Brain Imaging facility, Clayton, VIC 3800 Australia T: +61 3 9905 4564 E: naotsugu.tsuchiya at monash.edu W: homepage: http://users.monash.edu.au/~naotsugt/Tsuchiya_Labs_Homepage http://med.monash.edu.au/psych/email-sig/miccn-email-sig.jpg 2. Visiting Researcher at Department of Dynamic Brain Imaging, Advanced Telecommunications Research (ATR), Japan 3. Visiting Researcher at CiNet, Osaka University, Japan orcid.org/0000-0003-4216-8701 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Donald.Adjeroh at mail.wvu.edu Fri Feb 9 20:53:07 2018 From: Donald.Adjeroh at mail.wvu.edu (Donald Adjeroh) Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2018 01:53:07 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Call for Short Papers: SBP-BRiMS'2018 -- Social Computing, Behavior/Cultural Modeling, Prediction & Simulation In-Reply-To: References: , <7F764823-1B48-42D3-AE2E-520611D0232D@jhuapl.edu>, , , , , , , Message-ID: Apologies if you receive multiple copies ... 2018 International Conference on Social Computing, Behavioral-Cultural Modeling & Prediction and Behavior Representation in Modeling and Simulation July 10 (Tuesday) - 13 (Friday), 2018, George Washington University, Washington DC, USA http://sbp-brims.org Please note the deadline for Short paper submission... IMPORTANT DATES: Short Paper (6-page) Submission: Deadline: 20-March-2018 Author Notification: 10-April-2018 Camera-Ready Version Submission: 17-April-2018 Short/Late Breaking Paper (6-page) Submission: 14-May-2018 Tutorial, Demo, and Challenge Problem Submissions: 14-May-2018 Doctoral consortium submissions due: 14-May-2018 Author Notification: 01-June-2018 Final Version Submission for Late Breaking Papers: 18-June 2018 Final Version Submission for Challenge Problem: 25-June 2018 All papers are qualified for the Best Paper Award. Papers with student first authors will be considered for the Best Student Paper Award. Top papers will be invited to publish an extended version in a special issue of Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory. All accepted regular papers will be published in our archival physical proceedings - the Springer LNCS volume. Short papers are intended for late breaking findings, research at a more conceptual stage, and other research not appropriate as a regular paper. Short papers received by the March 20 deadline, and accepted for the conference will be included in the archival conference proceedings. Short/Late Breaking papers received after March 20, and accepted for the conference will be published only in our on-line non-archival proceedings. The conference will include the following special sessions: Pre-conference Tutorial Sessions: July 10 (first day of the conference) Graduate Consortium: July 13 Poster Session: At Conference Poster Night Technology Demos: During Conference lunch times and Poster Night Challenge Problem Evaluation: At Conference Poster Night Funding Panel & Cross-Fertilization Roundtable* * Previous SBP conferences have included a Cross-Fertilization and/or Funding Panels. The purpose of these panels is to help participants become better acquainted with people outside of their discipline and provide an opportunity for conference participants to interact with program managers from various federal funding agencies. FORMAT AND SUBMISSION: See our webpage (http://sbp-brims.org) for format details. For any questions and inquiries concerning submissions, please email at sbpbrims at andrew.cmu.edu. CALL FOR PAPERS: SBP-BRIMS is an interdisciplinary conference integrating methods from the computational sciences and the social sciences. Submissions are solicited on research issues, theories, methodologies, and applications. Late-breaking research is encouraged. Historical topics of interest have included the following, however this is by no means exhaustive or exclusive: Advances in Sociocultural & Behavioral Process Modeling * Group formation, interaction, and evolution * Collective action, public opinion representation, and governance * Cultural patterns, representation, and psycho-cultural situation awareness * Social conventions, social contexts and influence processes * Intelligent agents and avatars/adversarial modeling * Models of reasoning and decision making * Performance prediction, assessment, & skill monitoring/tracking Information, Systems, & Network Science * Data mining and analytics on social media for social and human dynamics * Diffusion and other dynamic processes over networks * Detection and inference over network topologies and changes over time * Analysis of high-dimensional networks, link formations, and link types Military & Intelligence Applications * Evaluation, modeling and simulation of military capacities and political influence * Impact of technological innovation on influence and information spread * Group representation and profiling, including extremist behaviors and policies * Cybersecurity, cyber-policy, and attribution * Methods of collating open source data into information describing events and activities Applications for Health and Well-being * Social network analysis to understand health behavior * Modeling of public health and health care policy and decision making * Modeling of behavioral aspects of infectious disease spread * Modeling of behavioral aspects of prevention and treatment for chronic diseases (e.g., cancer, obesity, asthma) * Intervention design and modeling for behavioral health Example Other Applications of Interest to the Community * Model federation, validation and integration * Evolutionary computing and optimization * Education, training, professional development and workforce training in modeling and simulation TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIPS: It is anticipated that a limited number travel scholarships will be available on a competitive basis. Additional information will be provided on the SBP-BRiMS Conference website as it becomes available. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From angelo.ciaramella at uniparthenope.it Sat Feb 10 12:23:30 2018 From: angelo.ciaramella at uniparthenope.it (Angelo Ciaramella) Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2018 18:23:30 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: CIBB2018 15th International Conference on Computational Intelligence methods for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Message-ID: <20180210182330.Horde.YH9fLK1tdC4-57EBrAul_Q1@webmail.uniparthenope.it> Apologize for multiple posting. Call for Papers, Tutorials and Special Sessions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CIBB2018 15th International Conference on Computational Intelligence methods for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Caprica, Portugal, 6-8 September 2018? http://eventos.fct.unl.pt/cibb2018 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The main goal of this 15th edition of the CIBB international conference is to provide a multi-disciplinary forum open to researchers interested in the application of computational intelligence, in a broad sense, to open problems in bioinformatics, biostatistics, systems and synthetic biology and medical informatics. Cutting edge methodologies capable of accelerating life science discoveries will be discussed. Following its tradition and roots, this year's meeting will bring together researchers from the international scientific community interested in advancements and future perspectives in bioinformatics and biostatistics. Also, looking at current trends and future opportunities at the edge of computer and life sciences, the application of computational intelligence to system and synthetic biology, and the consequent impact on innovative medicine will be of great interest for the conference. Theoretical and experimental biologists are also invited to participate in order to present novel challenges and foster multidisciplinary collaboration. The scientific program of CIBB 2018 will include Keynote Speakers, tutorials and special sessions. Contributed papers will be presented in plenary oral sessions, special sessions, or poster sessions. TOPICS ------ Topics of interest include, but are not restricted to: # Next generation sequencing bioalgorithms # Multi-omics data analysis # High dimensional statistical analysis of omics data # Algorithms for alternative splicing analysis # Algorithms for molecular evolution and phylogenetic analysis # Methods for the visualization of high dimensional complex omic data # Software tools for bioinformatics? # Methods for comparative genomics # Methods for functional classification of genes # Methods for unsupervised analysis, validation and visualization of structures discovered in bio-molecular data? # Health-Informatics and Medical Informatics # Methods for the integration of clinical and genetic data # Heterogeneous data integration and data fusion for diagnostics # Algorithms for pharmacogenomics # Biomedical text mining and imaging # Methods for diagnosis and prognosis within personalized medicine # Statistical methods for the analysis of clinical data? # Prediction of secondary and tertiary protein structures # Mass spectrometry data analysis in proteomics # Algorithms for molecular evolution and phylogenetic analysis # Bio-molecular databases and data mining? # Mathematical modeling and automated reasoning on biological and synthetic systems # Computational simulation of biological systems # Methods and advances in systems biology # Spatio-temporal analysis of synthetic and biological systems # Network systems biology # Models for cell populations and tissues # Methods for the engineering of synthetic components # Modelling and engineering of interacting synthetic and biological systems? # Software tools for bioinformatics, biostatistics, systems and synthetic biology GENERAL CHAIRS -------------- Maria Raposo, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal Paulo Lisboa, Liverpool John Moores University, U.K. Giorgio Valentini, Universit? degli Studi di Milano, Italy? BIOSTATISTICS TECHNICAL CHAIR ----------------------------- Chiara Brombin, Universit? Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Italy BIOINFORMATICS TECHNICAL CHAIR ------------------------------ Angelo Ciaramella, Universit? degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope", Italy SPECIAL SESSION ORGANIZER -------------------------- Andrea Bracciali, University of Stirling, UK Antonino Staiano, Universit? degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope", Italy IMPORTANT DATES --------------- Tutorials and Special Session proposals: 25 March 2018 Paper submission deadline: 10 June 2018 ? Acceptance notification: 9 July 2018 ? Author registration due: 20 July 2018 ? Camera ready due: 29 July 2018 Conference: 6-8 September 2018 ? SUBMISSION WEBSITE ------------------ The submission website is http://www.easychair.org/conferences/ PUBLICATION ----------- Pdf versions of accepted papers will be distributed at the conference. At least one author of an accepted paper is required to register and present their paper at the conference.? Authors of accepted papers will be invited to submit an extended version of their work to a post-conference monograph.?We plan to invite all papers for a volume in the Springer series of Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics (LNBI). Continuing the tradition of CIBB, we are also planning to invite the best papers, as an alternative to the publication on LNBI, to a special issue of an international scientific journal (such as BMC Bioinformatics, as in the latest editions). TUTORIALS AND SPECIAL SESSIONS ------------------------------ CIBB 2018 will run a number of Tutorials and Special Sessions. Any topic of interest for the conference is eligible for a tutorial. Tutorials typically last from one to three hours. Special sessions focus on a specific, possibly cutting-edge, topic of interest for CIBB 2018. Special session organisers will be responsible for call dissemination, the reviewing process and organizing oral presentations. Typically, a special session will have at least 4 accepted papers and may have an invited speaker (to be negotiated). Tutorial proposals ------------------ # including title, a one page long abstract, and short CV of presenters # due by 25th March 2018 # send proposals to?cibb2018 at campus.fct.unl.pt? Special Session proposals ------------------------- # including the session?s title and scope, short CV of sessions chairs, preliminary list of at least 4, possibly more, potential authors # due by 25th March 2018 # a special session is expected to have at least 4 accepted papers # send proposals to?cibb2018 at campus.fct.unl.pt? --------------------------------------------- - Angelo Ciaramella, Ph.D - DiST, Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie - Universit? degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope" - Room 431, Isola C4, Centro Direzionale - I-80143 Napoli, ITALY - Tel.: 0815476674 From mpavone at dmi.unict.it Sat Feb 10 12:54:26 2018 From: mpavone at dmi.unict.it (Mario Pavone) Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2018 18:54:26 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: MESS 2018 - from Design to Implementation - Last News - Taormina, Italy, 21-25 July 2018 Message-ID: <20180210185426.Horde.-487Wuph4B9afzHSScyQb1A@mbox.dmi.unict.it> Call for Participation (apologies for multiple copies) -- SCHOLARSHIPS & TITLE OF THE LECTURES -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MESS 2018 - Metaheuristics Summer School - from Design to Implementation - 21-25 July 2018, Taormina, Italy https://www.ANTs-lab.it/mess2018/ mess.school at ANTs-lab.it ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ** APPLICATION DEADLINE: 15th April 2018 ** MESS 2018 is aimed at qualified and strongly motivated MSc and PhD students; post-docs; young researchers, and both academic and industrial professionals to provide an overview on the several metaheuristics techniques, and an in-depth analysis of the state-of-the-art. As first edition, MESS 2018 wants to analyze all metaheuristics from its designing to its implementation. In particular, in MESS 2018 will be analyzed modern heuristic methods for search and optimization problems, as well as the classical exact optimization methods, seen also in the metaheuristics context. All participants will have plenty of opportunities for debate and work with leaders in the field, benefiting from direct interaction and discussions in a stimulating environment. They will also have the possibility to present their recently results and/or their working in progress through oral or poster presentations, and interact with their scientific peers, in a friendly and constructive environment. ** Confirmed Speakers + Christian Blum, IIIA-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain - Lecture 1: Construct, Merge, Solve & Adapt: A Recent Hybrid Metaheuristic - Lecture 2: Swarm Intelligence in Combinatorial Optimization + Juergen Branke, Warwick Business School, UK - Lecture 1: Simulation-based optimisation - Lecture 2: Multi-objective optimisation + Salvatore Greco, University of Catania, Italy & University of Portsmouth, UK - Lecture 1: Basic Concepts of Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding/Making - Lecture 2:Using Preference Elicitation in Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization + Yaochu Jin, University of Surrey, UK - Lecture 1:Data-driven surrogate-assisted evolutionary multi-objective optimization - Lecture 2: Multi-objective machine learning + Gunther Raidl, Technische Universitat Wien, Austria - Lecture 1: TBA - Lecture 2: TBA + Helena Ramalhinho Lourenco, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain - Lecture 1: Extensions of Iterated Local Search - Lecture 2: Issues and examples of applying metaheuristics in business + Mauricio Resende, AMAZON, USA - Lecture 1: TBA - Lecture 2: TBA + Celso Ribeiro, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil - Lecture 1: Optimization by GRASP ? Part I - Lecture 2: Optimization by GRASP ? Part II + Andrea Schaerf, University of Udine, Italy - Lecture 1: Simulated Annealing and Friends: Introduction to Randomized Local Search Methods - Lecture 2: Simulated Annealing, we need to talk: Critical Analysis of Real-World Applications of Randomized Local Search Methods to Scheduling and Timetabling Problems + Fabio Schoen, Unviersity of Florence, Italy - Lecture 1: TBA - Lecture 2: TBA + El-Ghazali Talbi, University of Lille 1, France - Lecture 1: TBA - Lecture 2: TBA + Daniele Vigo, University of Bologna, Italy - Lecture 1: TBA - Lecture 2: TBA ** Short Talk and Poster Presentation All participants may submit an abstract of their recent results, or works in progress, for presentation and having the opportunities for debate and interact with leaders in the field. Mini-Workshop Organizers and Scientific Committee will review the abstracts and will recommend for the format of the presentation (oral or poster). All abstracts will be published on the electronic hands-out book of the summer school. The Abstracts must be submitted by *April 15, 2018*. ** Sponsor & Scholarships: thanks to the sponsorship by EU/ME METAHEURISTICS working group (https://www.euro-online.org/websites/eume/), some scholarships for the best participants will be available. More sponsors and scholarships will be announced soon!! ** Certificate: Participants will be delivered a certificate of attendance indicating the number of hours of lectures. ** School Directors + Salvatore Greco, University of Catania, Italy + Panos Pardalos, University of Florida, USA + Mario Pavone, University of Catania, Italy + El-Ghazali Talbi, University of Lille 1, France + Daniele Vigo, University of Bologna, Italy ** Oral & Poster Presentation Organizers + Luca Di Gaspero, Unviersity of Udine, Italy + Paola Festa, University of Naples "Federico II", Italy ** Metaheuristics Competition Chair + Raffaele Cerulli, University of Salerno, Italy ** More Information: https://www.ANTs-lab.it/mess2018/ -- mess.school at ANTs-lab.it Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MetaheuristicsSchool/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MESS_school -- Dr. Mario Pavone (PhD) Assistant Professor Department of Mathematics and Computer Science University of Catania V.le A. Doria 6 - 95125 Catania, Italy tel: 0039 095 7383034 fax: 0039 095 330094 Email: mpavone at dmi.unict.it http://www.dmi.unict.it/mpavone/ =========================================================== MESS 2018 - Metaheuristics Summer School 21-25 July 2018, Taormina, Italy W: https://www.ANTs-lab.it/mess2018/ E: mess.school at ANTs-lab.it FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MetaheuristicsSchool/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MESS_school =========================================================== -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Flyer-sponsor-mess2018.png Type: image/png Size: 2415798 bytes Desc: not available URL: From hi.yangyang at hotmail.com Sun Feb 11 22:25:28 2018 From: hi.yangyang at hotmail.com (Yang Yang) Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2018 03:25:28 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: [Call for Papers] Brain Informatics 2018 Message-ID: [Apologies if you receive this more than once] CALL FOR PAPERS The 11th International Conference on Brain Informatics (BI'18) December 7-9, 2018, Arlington, Texas, USA Homepage: http://uta.engineering/conferences/bi-2018/ ---Advancing BI Technologies from Basic Science Research to Real-World Practice--- ============================================== Workshop/Special Session/Tutorial Proposals Submission Deadline: May 1, 2018 Full Paper Submission Deadline: June 15, 2018 ============================================== The International Conference on Brain Informatics series (BI) has established itself as the world?s premier research forum that brings together researchers and practitioners from neuroscience, cognitive science, computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, information communication technologies, and neuroimaging technologies with the purpose of exploring the fundamental roles, interactions as well as practical impacts of Brain Informatics. The BI'18 will provide a broad forum that academia, professionals and industry people can exchange their ideas, findings, and strategies in brain informatics research and brain-inspired concepts and technologies. It welcomes emerging technologies for addressing fundamental neurobiological questions about healthy brain function, laying the groundwork for advancing treatments for brain disorders or injury, and for generating brain-inspired "smart" artificial intelligence and computing technologies to meet future societal needs. It will educate and expand the brain informatics workforce and create new career opportunities for brain research and related innovations. The BI'18 welcomes paper submissions (full paper and abstract submissions). Both research and application papers are solicited. All submitted papers will be peer-reviewed on the basis of technical quality, relevance, significance and clarity. Accepted full papers will be included in the proceedings by Springer LNCS/LNAI. Workshop, Special-Session and Tutorial proposals, and Industry/Demo-Track papers are also welcome. The organizers of Workshops and Special-Sessions are invited to prepare a book proposal based on the topics of the workshop/special session for possible book publication in the Springer-Nature Brain Informatics & Health book series (http://www.springer.com/series/15148). *** Topics and Areas *** Track 1: Cognitive and Computational Foundations of Brain Science Track 2: Investigations of Human Information Processing Systems Track 3: Brain Big Data Analytics, Curation and Management Track 4: Informatics Paradigms for Brain and Mental Health Track 5: Brain-Machine Intelligence and Brain-Inspired Computing IMPORTANT DATES: ================ May 1, 2018: Submission deadline for workshop/special session/Tutorial proposals May 31, 2018: Notification of workshop/special session proposal acceptance June 15, 2018: Submission deadline for full papers July 30, 2018: Submission deadline for workshop/special session papers August 15, 2018: Notification of full paper acceptance August 30, 2018: Notification of workshop/special session paper acceptance August 1, 2018: Submission deadline for abstracts August 30, 2018: Notification of abstract acceptance December 7, 2018: Tutorials, workshops and special sessions December 8-9, 2018: Main conference PAPER SUBMISSIONS & PUBLICATIONS: ================================= TYPE-I (Full Paper Submissions): Papers need to have up to 10 pages in LNCS format: http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0 All full length papers accepted (and all special sessions' full length papers) will be published by Springer as a volume of the series of LNCS/LNAI. TYPE-II (Abstract Submissions): Abstracts have a word limit of 500 words. Experimental research is particularly welcome. Accepted abstract submissions will be included in the conference program, and will be published as a single, collective proceedings volume. Title: Include in the title of the abstract all words critical for a subject index. Write your title in sentence case (first letter is capitalized; remaining letters are lower case). Do not bold or italicize your full title. Author: List all authors who contributed to the work discussed in the abstract. The presenting author must be listed in the first author slot of the list. Be prepared to submit contact information as well as conflict of interest information for each author listed. Abstract: Enter the body of the abstract and attach any applicable graphic files or tables here. Do not re-enter the title, author, support, or other information that is collected in other steps of the submission form. Presentation Preference: Authors may select from three presentation formats when submitting an abstract: "poster only", "talk preferred" or "no preference". The "talk preferred" selection indicates that you would like to give a talk, but will accept a poster format if necessary. Marking "poster only" indicates that you would not like to be considered for an oral-presentation session. Selecting "no preference" indicates the author's willingness to be placed in the best format for the program. Each paper or abstract requires one sponsoring attendee (i.e. someone who registered and is attending the conference). A single attendee can not sponsor more than two abstracts or papers. Oral presentations will be selected from both full length papers and abstracts. *** Post-Conference Journal Publication *** The Brain Informatics conferences have the formal ties with Brain Informatics journal (Springer-Nature, http://www.springer.com/40708). Accepted papers from the conference, including their Best Paper Award papers, will be expended and revised for possible inclusion in the Brain Informatics journal each year. It is fully sponsored and no any article-processing fee will be charged for authors of Brain Informatics conference. *** Awards *** Best Paper awards will be conferred at the conference on the authors of (1) the best research paper and (2) the best student paper. ORGANIZERS ========== General Chairs Tom Mitchell (Carnegie Mellon University, USA) Leon Iasemidis (Louisiana Tech, University, USA) Ning Zhong (Maebashi Institute of Technology, Japan) Program Committee Chairs Jianzhong Su (The University of Texas at Arlington, USA) Vicky Yamamoto (University of South California, USA) Yu-Ping Wang (Tulane University, USA) Organizing Chairs Shouyi Wang (University of Texas at Arlington, USA) Erick Jones (University of Texas at Arlington, USA) Fenghua Tian (University of Texas at Arlington, USA) Workshop/Special-Session Chairs Xiang Li (Harvard Medical School, USA) Chou, Chun-An (Northwestern University, USA) Xiangnan Kong (Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA) Panel/Tutorial Chairs Yang Yang (Maebashi Institute of Technology, Japan / Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Internet Technology, BJUT, China) Vassiliy Tsytsarev (University of Maryland, USA) Publicity Chairs Huiguang He (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China ) Paul Wen (University of Southern Queensland, Australia) Daehan Won (Binghamton University, USA) Jing Qin (Montana State University, USA) Steering Committee Chairs Ning Zhong (Maebashi Institute of Technology, Japan) Hanchuan Peng (Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA) *** Contact Information *** Shouyi Wang Email: shouyiw at uta.edu Vicky Yamamoto Email: Vicky.Yamamoto at med.usc.edu Yang Yang Email: yang at maebashi-it.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From SongC5 at cardiff.ac.uk Sun Feb 11 09:53:59 2018 From: SongC5 at cardiff.ac.uk (Chen Song) Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2018 14:53:59 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Funded PhD at Cardiff University in collaboration with UCL and University of Wisconsin-Madison on Brain Complexity and Consciousness Message-ID: *PhD Project: Brain Complexity and Consciousness* *Application Deadline: Feb 23, 2018* Applications are invited for a PhD studentship to work with Dr. Chen Song and Prof. Derek Jones at Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), one of Europe?s largest brain research centres, in collaboration with Prof. Geraint Rees at University College London and Prof. Giulio Tononi at University of Wisconsin-Madison. This PhD studentship offers an excellent opportunity for candidates interested in the broad area of brain imaging, neuroscience, and/or consciousness research, to conduct research on the following topics: - *Brain complexity* - how different brain regions differ structurally, how their structural differences underpin their functional differences, whether the empirically-observed function of a brain region is what the structure of this brain region is theoretically optimal for; - *Mapping between brain complexity and consciousness* - how different individuals differ in their brain structure, how the inter-individual differences in brain structure affect brain function, and lead to inter-individual differences in perception and cognition; - *Brain plasticity* - how learning and sleep interact to change brain structure and function, whether different mechanisms of brain plasticity may be at play during wake versus sleep, and whether the contrast between the two may hold key to our intelligence and consciousness. See some of our recent work on these topics at: Schwarzkopf et al. Nature Neuroscience 2010 ; Song et al. Journal of Neuroscience 2011 ; Song et al. Journal of Neuroscience 2013 ; Song et al. Nature Communications 2013 ; Tononi et al. Neuron 2014 ; Song et al. Neuron 2015 ; Tononi et al. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2016 ; Song et al. Journal of Neuroscience 2017 ; or a summary at: http://www.braincomplexity.com/research. The successful applicant will be able to use the *?44M cutting-edge brain imaging facilities at CUBRIC* to acquire multi-modal brain measures (structural, metabolic, electrical, chemical), and link the empirical data to theories on brain complexity and consciousness (integrated information theory), sleep and cognition (synaptic homeostasis hypothesis). As one of Europe?s largest brain research centres, CUBRIC hosts: - one of the only three Connectom MRI scanners in the world, specially designed for measuring brain microstructure and connectomics; - one 7T MRI scanner, two 3T MRI scanners, one MEG scanner, three EEG labs, five TMS labs; - six sleep study bedrooms built to clinical standard. The studentship is open to UK/EU/international students; it covers the full tuition fee (at UK/EU level) and an annual stipend of ?14,553. Please contact Dr. Chen Song at SongC5 at cardiff.ac.uk for any enquiries, or see application details at http://psych.cf.ac.uk/degre eprogrammes/postgraduate/research/docs/school_song.pdf. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From yue.xu at qut.edu.au Mon Feb 12 02:48:41 2018 From: yue.xu at qut.edu.au (Yue Xu) Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2018 07:48:41 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: CALL FOR WORKSHOP/SPECIAL-SESSION PROPOSALS-- IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conference on Web Intelligence 2018 (WI'18) Message-ID: [Apologies if you receive this more than once] ####################################################################### CALL FOR WORKSHOP/SPECIAL-SESSION PROPOSALS IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conference on Web Intelligence 2018 (WI'18) December 3-6, 2018, Santiago, Chile Conference Website: http://webintelligence2018.com/ Sponsored By (among others): Web Intelligence Consortium (WIC) Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) IEEE Computer Society (WORKSHOP/SPECIAL SESSION PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: March 23, 2018) ####################################################################### The Program Committee of the 2018 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conference on Web Intelligence (WI '18) invites proposals for workshops/special-sessions in all areas related to Web Intelligence,its foundations and applications. The workshops/specialsessions will be held in Santiago, Chile on December 3rd, 2018. The main objectives of the WI'18 workshops/special-sessions are to stimulate and facilitate active exchange, interaction and comparison of approaches, methods and related to diverse areas of Web Intelligence, and also to complement the regular program with specific or emerging topics that are of particular interest to the Web Intelligence community and, in case of Workshops, to provide a forum for intense and deep-going discussions. Special Session and Workshop proposals need to address topics that do not pertain to well-established tracks of WI. They may, however, cut across and beyond disciplines traditionally represented at WI conferences. +++++++++++++++ IMPORTANT DATES +++++++++++++++ March 23, 2018: Workshop and Special session proposal submission March 31, 2018: Notification of Workshop/Special session acceptance July 22, 2018: Submission of Workshop papers August 19, 2018: Notification of workshop paper acceptance October 4, 2018: Camera-Ready Papers (Workshops and Special sessions) December 3, 2018: Special Sessions, Workshops, and Tutorials December 4-6, 2018: Main Conference +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORKSHOP/SPECIAL SESSION SETTINGS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Workshops may be full-day or half-day. A full-day workshop shouldselect 10-14 regular papers, while a half-day workshop should select 5-7 regular papers, from a large number of submissions. Special sessions, on the other hand, should select 4-6 regular papers. Submissions accepted as workshop/special session papers will be allocated 4 pages in the IEEE WI 2018 workshop proceedings to be published by IEEE-CS Press. The workshop organizers should ensure the presence of authors of accepted papers at the workshops. Optionally, the workshop may bestarted or concluded by a panel focusing on interesting aspects,controversial issues, or unsolved problems to stimulate lively,thoughtful, and thought-provoking debate; we expect the workshop organizers to actively engage the audience and help them gain a deeper understanding of the issues. The goal of a panel is to debate and thus panels should always reflect more than one point of view. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORKSHOP/SPECIAL SESSION PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Workshop organizers should submit their proposals to one of workshopchairs. All workshop/special-session proposals should be submitted as a single PDF file and include the following information: * Title of the workshop/special-session * Names of workshop/special-session organizers, affiliation, mailing address and e-mail address * Short CV of organizers * A description of the topics of the workshop/special-session (not exceeding 200 words) * For the workshop: type of the workshop (full-day or half-day) * A description of how the workshop/special-session will contribute to the field of Web Intelligence * A short description on how the workshop/special-session will be advertised so as to ensure a sufficiently wide range of authors and high quality papers * Information about previous offerings of the proposed workshop/ special-session. * A list of potential Program Committee members and attendees/ submissions and/or a justification of the expected attendees and submissions. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORKSHOP/SPECIAL SESSION ORGANIZATION +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Organizers, whose proposals are accepted, will be responsible for advertising the workshop/special-session, forming the program committees, reviewing and selecting the papers, all along guaranteeing high quality worthy of the prestige and range of the Conference. The Conference will provide an online paper submission and review system to support the workshops. After the acceptance of a workshop proposal, the organizer(s) should: * Create a "Call for papers/participation" for the workshop/special-session * Create a webpage for the workshop/special-session, the link of which will be published on the conference website * Create a Board of Reviewers (Program Committee) * Solicit, review and select papers * Schedule the workshop/special-session program The papers selected by workshop/special-session organizers may also be reviewed by the workshop/special-session chairs for final acceptance. All submitted papers will be reviewed on the basis of technical quality, relevance, significance, and clarity. The organizers will also have the discretion of editing selected papers (after their expansion and revision) into books or journal specialissues. ++++++++++++ REGISTRATION ++++++++++++ Workshop/special session paper registration fees are the same as regular conference fees. All registered participants are entitled to attend all keynotes, sessions, workshops, panels, tutorials and socialevents. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORKSHOP/SPECIAL SESSION/TUTORIAL CO-CHAIRS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ * Zhisheng Huang, Free University Amsterdam, The Netherlands > * Yue Xu, Queensland University of Technology, Australia > * Guilin Qi, Southeast University, China > For further information either visit the WI 2018 homepage (https://webintelligence2018.com/) or contact any of the Special session and Workshop co-chairs. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Roland.W.Fleming at psychol.uni-giessen.de Mon Feb 12 07:10:00 2018 From: Roland.W.Fleming at psychol.uni-giessen.de (Roland Fleming) Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2018 13:10:00 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: PhD position on Gloss Perception in Roland Fleming's lab (Giessen) Message-ID: A generously funded PhD position on the perception of surface gloss is available in Roland Fleming?s lab at Giessen University, in the context of the Marie Sk?odowska-Curie training network DyViTo (Dynamic Vision and Touch). See https://dyvito.wordpress.com for more information about the network and the excellent training and exchange opportunities it offers. Candidates should have a Masters degree in psychology, neuroscience, computer science or related discipline. Preference will be given to candidates with evidence of strong quantitative or computational skills. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to interact closely with the existing team in Roland Fleming?s lab, as well as other colleagues in closely related areas, including Karl Gegenfurtner, Knut Drewing, Katja Doerschner and Huseyin Boyaci. The successful candidate will also work closely with Schlenk Metallic Pigments GmbH (www.schlenk.com ). Our lab offers excellent facilities for studying visual perception and motor control from both empirical and computational perspectives, ranging from psychophysics to fMRI and Deep Neural Networks. We are part of several larger research consortia on perception and action (e.g., http://www.sfb-perception.de , https://www.uni-marburg.de/fb13/forschungsgruppen/neurophysik/brainact ). The group offers a stimulating, multi-national and multi-disciplinary research environment for young scientists (http://www.allpsych.uni-giessen.de ). We routinely have visiting faculty from other leading universities taking sabbaticals or other extended stays in the group. A 3T Siemens scanner dedicated to research in psychology is available in the same building. IMPORTANT NOTE: Applications from all over the world are welcome. However, to be eligible for the position, you must NOT have lived in Germany for more than 12 months in the last 3 years. You must also have a Masters degree and it cannot have been more than 4 years since you received it (this 4 year limit can be extended due to parental, carer and/or health related issues). If you are interested in applying, please send an initial statement of interest to roland.w.fleming at psychol.uni-giessen.de by 1st March 2018. This statement of interest should contain: (1) a cover letter stating in about 200 words why you are interested in and suitable for the position, and (2) your CV. Please do not hesitate to contact me for informal inquiries. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From florian.roehrbein at in.tum.de Mon Feb 12 07:53:50 2018 From: florian.roehrbein at in.tum.de (Florian Roehrbein) Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2018 13:53:50 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Call for Participation Message-ID: International workshop on "Does the Brain Need a Body to be a Brain??, organized by HBP Neurorobotics, Barcelona, March 8/9, 2018. Neuroscience research is learning more and more about the details of how the brain works. Biologically plausible artificial neural networks attempt to simulate brain functioning, and detailed computer simulations of parts of the brain exist, producing results that conform to experimental data from real brains. However, can attempts to simulate the workings of the brain ever be successful unless the simulation includes at its core interaction between the brain and the body that it controls? Scientists and philosophers have speculated about the feasibility of a ?brain in a vat?, one disconnected from the world, except for outputs that enable external monitoring or inputs such as electrical simulation. While such a brain would function, in the sense that it would respond to stimuli and its own network connectivity would by itself produce complex patterns of activity ? useful for understanding how the connectivity works ? would this be anything whatsoever like a real brain, or just a machine, a black-box where a set of inputs results in a set of outputs? The Neurorobotics Sub-Project of the Human Brain Project attempts to provide robotic bodies for simulated brains. This approach is not only of great scientific value, but also reaches for a radically new way to design robot intelligence. This workshop brings together experts from within and outside the Human Brain Project to discuss the relationship between brain and body from the point of view of philosophy, neuroscience, computer science, engineering and robotics. Each topic will be introduced by an expert in the field followed by debate and discussion. For details see https://hbpbrainbody.wordpress.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lciti at essex.ac.uk Mon Feb 12 08:59:38 2018 From: lciti at essex.ac.uk (Luca Citi) Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2018 13:59:38 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: PhD Scholarship: Bayesian Deep Learning for Alzheimer's conversion prediction in Mild Cognitive Impairment subjects Message-ID: <822cf2f2-10ab-b009-450d-0bcd319aa470@essex.ac.uk> The School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering at the University of Essex is pleased to announce a PhD studentship available in ?Bayesian Deep Learning for Alzheimer's conversion prediction in Mild Cognitive Impairment subjects?. This three-year studentship will start from 23 April 2018 and includes: #? A fee waiver equal to the Home/EU fee (for 2017/18, ?4,120). ???? International students will need to pay the balance of their fees. #? A stipend equivalent to the Research Councils UK National Minimum ???? Doctoral Stipend (?14,553 in 2017-18) Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional state between normal ageing and dementia. In a number of cases, MCI carries the risk of conversion to Alzheimer?s disease-related dementia. MCI typically includes slowing of motor performance and information processing, impaired attention and impaired executive functions with partial preservation of memory. Machine learning techniques have recently been identified as promising tools in neuroimaging data analysis and can, to a certain extent, work on a single patient basis in predicting conversion from MCI to Alzheimer?s disease (AD). This PhD will investigate novel convolutional and Bayesian deep learning techniques to identify biomarkers of MCI and improve the accuracy of detecting early signs of the potential for MCI to progress into AD. Early AD diagnosis is important for giving access to treatments that can improve symptoms and slow down the progress of the disease. The successful applicant will be supervised by Dr Luca Citi and Dr Alba Garc?a and will be part of the Essex BCI and Neural Engineering Lab (http://essexbcis.uk): today the UK's largest research group in brain-computer interfaces. Please feel free to contact Dr Luca Citi (lciti at essex.ac.uk) or Dr Alba Garc?a (alba.garcia at essex.ac.uk) for informal inquiries. Deadline: Friday 23 February 2018 Further information and application instructions: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BHF171/phd-studentship-bayesian-deep-learning-for-alzheimers-conversion-prediction-in-mild-cognitive-impairment-subjects/ From dimitri.ognibene at gmail.com Mon Feb 12 15:43:21 2018 From: dimitri.ognibene at gmail.com (Dimitri Ognibene) Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2018 20:43:21 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Professorship in Games and AI, at University of Essex, UK In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <00C0B61B-3842-4FDA-A496-7E0E72DD5640@gmail.com> Dear all, We are looking to hire a new professor to lead our Games+AI group here at the University of Essex. See https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VACANCY_ID=140562FcMY&WVID=9918109NEm&LANG=USA Closing date: 1st March 2018 Group details: http://csee.essex.ac.uk/labs/gig/ Thank you. Dimitri -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dimitri.ognibene at gmail.com Mon Feb 12 15:49:14 2018 From: dimitri.ognibene at gmail.com (Dimitri Ognibene) Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2018 20:49:14 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: 2 Funded PhD Interdisciplinary Scholarships on Robotics and Brain Science References: Message-ID: 2 Funded PhD Interdisciplinary Scholarships on Robotics and Brain Science The Faculty of Science and Health of the University of Essex is pleased to invite applications for 2 Funded PhD positions that will work on the following topics combining Psychology and Robotics (CSEE): 1)http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BHO005/phd-studentship-are-you-looking-at-me-transferring-social-skills-from-humans-to-robots (deadline ?12th?March 2018 .) 2)http://jobs.ac.uk/job/BHF222/phd-studentship-careobot-cognitive-robotic-companion-for-carehomes-and-hospitals/ (deadline 23rd February 2018 ) The post holder will have the opportunity to a) develop new advanced methods for cognitive robots based on machine learning, signal processing and information theory, b) design and perform behavioural experiments with human subjects and c) analyze experimental data in collaboration with experimental neuroscience laboratories. This is part of the Faculty plan to strengthen its interdisciplinary research at the boundaries between Natural and Artificial Intelligence (BCI, ML, AI, Robotics, Psychology and Neuroscience). Other new PhD positions can be found here: https://www1.essex.ac.uk/csee/pg/studentships.aspx Additional questions and queries about the studentship can be addressed by contacting the supervisors specified in the call. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From vvouloutsi at ibecbarcelona.eu Tue Feb 13 07:08:54 2018 From: vvouloutsi at ibecbarcelona.eu (Vasiliki Vouloutsi) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2018 13:08:54 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: [meetings] [LM2018] 2nd call for papers Message-ID: <53d50a3c-e5d8-b73e-19a3-13f34af92d98@ibecbarcelona.eu> Dear colleagues, Please find below the second call for participation to the 7th edition of Living Machines. Apologies for cross-posting but please share this announcement with your colleagues. Looking forward to seeing you in Paris! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ /Second Call for Papers, Satellite Events and Sponsors/ *Living Machines VII: The 7th International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems* *16 ? 19 July 2018*** To be hosted at the Museum National D?Histoire Naturelle, Grand Amphit??tre du Museum,and UPMC, Paris, France, EU Accepted papers will be published in Springer/Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence/ Submission deadline: March 12th, 2018 http://livingmachinesconference.eu/2018 _____________________________________________________________________________ ** *ABOUT LIVING MACHINES 2018* The development of future real-world technologies will depend strongly on our understanding and harnessing of the principles underlying living systems and the flow of communication signals between living and artificial systems. *Biomimetics*is the development of novel technologies through the distillation of principles from the study of biological systems.The investigation of biomimetic systems can serve two complementary goals. First, a suitably designed and configured biomimetic artefact can be used to test theories about the natural system of interest. Second, biomimetic technologies can provide useful, elegant and efficient solutions to unsolved challenges in science and engineering. *Biohybrid*systems are formed by combining at least one biological component?an existing living system?and at least one artificial, newly-engineered component. By passing information in one or both directions, such a system forms a new hybrid bio-artificial entity. The theme of the conference also encompasses biomimetic methods for manufacture, repair and recycling inspired by natural processes such as reproduction, digestion, morphogenesis and metamorphosis. The following are some examples of ?Living Machines? as featured at past conferences: ?Biomimetic robots and their component technologies (sensors, actuators, processors) that can interact with their physical and social environments. ?Biomimetic computers and architectures ?neuromimetic emulations of the physiological basis for complex adaptive behaviour. ?Active biomimetic materials and structures that self-organize and self-repair. ?Nature-based designs and manufacturing processes. ?Biohybrid brain-machine interfaces and neuronal implants and neuroprosthetics. ?Artificial organs and body-parts including sensory organ-chip hybrids and advanced prostheses and cyber-physical systems. ?Organism-level biohybrids and symbiosis such as robot-animal or robot-human systems. ** *ACTIVITIES* The main conference will take the form of a*three-day single-track oral*and*poster presentation programme*, 17th to 19th July 2018,Museum National D?Histoire Naturelle,Grand Amphit??tre du Museum,and UPMC,Paris, France, EU. The conference programme will include*five plenary lectures*from leading international researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems, and the demonstrations of state-of-the-art living machine technologies. The full conference will be preceded by up to two days of*Satellite Events*hosted at?cole Normale Sup?rieure, Paris. *SUBMITTING TO LIVING MACHINES 2018* We invite both*full papers*and*extended abstracts*in areas related to the conference themes. All contributions will be refereed, and accepted papers will appear in the Living Machines Proceedings, published in the*Springer-Verlag/Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence/.* Full papers (minimum 8 pages, up to 12 pages) are invited from researchers at any stage in their career and should present significant findings and advances in biomimetic or biohybrid research. More preliminary work is better suited for short paper submission (minimum 4 pages, with a maximum of ten references and no more than three self-citations).Full papers will be accepted for either oral presentation (single track) or poster presentation with a short podium preview. Extended abstracts will be accepted for poster presentation only. Authors of the best full papers will be invited to submitted extended versions of their paper for publication in a special issue of the Taylor & Francis journal*Connection Science*. *Satellite events* Active researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems are invited to propose topics for full or half-day*tutorials, symposia*or*workshops*on related themes to be held on the 16^th July atthe ?cole Normale Sup?rieure in Paris (http://www.ens.fr/en ). Attendance at satellite events will attract a small fee intended to cover the costs of the meeting. There is flexibility about the content, organisation, and budgeting for these events. Please contact us if you are interested in organising a satellite event! ** *EXPECTED DEADLINES* March 12th, 2018 Paper submission deadline April 28th, 2018 Notification of acceptance May 15th, 2018 Camera-ready copy July 16th ? 19th, 2018 Workshops and Conference ** *SPONSORSHIP* Organisations wishing to sponsor the conference in any way and gain the corresponding benefits by promoting themselves and their products through conference publications, conference events, and conference publicity areencouraged to contact the organisers to discuss the terms of sponsorship and necessary arrangements. We also offer a number of attractive options to potential sponsors. *VENUE* Consistent with the Living Machines? tradition of choosing historical venues at the crossroads between life and human sciences, this year the conference will take place at theMuseum National D?Histoire Naturelle(http://www.mnhn.fr/fr ) a historical museum located in the heart of Paris that for almost 400 years has focused on nature and its relationship with humans. The museum is immersed in history, yet at the heart of current affairs, and is also working to be projected towards the future. Poster sessions will be organized at UPMC. ** *Organising Committee:* *Jose Halloy*,Universit? Paris Diderot(Local Organizing Chair) *Paul Verschure*, IBEC-BIST (Co-Chair) *Tony Prescott*, University of Sheffield (Steering Committee) *Vicky Vouloutsi,*IBEC-BIST, Barcelona (Programme Chair) *Michael Mangan*, University of Lincoln (Programme Co-Chair) *Nathan Lepora*, University of Bristol (Communications) *Anna Mura*, IBEC-BIST, Barcelona (Web and Communications) *Local**Organising Committee:* *St?phane Doncieux*, Prof. UMPC, ISIR *Beno?t Girard*, DR CNRS, UPMC, ISIR *Emmanuelle Pouydebat*, DR CNRS, Mus?um d?Histoire Naturelle *Vincent Bels*, Prof. Mus?um d?Histoire Naturelle -- Vicky Vouloutsi, PhD Postdoc Researcher at the laboratory for Synthetic Perceptive, Emotive and Cognitive Systems (SPECS ) mail: vvouloutsi at ibecbarcelona.eu LinkedIn researchgate -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ale at sissa.it Tue Feb 13 12:15:57 2018 From: ale at sissa.it (Alessandro Treves) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2018 18:15:57 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Up to 8 PhD fellowships in Cognitive Neuroscience at SISSA, Trieste, Italy Message-ID: <20180213181557.Horde.Z81wGx8V4mxagx1NV96QsTA@webmail.sissa.it> SISSA is an elite postgraduate research institution, focused on Maths, Physics and Neuroscience. It operates in English: many among its students and faculty are not Italian. Campus above Trieste, overlooking the Gulf. Research approaches in the CNS PhD https://phdcns.sissa.it/ span the range from cognitive psychology and imaging in humans to behavioural neuroscience and multiple single-unit recording in rats, mathematical and computational modeling; with research groups led by Domenica Bueti, Davide Crepaldi, Mathew Diamond, Chris Mathys, Raffaella Rumiati, Alessandro Treves and Davide Zoccolan. Allied approaches are pursued in other SISSA PhDs. All admitted students receive a 4-year fellowship and engage full-time in research based in Trieste, with limited coursework in the first few months, talks and seminars throughout the year and a TEX event in the summer, see https://indico.sissa.it/event/26/ First deadline for EU candidates: March 2, 2018, for nonEU: March 31, 2018 -- Alessandro Treves http://people.sissa.it/~ale/limbo.html SISSA - Cognitive Neuroscience, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy +39-040-3787623 Ambassador (BlaBlaCar) +39-349-2504602 From daniel.braun at uni-ulm.de Wed Feb 14 06:45:40 2018 From: daniel.braun at uni-ulm.de (Daniel Braun) Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2018 12:45:40 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: PhD / PostDoc position in the field of Learning Systems at Ulm University Message-ID: In the *Institute of Neural Information Processing* of the Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology of Ulm University there will be a *PhD / PostDoc position in the field of Learning Systems * to be filled as soon as possible in the newly established research group on ?Learning Systems?. The group is interested in the mathematical foundations of intelligent behavior in cognitive systems, including both biological and artificial systems, in particular the information-processing principles underlying learning and decision-making. This requires a combined theoretical and experimental approach. In our theoretical line of work we use methods from machine learning, statistics, physics, information theory and decision theory to investigate the effects of limited resources on learning and decision-making (?bounded rationality?). In our experimental line of work we investigate sensorimotor behavior in humans by using virtual reality technology and robotic interfaces to study learning and decision-making quantitatively under controlled conditions. This interdisciplinary approach unites aspects from both basic and applied research. On a basic level we aim at a quantitative understanding of embodied intelligence, in particular the emergence of cognition from sensorimotor interactions by processes of abstraction and structure learning. On an applied level we are interested in both autonomous robotic systems and human-machine-interactions, as sensorimotor learning and decision-making in artificial systems constitute a cutting-edge technical challenge. The research group is supported by the ERC-project BRISC (Bounded Rationality in Sensorimotor Coordination) https://erc.europa.eu/projects-figures/erc-funded-projects/r esults?search_api_views_fulltext=BRISC funded by the excellence programme of the European Research Council, in which we aim at a novel information-theoretic understanding of sensorimotor interactions in psychological and technical systems. Ulm University with its more than 10,000 students is Baden-W?rttemberg?s youngest university. It offers attractive career prospects in a highly innovative research, teaching and work environment at the same time facilitating the reconciliation of work and family life. Embedded within the novel international ?Cognitive Systems?-Master?s course, the research group ?Learning Systems? is part of the university?s priority programme on human-machine-interaction. Beyond the university, there are plenty of opportunities to cooperate with international partners in Great Britain and the United States. The applicants should have a strong mathematical background, hold a Diploma or Master?s degree in natural science, mathematics, economics, psychology, computer science, engineering or similar and have a keen interest in artificial and natural intelligence. The positions are paid according to German tariff TV-L E13. Exceptional candidates with a Bachelor?s degree can also be considered, albeit with an individual pay scale regulation. The University of Ulm is an equal opportunity employer: Handicapped individuals are strongly encouraged to apply, and so are women in areas in which they are underrepresented. The positions will be filled as soon as possible. Candidates should send a CV, a brief statement of interest and a copy of their highest degree to Prof. Dr. Dr. Daniel Alexander Braun daniel.braun at uni-ulm.de -- Prof. Dr. Dr. Daniel Alexander Braun Institute of Neural Information Processing Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology Ulm University James-Franck-Ring D-89081 Ulm Germany phone: +49 (0)731 50 - 24150 <%2B49%20%280%29731%2050%20-%2024158> fax: +49 (0)731 50 - 24156 email: daniel.braun at uni-ulm.de -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sageev at vectorinstitute.ai Wed Feb 14 11:54:46 2018 From: sageev at vectorinstitute.ai (Sageev Oore) Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2018 11:54:46 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoc at Dalhousie University & affiliated with the Vector Institute Message-ID: Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Machine Learning / Deep Learning in the Faculty of Computer Science at Dalhousie University (Halifax, Canada) and affiliated with the Vector Institute (Toronto, Canada). The position is renewable up to 3 years. The Postdoctoral Fellow will be working primarily with Dr. Sageev Oore and Dr. Thomas Trappenberg. The Fellow?s primary appointment will be at Dalhousie University, and they will also have the opportunity to spend time at the Vector Institute. The successful candidate will be encouraged to collaborate with and supervise students, collaborate with other members of the CS Faculty and the Vector Institute, engage in state-of-the-art research, and publish internationally. While there is interest in projects on language modelling, medical applications, audio processing and computational creativity (e.g. music/art/language generation and understanding), the Fellow will have freedom to propose work on research topics of their own interest related to machine learning and deep learning. Requirements A Ph.D. in Computer Science or in a related field is required; candidates who have excelled in a closely-related area and are looking to move into deep learning or machine learning are also encouraged to apply. A strong publication record is required. Candidates are expected to demonstrate expertise in a core area of machine learning, including but not limited to deep, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning, optimization; and/or one or more areas related to applied machine learning, including but not limited to creative applications (music, images, text), language, health, audio, medicine, transportation, visualization and finance. How to apply More information on the position, including the required application form, is available at https://www.dal.ca/faculty/gradstudies/postdoctoral/prospective/hill.html https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/fgs/postdoctoral/donald_hill_compguidelines.pdf https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/fgs/postdoctoral/donald_hill_application_extended.pdf (Note that the salary may be supplemented beyond the amount listed in the documents above). Applications should be received by Friday, Feb 23. The position can start anytime between March and September of this year. If you are interested, you are encouraged to contact Sageev Oore in advance of the deadline at sageev at dal.ca, and include a CV and brief description of your interests, with ?Hill PDF? as the subject line of your email. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From morency at cs.cmu.edu Wed Feb 14 16:16:47 2018 From: morency at cs.cmu.edu (Louis-Philippe Morency) Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2018 21:16:47 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: New challenge & workshop on multimodal computing (ACL 2018) Message-ID: First Workshop on Computational Modeling of Human Multimodal Language Co-located with ACL 2018 conference, Melbourne, Australia Date: 20 July 2018 (submission deadline: April 20, 2018) *** workshop includes a Grand Challenge with new shared tasks on multimodal language modeling *** http://multicomp.cs.cmu.edu/acl2018multimodalworkshop The first ACL 2018 Workshop on Computational Modeling of Human Multimodal Language is offering a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary researchers to study and model interactions between language, vision and voice. This workshop is also a Grand Challenge which introduces new shared tasks building upon the recently release CMU-MOSEI dataset: more than 23,000 annotated videos from more than 1,000 different speakers and more than 200 topics. Two shared tasks are presented: (1) multimodal sentiment analysis and (2) multimodal emotion recognition. The workshop also introduces the CMU Multimodal Data SDK to the scientific community for conveniently loading large-scale multimodal datasets into proper TensorFlow and PyTorch formats. The focus of this workshop is on joint analysis of language (spoken text), vision (gestures and expressions) and acoustic (paraverbal) modalities. We seek the following types of submissions: * Grand challenge papers: Papers summarizing the research effort with the CMU-MOSEI shared tasks on multimodal sentiment analysis and/or emotion recognition. Grand challenge papers are 8 pages, including references. * Full and short papers: These papers are presenting substantial, original and unpublished research on human multimodal language. Full papers are up to 8 pages including references and short papers are 4 pages + 1 page for references. Topics of interest for full and short papers include: * Multimodal sentiment analysis * Multimodal emotion recognition * Multimodal affective computing * Multimodal speaker traits recognition * Dyadic multimodal interactions * Multimodal dialogue modeling * Cognitive modeling and multimodal interaction * Statistical analysis of human multimodal language Submission must be formatted according to ACL 2018 style files: http://acl2018.org/call-for-papers/#paper-submission-and-templates Important Dates * Grand challenge data release: 18 January 2018 * Grand challenge test set available: 1 March 2018 * Paper deadline [grand challenge, full and short]: 20 April 2018 * Notification of Acceptance: 14 May 2018 * Camera ready: 28 May 2018 * Workshop date and location: 20 July 2018, ACL 2018 Melbourne Australia Workshop Organizers Amir Zadeh (Language Technologies Institute, Carnegie Mellon University) Louis-Philippe Morency (Language Technologies Institute, Carnegie Mellon University) Paul Pu Liang (Machine Learning Department, Carnegie Mellon University) Soujanya Poria (Temasek Laboratories, Nanyang Technological University) Erik Cambria (Temasek Laboratories, Nanyang Technological University) Stefan Scherer (Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hpu at create.aau.dk Thu Feb 15 15:05:49 2018 From: hpu at create.aau.dk (Hendrik Purwins) Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2018 21:05:49 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: ML4Audio@NIPS17 Online Proceedings Message-ID: <7129b158-89fb-0c19-e034-1574b4b076da@create.aau.dk> Dear List, papers and presentation slides from our workshop? "Machine Learning for Audio Signal Processing" (ML4Audio at NIPS17) can be found here: http://media.aau.dk/smc/ml4audio/ Best, Hendrik Purwins, Bob Sturm, Mark Plumbley -- Dr. Hendrik Purwins, Associate Professor, Dipl.-Math. Audio Analysis Lab & Sound and Music Computing Group Technical Faculty of IT and Design Aalborg University Copenhagen http://homes.create.aau.dk/hpu/ From poirazi at imbb.forth.gr Fri Feb 16 07:45:11 2018 From: poirazi at imbb.forth.gr (Yiota Poirazi) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2018 12:45:11 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: DENDRITES 2018 -- deadline extension to February 22nd Message-ID: Dear friends and colleagues, due to several last minute requests, we have extended the deadline for abstract submission until *February 22nd, 2018*. We hope to see you in Crete in June! Yiota, Erin, Michael and Matthew -------------------------------------- DENDRITES 2018 EMBO Workshop on Dendritic Anatomy, Molecules and Function Heraklion, Crete, Greece 17-20 June 2018 http://meetings.embo.org/event/18-dendrite *Organizing committee:* Yiota Poirazi, IMBB-FORTH Erin Schuman, MPI for Brain Research Michael H?usser, UCL Matthew Larkum, Humboldt University Submissions of abstracts are due by* February 22, **2018.* Notifications will be provided by *March 15, 2018. * Payment of registration fee:* March 31, 2018* *Speakers:* Alcino Silva, UCLA Arindam Basu, Nanyang Bartlett Mel, USC Bernardo Sabatini, Harvard David Dupret, Oxford Fritjof Helmchen, Zurich Jason Shepherd, Utah Jayeeta Basu, NYU Jeff Magee, Janelia Johannes Schemmel, Heidelberg Julie Grollier, CNRS Kim Tolias, Baylor Kristen Harris, Austin Lucy Palmer, Melbourne Masanori Murayama, RIKEN Michael H?usser, UCL Nathalie Rochefort, Edinburgh Panayiota Poirazi, FORTH Tatjana Tchumatchenko, MPI for Brain Research Tim Lillicrap, DeepMind Tim Vogels, Oxford Valentin N?gerl, Bordeaux Walter Senn, Bern *Travel grants:* A small number of travel grants will also be available. Applicants should indicate their wish to be considered for a travel grant in the registration form. -- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Research Director Computational Biology Laboratory Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385, GR 70013, Heraklion, Crete GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 Fax: +30 2810 391101 ?mail: poirazi at imbb.forth.gr Lab site: www.dendrites.gr -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Pavis at iit.it Fri Feb 16 12:03:08 2018 From: Pavis at iit.it (Pavis) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2018 17:03:08 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: 1 Postdoc position on visual inspection for the textile industry - [ Postdoc ] 75046 In-Reply-To: <597539ee4f494bc38b82379de71cb12e@iit.it> References: <597539ee4f494bc38b82379de71cb12e@iit.it> Message-ID: <1c243c6b324845e19f947bbffdbcbb6a@iit.it> 1 Postdoc position on visual inspection for the textile industry - [ Postdoc ] CB Workplace: IIT - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy The Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision department (PAVIS) at IIT is looking for a highly qualified postdoc with a strong background in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, with particular emphasis on automatic visual inspection applications and other related areas (e.g., recognition, video analysis, etc.). The main mission of PAVIS is to design and develop innovative image- and video-based intelligent systems, characterized by the use of highly functional smart sensors and advanced data analytics features. PAVIS also plays an active role in supporting the other IIT research units providing scientists in Neuroscience, Nanophysics and other IIT departments/centers with ad-hoc solutions. To this end, the group is involved in activities concerning computer vision and pattern recognition, machine learning, multimodal data analysis and sensor fusion. The lab will pursue this goal by working collaboratively and in cooperation with external private and public partners. This call aims at consolidating PAVIS expertise in the research area of automatic visual inspection in the context of highly efficient industrial applications. The research theme is related to the creation of a system that can inspect material on the textile industry, in particular, yarn control in all its aspects (waste estimation, bale quality control, neps detection, etc.). This likely implies the development of state-of-the-art and novel algorithms for detection, classification and quality control that should work in a highly automated industrial scenario, in the context of Industry 4.0 framework. In particular, we deem that this inspection problem will require the joint study of computer vision algorithms with machine learning approaches, both traditional and deep learning. This project will be carried out in collaboration with a major industrial partner. Candidates for this position should have a Ph.D. in computer vision, pattern recognition or related areas, and research experience and qualification should follow the same lines. Good programming skills in Matlab and C/C++ are also required; knowledge of OpenCV will be considered a plus. Evidence of top quality research on the above-specified areas in the form of published papers in top conferences/journals and/or patents is also mandatory. Experience in funded research or industrial proposals (EU, US, national), and a few years of postdoc experience, either in academia or industrial lab, will also be duly considered. He/she is expected to publish his/her research results in leading international journals and conferences, attend project meetings and writing reports, supervise PhD students and collaborate with other scientists, also with different expertise. Salary will be commensurate with qualification and experience and in line with international standards. Further details and informal inquiries can be made by email to pavis at iit.it quoting PAVIS- BC 75046 as reference number. Please, send your application request to pavis at iit.it quoting PAVIS- BC 75046 in the subject line as reference number. Applications must include: a curriculum listing all publications (possibly including a pdf of your most representative ones) a research statement summarizing your research interests, previous research experience and accomplishments, and outlining its relevance to the above topics the names of 2 referees. This call will remain open and applications will be reviewed until the position is filled, but please apply by March 15, 2018. Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) was established in 2003 and successfully created a large-scale infrastructure in Genova, a network of 10 state-of-the-art laboratories countrywide, recruited an international staff of about 1100 people from more than 50 countries. IIT's research endeavor focuses on high-tech and innovation, representing the forefront of technology with possible applications from medicine to industry, computer science, robotics, life sciences and nanobiotechnologies. In order to comply with Italian law (art. 23 of Privacy Law of the Italian Legislative Decree n. 196/03), the candidate is kindly asked to give his/her consent to allow IIT to process his/her personal data. We inform you that the information you provide will be solely used for the purpose of assessing your professional profile to meet the requirements of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. Your data will be processed by Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, with its headquarters in Genoa, Via Morego 30, acting as the Data Holder, using computer and paper-based means, observing the rules on the protection of personal data, including those relating to the security of data. Please also note that, pursuant to art.7 of Legislative Decree 196/2003, you may exercise your rights at any time as a party concerned by contacting the Data Manager. Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively seeks diversity in the workforce. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From terry at salk.edu Fri Feb 16 11:35:14 2018 From: terry at salk.edu (Terry Sejnowski) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2018 08:35:14 -0800 Subject: Connectionists: NEURAL COMPUTATION - March 12, 2018 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Neural Computation - Volume 30, Number 3 - March 1, 2018 Available online for download now: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/neco/30/3 ----- Article Improving Spiking Dynamical Networks: Accurate Delays, Higher-order Synapses, and Time Cells Aaron R Voelker, Chris Eliasmith Letters Imaging the Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Cognitive Processes at High Temporal Resolution Moshe Abeles, Idan Tal Learning Mid-Level Auditory Codes From Natural Sound Statistics Wiktor Mlynarski, Josh H McDermott Identification of Linear and Nonlinear Sensory Processing Circuits >From Spiking Neuron Data Dorian Florescu, Daniel Coca Indistinguishable Synapses Lead to Sparse Networks Joseph Snider Spiking Neural Classifier with Lumped Dendritic Nonlinearity and Binary Synapses: A Current Mode VLSI Implementation and Analysis Aritra Bhaduri, Amitava Banerjee, Sougata Kar, and Arindam Basu >From Winner-Takes-All to Winners-Share-All: Exploiting the Information Capacity in Temporal Codes Melika Payvand, Luke Theogarajan Quantifying Strength of Chaos in the Population Firing Rate of Neurons Takashi Kanamaru Cross-Domain Metric and Multiple Kernel Learning Based on Information Theory Wei Wang, Hao Wang, Chen Zhang, and Yang Gao ------------ ON-LINE -- http://www.mitpressjournals.org/neuralcomp MIT Press Journals, One Rogers Street, Cambridge, MA 02142-1209 Tel: (617) 253-2889 FAX: (617) 577-1545 journals-cs at mit.edu ------------ From petitot at ehess.fr Sun Feb 18 11:32:07 2018 From: petitot at ehess.fr (Jean Petitot) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2018 17:32:07 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Book Announcement: Elements of Neurogeometry. Message-ID: Apologies for multiple postings. Dear Colleagues, The following book is now available: "Elements of Neurogeometry. Functional architectures of vision" (Springer). This book describes several mathematical models of the primary visual cortex, referring them to a vast ensemble of experimental data and putting forward an original geometrical model for its functional architectures Using concepts as wavelet analysis; contact, symplectic, and sub-Riemannian geometry, it provides a systematic interpretation of a number of important neurophysiological observations in a welldefined mathematical framework. More information (in particular the Table of contents) can be found on the following web pages: http://www.springer.com/fr/book/9783319655895 http://jeanpetitot.com/Petitot_Springer/9783319655895-t1(contents).pdf With my best regards, Jean Petitot -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Donald.Adjeroh at mail.wvu.edu Sun Feb 18 22:49:23 2018 From: Donald.Adjeroh at mail.wvu.edu (Donald Adjeroh) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2018 03:49:23 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: SBP-BRiMS 2018 Grand Interdisciplinary Data-Science and Modeling Challenge. In-Reply-To: References: , <7F764823-1B48-42D3-AE2E-520611D0232D@jhuapl.edu>, , , , , , , , Message-ID: Apologies if you receive multiple copies ... SBP-BRiMS 2018 Grand Interdisciplinary Data-Science and Modeling Challenge. George Washington University,Washington DC, USA (part of the SBP-BRiMS 2018 conference - July 10 ? July 13, 2018) http://sbp-brims.org/2018/ Opioids are a class of drugs that include illegal drugs (heroin), synthetic drug (e.g. fentanyl), and many pain relievers (e.g Vicodin?). These drugs are chemically related and interact with the opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain. The US is facing an opioid crisis. Deaths from opioids are increasing. Opioid abuse is a serious public health issue. Today, overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury deaths in the US. In this year?s SBP-BRiMS challenge problem, we ask participants to consider the issue of Opioid abuse. The broad questions of interest are: * How can we use openly available data design effective intervention strategies? * What are the socio-demographc and spatial predictors of regions where opioid abuse is likely to increase? * What interventions might mitigate the opioid problem? * What populations are most at risk from opioid abuse and where are they? These questions are only intended to give a rough idea of what might be an interesting topic to explore for this challenge problem, and by no means the only questions of interest. All entries must have both a strong social theory, political theory or policy perspective and a strong methodology perspective. Rules ? Participants may work individually or in teams. ? Participants must use the Cincinnati Heroin overdose data - https://insights.cincinnati-oh.gov/stories/s/Heroin/dm3s-ep3u/ ? Participants should address a social science theory or policy relevant issue and should employ one or more methodologies appropriate for the empirical assessment of or forecasting on the basis of big data (e.g., computational algorithms, machine learning, computer simulation, social network analysis, text mining). ? Each participating team may prepare only one entry. ? Entries must represent original work that has not been previously published or submitted to other challenges. ? Each participating team must send at least one member to the SBP-BRiMS 2017 conference to present a poster describing their entry. At least one team member must register and attend the conference. ? Participants are encouraged to use a second data set. This data set must be either publicly available data or the participants must make it publicly available by submitting it along with their challenge paper. ? At the conference, all entries will be judged by the community using a participant voting system. Voting will be done separately for student-led and non student-led projects. ? The individual or group that submits the winning entry will have their full length paper describing their challenge solution published in an SBP-BRiMS special issue of the journal Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory. Guidelines A strong entry generally has one or more of these components: ? Employ multiple data sets. ? Be theory based. ? Include at least one high quality visualization (note that participants will be allowed to display dynamic visualizations via some form of electronic media e.g., by hanging a tablet from the poster. However, please note that tables will not be provided). ? Account for biases in the data across time, space, topics and sources. ? Demonstrates a deep understanding of the problem being addressed. ? Providea a new metric, simulation or algorithm development such as: 1. A new spatial, temporal, or network analytic methodology or algorithm, or a simulation model, that can cope with the vast scale of open source data (e.g.Twitter data) and support answering a key social or policy issue. 2. A new spatial analytic methodology that can better take into account change over time and non-spatial distances (such as co-occurrences and semantic similarity between locations). 3. A new network methodology that better incorporate the diversity of actor and relationship types in the data, spatio-temporal information, or for constructing edges from the data and for distributing actor and edge attributes onto the graph. 4. A novel simulation that that supports reasoning about the spread of fake news or propaganda that uses empirical data to either instantiate the model or to confirm some of the results. ? Generates a new empirical finding that challenges or provides novel support for existing social or political theory, or provides information of policy relevance. Note, the results of computer simulation are viewed as empirical findings. In addition, a strong entry should be well-written and provide some level of creativity in its use of or combination of data. Submitting and Entry What to Submit You need to submit 3 things - An extended abstract, A PDF of your poster, and A powerpoint promotion slide. All three of these will go in the on-line proceedings. Extended Abstract: A 2-page abstract describing the project. This should define: ? What social/policy question was asked or challenge addressed? ? Why is this question important or the challenge critical in the context of fake news and/.or propaganda? ? What data sets were used? ? What is the novel contribution? ? What is the key methodology or methodologies used? ? What is the key policy issue or theory being addressed? 1. Who is the team? Provide names, email and institution. A pdf of the poster. This will be put on line. You are, however, responsible for printing and bringing your own poster to the conference. An easel will be provided, but not posterboard. The poster should be either 4?x3? or 3?x4?. Promotion Slide This is a single powerpoint slide. The purpose of this slide is to excite people to come to your poster. This slide will also be put on line. You will be given one minute to present this slide at the conference to encourage people to come and see your poster. This slide should contain: * Title of project * Names of all team members This slide may contain * Any word or image or idea that you think will promote your poster * Logos for your group, company or organization When to Submit Challenge Response Submission: 14-May-2018 At this point just send the short abstract. Author Notification: 01-June-2018 Final Version Challenge Response Submission: 25-June 2018 At this point send the paper, the slide, and a PDF of the poster. How to Submit All challenge participants will need to submit these items: 1. Short Abstract: Due May 14th, This is a maximum of 6 pages including references and figures. It should address what was done, how it was done, what data was used, and how this met the challenge. 2. One page slide: This is a synopsis slide that will be used in the 1 minute teaser presentation to get people to come to the poster. 3. PDF of the poster that can be viewed online. 4. Final Challenge paper: Due June 25th, This is a maximum of 10 pages including references and figures. These should not have been submitted elsewhere. These will be put on the conference website as part of the online proceedings which is not archival. In addition, the final paper of the winner, runner up, and potentially other final papers, will be published in a special issue of the journal of Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory which is archival. Submission of a challenge entry constitutes willingness to have the final challenge paper published in the venue. 5. Who is the team? Provide names, email and institution. 6. The abstract, slide, and poster that are student-led need to be clearly marked as student-led. To be considered student-led the following conditions must be met: * The project was led by a student enrolled in a university * The project is not coming out of a corporation, government lab, or FFRDC What to present All entries will send at least one team member to SBP-BRiMS 2017 who will be registered for the conference by the <> to present their poster in the evening poster session. The poster will be 4?x3? or 3?x4?. Participants may bring in additional props to enhance their presentation. In addition, the team spokesperson should be ready to present a 1 minute talk using the slide, to encourage people to come to their poster. Each team will also do a short talk that will be video taped and made available describing their approach and solution. Finally, the winning entry will give a short talk on the last day of the conference. How entries will be judged Entries will be judged by community voting at the poster session. Who is eligible Anyone with an interest in using this data to address a social or policy issue. Entries are accepted from single individuals or teams. Winning Entry The final paper for the winning entry will be published in the journal Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory ? in the SBP-BRiMS 2018 special issue. A member of the team that developed the winning entry will do a short presentation on the final day of the conference describing the response. Data Sets We invite participants to explore the online repository for heroin overdoses in Cincinnati Ohio. The data is at https://insights.cincinnati-oh.gov/stories/s/Heroin/dm3s-ep3u/. This data is comprised of the Cincinnati Fire Department responses to reported heroin overdose incidents, and does not include patient information or medical outcome data. It is continually updated, so you will need to state when the data was pulled. Geo-spatial information is provided. Challenge Committee Kathleen M. Carley Ayaz Hyder Submit Questions Regarding Challenge All questions and concerns can be sent to sbp-brims at andrew.cmu.edu Some useful references: Compton, Wilson M., and Nora D. Volkow. "Major increases in opioid analgesic abuse in the United States: concerns and strategies." Drug & Alcohol Dependence 81, no. 2 (2006): 103-107. Rudd, Rose A., Noah Aleshire, Jon E. Zibbell, and R. Matthew Gladden. "Increases in drug and opioid overdose deaths?United States, 2000?2014." American Journal of Transplantation 16, no. 4 (2016): 1323-1327. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Jakob.Macke at caesar.de Mon Feb 19 03:31:28 2018 From: Jakob.Macke at caesar.de (Jakob Macke) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2018 08:31:28 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: CAJAL COURSE IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE 2018 Message-ID: <019ACCDE-0BF1-40E5-9D71-53FEFAA2B714@caesar.de> CAJAL COURSE IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE 12 August - 1 September 2018, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal http://www.cccn.pt Applications deadline: 19 March 2018 (midnight, CET time) DIRECTORS ? Joe Paton (Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal) ? Jakob Macke (TU Darmstadt & Research Center Caesar Bonn, Germany) ? Christian Machens (Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal) Computational Neuroscience is a rapidly evolving field whose methods and techniques are critical for understanding and modelling the brain, and also for designing and interpreting experiments. Mathematical modeling is an essential tool to cut through the vast complexity of neurobiological systems and their many interacting elements. This three-weeks school teaches the central ideas, methods, and practice of modern computational neuroscience through a combination of lectures and hands-on project work. Each morning is devoted to lectures given by distinguished international faculty on topics across the breadth of experimental and computational neuroscience. During the rest of the day, students work on research projects in teams of 2-3 people under the close supervision of expert tutors and faculty. Research projects will be proposed by faculty before the course, and will include the modeling of neurons, neural systems, and behavior, the analysis of state-of-the-art neural data (behavioral data, multi-electrode recordings, calcium imaging data, connectomics data, etc.), and the development of theories to explain experimental observations. The course is designed for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from a variety of disciplines, including neuroscience, physics, electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics and psychology. Students are expected to have a keen interest and basic background in neurobiology, a solid foundation in mathematics, as well as some computer experience. A four-day pre-school in mathematics and programming is offered for students that want to catch up on their math and programming skills. A maximum of 24 students will be accepted. Students of any nationality can apply. We specifically encourage applications from researchers who work in the developing world. Stipends are available. More information on the course website, http://www.cccn.pt Apply here: http://www.fens.org/Training/CAJAL-programme/CAJAL-courses-2018/CCCN-2018/Application-Form/ Contact address: Simone Zacarias, simone.zacarias at research.fchampalimaud.org Confirmed faculty: Kevin Briggman, Research Center Caesar, Bonn, Germany Megan Carey, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal Claudia Clopath, Imperial College London, UK Sophie Deneve, ENS Paris, France Rainer Engelken, Columbia University, US Julijana Gjorgjieva, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Germany Michael H?usser, Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, UK Andreas Herz, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Germany Simon Laughlin, University of Cambridge, UK Gilles Laurent, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Germany M?t? Lengyel, University of Cambridge, UK Jennifer Linden, UCL Ear Institute, UK Elliot Ludvig, Warwick University, UK Anthony Movshon, New York University, USA Maneesh Sahani, Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL, UK Cristina Savin, New York University, USA Jeffrey Taube, Dartmouth College, USA Eero Simoncelli, New York University, USA Tim Vogels, Oxford University, UK Byron Yu, Carnegie Mellon University, USA more to be confirmed! Jakob Macke www.mackelab.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From yiyin at ee.columbia.edu Mon Feb 19 11:07:49 2018 From: yiyin at ee.columbia.edu (Yiyin Zhou) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2018 11:07:49 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon 2018 Message-ID: Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon 2018 FFBH 2018 March 14, 2018Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 We are pleased to announce the 3rd Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon (FFBH 2018). This hackathon will be focused on open neurophysiology data (electrophysiology, imaging, etc.) of, but not limited to, the fruit fly brain. The hackathon will be focused on the following topics: 1. Promoting *Neurodata Without Board* (NWB) as a standard format for storing and sharing neurophysiology data in general, and extend it to standardize the storage and distribution of fruit fly brain electrophysiology and calcium imaging data, 2. *Queryable* neurophysiology data: organizing neurophysiology data and metadata in a database to make them easily queryable, and developing comprehensive querying tools accordingly, 3. Incorporating queried neurophysiology data into computational study. The goals are to: 1. create a common language for sharing open neurophysiology data, 2. speed up pattern search in the data that can often be tedious and inefficient to do manually, 3. drive the creation of computational models and the validation of them using open data. The hackathon is aimed at three main groups of participants: neurobiologists, modelers and software engineers. We welcome researchers working on the fruit fly brain as well as those working on other model organisms to participate and broaden the discussion in the hackathon. The Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon 2018 is organized in conjunction with the Columbia Workshop on Brain Circuit, Memory and Computation on March 15-16, 2018. Participants of the hackathon are welcome to attend the workshop. Registration is free but all participants have to register (*https://ffbh2018.eventbrite.com/ *). Organizers: Adam Tomkins, Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, University of Sheffield Nikul Ukani, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University Chung-Heng Yeh, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University Yiyin Zhou, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University More information can be found on the hackathon website: http://fruitflybrain.org/hackathons ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------ Best Regards, Yiyin Zhou, on behalf of the organizers -- Yiyin Zhou Postdoctoral Research Scientist Bionet Group: www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu Department of Electrical Engineering Columbia University -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From petzschner at biomed.ee.ethz.ch Mon Feb 19 13:44:22 2018 From: petzschner at biomed.ee.ethz.ch (Petzschner Frederike) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2018 18:44:22 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: International Computational Psychiatry Course in Zurich References: <8731E78C-7930-497A-8F5E-6C72CDFA7AF2@biomed.ee.ethz.ch> Message-ID: <20F417F3-ECBE-46F3-8E37-62101475F8C3@biomed.ee.ethz.ch> [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/88baa34a20b71f6c68e5a0adc/images/b91f568d-436f-477a-8851-5286aca6938d.png] It is our pleasure to announce the 4th international Computational Psychiatry Course organized by the Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU) at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich. The CPC2018 will take place from 10-14 September 2018 in Zurich. Register here ABOUT This course is designed to provide students across fields (neuroscience, psychiatry, physics, biology, psychology....) with the necessary toolkit to master challenges in computational psychiatry research. The CPC is meant to be practically useful for students at all levels (MDs, Master, PhD, Postdoc, PI) coming from diverse backgrounds (neuroscience, psychology, medicine, engineering, physics, etc.), who would like to apply modeling techniques to study learning, decision-making or brain physiology in patients with psychiatric disorders. The course will teach not only the theory of computational modeling, but also demonstrate software in application to example data sets. We strongly believe in open source and open science, therefore, the content of the course will be made freely accessible on the web. You can find detailed information on our website or follow us on twitter or facebook. STRUCTURE The course will consist of five parts: The first day covers topics in Clinical Psychiatry providing a conceptual basis for the type of questions that Computational Psychiatry will need to address, including an open panel discussions led by scientists with a clinical background in Psychiatry. The second day explains basic modelling principles, Bayesian Inference (Bayesian Models of Perception, Bayesian Hierarchical Learning, Predictive Coding), Machine Learning & the Drift-Diffusion Model The third day includes models of planning and decision making (MDPs, POMDPs, Reinforcement Learning, Active Inference), Biophysical Models (DCMs) and more advanced model inversion techniques (model selection, model averaging, MCMC, Variational Bayes) The fourth day features a series of talks by leading scientists on the applications of Computational Psychiatry, including a panel discussion on the future of Computational Psychiatry. The fifth day is optional and includes hands-on practical programming sessions for a subset of the presented models (IMPORTANT NOTICE: Seats for the practical sessions need to be booked separately and are limited!!!) * Practical Session A: Bayesian Learning using the Hierarchical Gaussian Filter * Practical Session B: Active inference using the Active Inference Toolbox * Practical Session C: Model Inversion using the Variational Bayes Toolbox * Practical Session D: Reinforcement Learning using the hBayesDM Package SPEAKERS David Redish, University of Minnesota, USA Read Montague, Virginia Tech, USA Rick Adams, UCL, London Klaas Enno Stephan, University of Zurich & ETH, Zurich Marcus Herdener, UZH, Zurich Dominik Bach, University of Zurich, Zurich Martin Paulus, Laureate Institute, Tulsa, USA Helene Haker, University of Zurich & ETH, Zurich Frederike Petzschner, University of Zurich & ETH, Zurich Lilian Weber, University of Zurich & ETH, Zurich Christoph Mathys, SISSA, Trieste Rafael Polania, ETH, Zurich Lionel Rigoux, MPI, Cologne Woo-Young Ahn, Seoul National University Philipp Schwartenbeck, UCL & Oxford University Jakob Heinzle, University of Zurich & ETH, Zurich Dario Sch?bi, University of Zurich & ETH, Zurich Andreea Diaconescu, University of Basel, Basel Adam Checkroud, Spring Health, New York Jean Daunizeau, Brain and Spine Institute, ICM, Paris Tore Erdmann, SISSA, Trieste Stefan Fr?ssle, University of Zurich & ETH, Zurich ... and more ORGANIZERS [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/88baa34a20b71f6c68e5a0adc/images/6df83000-5061-468f-a447-2b8182cf7865.png] Translational Neuromodeling Unit University & ETH Zurich Klaas Enno Stephan Frederike Petzschner Administration: Heidi Brunner Contact: Nicole Zahnd & Gina Paolini [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/88baa34a20b71f6c68e5a0adc/_compresseds/c547a61f-5da0-42c9-a49d-bbf96909d9b2.jpg] [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/88baa34a20b71f6c68e5a0adc/_compresseds/8d237ca0-e414-49d6-97e8-adba70fa7432.jpg] [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/88baa34a20b71f6c68e5a0adc/images/e23a665f-acd4-4b47-bbc9-a8d23f641533.jpg] [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/88baa34a20b71f6c68e5a0adc/images/f1fe6197-5f93-4a2e-9c45-78c9c96fcddf.jpg] [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/88baa34a20b71f6c68e5a0adc/images/86238fb7-372f-44a1-b728-b48dcb624953.jpg] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From graduateprograms at bccn-berlin.de Mon Feb 19 07:56:44 2018 From: graduateprograms at bccn-berlin.de (Robert Martin) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2018 13:56:44 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: *Graduate Programs in Computational Neuroscience* in Berlin; MSc and PhD; deadline March 15, 2018 Message-ID: <28161d9a-02b1-d9b3-d1f1-ed388a530c34@bccn-berlin.de> [Apologies for cross-posting] *Doctoral* and *Master Program* "Computational Neuroscience" at the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin in Berlin, Germany Application deadline: *March 15, 2018* Begin of courses: Sept/Oct 2018 Internet: www.computational-neuroscience-berlin.de _Doctoral Program_ The Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin (BCCN Berlin, https://www.bccn-berlin.de/) and the Research Training Group "Sensory Computation in Neural Systems" (GRK 1589/2, https://www.eecs.tu-berlin.de/grk_15891/) invite applications for their PhD program. The BCCN Berlin is a leading research center dedicated to the theoretical study of neural processing and the *scientific program* of the research training group combines techniques and concepts from machine learning, computational neuroscience, and systems neurobiology in order to specifically address sensory computation. Doctoral candidates will work on interdisciplinary projects investigating the mechanisms of neural computation, address the processes underlying perception on different scales and different levels of abstraction, and develop new theories of computation hand in hand with well-controlled experiments in order to put functional hypotheses to the test. The training group offers structured supervision complemented by a teaching and training program. Each student will be supervised by two investigators with complementary expertise and will be associated with the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin. The BCCN comprises a wide range of PIs to supervise PhDs. See https://www.bccn-berlin.de/People/Principal+Investigators/ for a list of members. Labs looking to fill positions include (but are not restricted to) - *Benjamin Blankertz* http://www.neuro.tu-berlin.de/neuro/menue/neurotechnologie/ - *Richard Kempter* https://itb.biologie.hu-berlin.de/~kempter/Group/index.html - *Jens Kremkow* http://www.kremkowlab.com/ - *Benjamin Lindner* http://people.physik.hu-berlin.de/%7Eneurophys/index.html - *Klaus Obermayer* http://www.ni.tu-berlin.de/menue/neural_information_processing_group/ - *Petra Ritter* https://neurologie.charite.de/forschung/arbeitsgruppen/brainmodes_group_petra_ritter/ - *Martin Rolfs* http://www.rolfslab.de/ - *Henning Sprekeler* http://www.cognition.tu-berlin.de/menue/modelling_of_cognitive_processes/ - *Henrik Walter* https://mindandbrain.charite.de/ Candidates are expected to hold a Masters degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject (e.g., neuroscience, cognitive science, computer science, physics, mathematics, etc.) and have the required advanced mathematical background. _Master's Program_ The tuition-free Master program in Computational Neuroscience offers *15 places* per year, has a duration of 2 years and is fully taught in English. The *curriculum* is subdivided into ten modules, whose content includes theoretical neuroscience, programming, machine learning, cognitive neuroscience, acquisition, modelling, and computational analysis of neural data, with a strong focus on a complementary theoretical and experimental training. Three lab rotations and a Master's thesis are accomplished in the second year. The aim of the program is to provide the students with an interdisciplinary education and an early contact to the neurocomputational research environment. *Requirements* BSc or equivalent degree in a relevant subject (typically in the natural sciences, in an engineering discipline, in cognitive science, or in mathematics), certificate of English proficiency, proof of sufficient mathematical knowledge (at least 24 ECTS credit points). ~~~ _For more information_ ... ... come and visit us at the BCCN Berlin: https://www.bccn-berlin.de/Home/Contact/How_to_reach/ ... or browse: www.computational-neuroscience-berlin.de ... or e-mail: graduateprograms at bccn-berlin.de . Best regards, Robert Martin -- Robert Martin, PhD Teaching Coordinator Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin Philippstr. 13 House 6; 10115 Berlin; Germany Phone/Fax +49 (0)30 2093 6773/6771 http://www.computational-neuroscience-berlin.de GRK 1589/1, Sensory Computation in Neural Systems Technische Universitaet Berlin Sekretariat MAR 5-6; Marchstr. 23; 10587 Berlin Phone/Fax +49 (0)30 314 72006/73121 http://www.eecs.tu-berlin.de/grk_15891/ From aeck at oberlin.edu Tue Feb 20 08:31:51 2018 From: aeck at oberlin.edu (Adam Eck) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2018 08:31:51 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: CFP: BigSurv18 (Big Data, Data Science, and Survey Science) [deadline 2/28] Message-ID: <62D4C99D-F8F8-4097-AE73-6953495F46CB@oberlin.edu> ##################################################### CALL FOR PAPERS: BigSurv18 The International Conference on Big Data Meets Survey Science October 25-27, 2018 Barcelona, Spain https://www.bigsurv18.org/ Submission Deadline: February 28, 2018 ##################################################### Explore new statistical frontiers at the intersection of survey science and big data! Friendly one week reminder: submission deadline is February 28, 2018. Apologies for cross-posting! +++++++++++++++++ Aim and Scope +++++++++++++++++ Attention Computer Scientists, Data Scientists, and Survey Scientists, The first international conference on Big Data Meets Survey Science (BigSurv18) is currently accepting abstracts for presentation at the conference on the theme ?Exploring New Statistical Frontiers at the Intersection of Survey Science and Big Data.? BigSurv18 will be held October 25?27, 2018, at the Research and Expertise Centre for Survey Methodology at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain. The conference offers an opportunity to address the ongoing paradigm shift in how researchers produce, analyze, and use statistics. The event, hosted by the European Survey Research Association (ESRA), is intended to foster communication, collaboration, and understanding between two groups: (1) computer and data scientists focusing on emerging Big Data sources and analysis techniques and (2) methodologists and researchers working on traditional sources of data collection and statistical analyses, By combining efforts, we can identify and overcome academic divides and make unified survey and ?Big Survey Data? population inference a reality. We invite presenters from the various disciplines and around the world to submit an abstract for presentation at the conference. In addition, to accommodate differences in publication objectives and cultures across the disciplines, papers will be eligible for consideration in one of two publication outlets: A. A peer-reviewed special issue of Social Science Computer Review shortly following the conference. B. An edited conference volume to be published by John Wiley & Sons in 2019. In your submission, please indicate (1) if you would like your paper to be considered for publication and (2) state your preferred publication outlet. We will do our best to accommodate your request. When we notify you about whether your abstract was accepted, we will also let you know if you are under further consideration for one of these two publication venues. ++++++++++++++++++ Topics of Interest ++++++++++++++++++ To be considered for the conference, presentations and papers should be broad and forward-looking; they may be original research or syntheses of the state of the art. The following are examples of topics that are of particular interest: - Using Big Data sources?such as data from social networks, traditional business systems, and the Internet of Things?in statistics production - Measuring new phenomena in society using Big Data - Discussing methods for combining Big Data with traditional data sources - Using data mining and machine learning methods to develop and understand population statistics - Methods within machine learning for modelling human behaviors - Assessing new data processing and analytical tools for Big Data - Implementing data visualization methods for Big Data - Designing of interfaces, virtual agents, and computational systems for interactive data collection - Distributed infrastructures of data collection - ?Total Statistical Uncertainty? frameworks for estimates derived from nonprobability datasets - Defining and describing data quality in a Big Data environment - Discussing methods to deal with threats to representativeness, including methods for mitigating coverage issues - Methods for dealing with variable specification inconsistencies across datasets - Methods for repairing or mitigating missing data and data sparseness - Addressing issues in population modelling and inference - Inferential paradigms in Big Data applications - Using Big Data in various ways for sampling frame development and other sampling applications - Exploratory data analysis with Big Data - Incorporating Big Data in a Bayesian framework - Methods for --- selecting relevant data streams; --- ensuring reproducibility, traceability, and provenance; --- using Big Data to reduce, control, and evaluate total survey error; and --- evaluating quality in Big Data applications. - Handling confidentiality and privacy - Addressing legal and proprietary issues, as well as ethical concerns and the concept of harm ++++++++++++++++ Submissions ++++++++++++++++ Please submit your abstract (500 words or fewer) to https://www.bigsurv18.org/conference by February 28, 2018. Your submission should include the title of the paper, all co-authors and their affiliations, and e-mail address of the lead author. In addition, please remember to indicate your publication preference. The author of each accepted paper will present it at the conference. Presenters accepted for the edited conference volume must submit a complete version of the paper by the end of 2018. Presenters accepted for consideration in the special issue must submit a complete version of the paper for peer-review by the end of July 2018. A formal paper will not be required of presenters who do not wish to publish in either outlet. Current graduate students or recent graduates (2017 or 2018 only) are encouraged to apply for the student paper award. The authors of the two winning papers receive a Euro 150 award and a travel stipend of Euro 1,400 if traveling from outside of Europe and Euro 800 if traveling from within Europe. For details please visit https://www.bigsurv18.org/abstracts We also are interested in supporting early career scholars (graduate students or graduation date in 2017 or 2018) from all parts of the world and have established a travel award fund for this purpose. These travel awards include a travel stipend of Euro 1,400 if traveling from outside of Europe and Euro 800 if traveling from within Europe. Early career scholars from underrepresented regions are especially encouraged to apply. For details, please visit https://www.bigsurv18.org/abstracts Questions about BigSurv18 can be directed to Antje Kirchner (akirchner at rti.org ) or Craig Hill (chill at rti.org ). Conference Scientific Committee Dr. Craig Hill (Chair, editorial committee): Senior Vice President, Survey, Computing, and Statistical Sciences, RTI International, USA Dr. Antje Kirchner (Chair, organizing committee): Research Survey Methodologist, RTI International; Adjunct Research Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska?Lincoln, USA Dr. Paul Biemer: Distinguished Fellow, RTI International; Associate Director for Survey Research, Odum Institute for Research in Social Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA Dr. Trent Buskirk: Director, Center for Survey Research, and Professor, Department of Management Science and Information Systems, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA Dr. Mario Callegaro: Senior Survey Research Scientist, Ads, Payment and User eXperience (APUX), Google London, UK Dr. Ana Luc?a C?rdova Cazar: Assistant Professor, Political Science and International Relations, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador; Adjunct Research Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska?Lincoln, USA Dr. Adam Eck: Assistant Professor, Computer Science, Oberlin College, USA Dr. Lilli Japec: Senior Scientific Advisor, Statistics Sweden, Sweden Dr. Stas Kolenikov: Senior Scientist, Abt Associates, USA Dr. Lars Lyberg: Inizio, Sweden Dr. Patrick Sturgis: Professor of Research Methodology, Department of Social Statistics and Demography, and Director of National Centre for Research Methods, University of Southampton, UK -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pierre-yves.oudeyer at inria.fr Tue Feb 20 08:59:24 2018 From: pierre-yves.oudeyer at inria.fr (Pierre-Yves Oudeyer) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2018 14:59:24 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: [Call for postdoc application] Automated discovery of physico-chemical structures with intrinsically motivated deep learning algorithms Message-ID: Call for postdoc application: Automated discovery of physico-chemical structures with intrinsically motivated deep learning algorithms Project Team Inria: Flowers, Inria Bordeaux, https://flowers.inria.fr Contact: Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, pierre-yves.oudeyer at inria.fr Deadline for applying: 19th april 2018 How to apply: send email to PY Oudeyer and post application to https://jobs.inria.fr/public/classic/fr/offres/2018-00413 Duration: 16 months Scientific context: Intrinsically motivated goal exploration algorithms enable machines to discover repertoires of action policies that produce a diversity of effects in complex environments. In robotics, these exploration algorithms have been shown to allow real world robots to acquire skills such as tool use in high-dimensional continuous state and action spaces (e.g. Baranes and Oudeyer, 2013; Forestier et al., 2017). An example is the Poppy/Explauto experiment with a humanoid robot learning to use tools in a few hours, which obtained the 2nd position in the demonstration competition at NIPS 2016 (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOLAwD4ZTW0 , Forestier et al., 2016). In other domains such as chemistry and physics, they open the possibility to automate the discovery of novel chemical or physical structures produced by complex dynamical systems (e.g. Grizou, Points et al., 2017) However, they have so far assumed that self-generated goals are sampled in a specifically engineered feature space, limiting their autonomy. Recent work has shown how unsupervised deep learning approaches could be used to learn goal space representations (e.g. P?r? et al., 2018), but they have focused on goals represented as static target configurations of the environment in robotics sensorimotor spaces. In this project, we will study how these new families of machine learning algorithms can be extended and used for automated discovery of behaviours of dynamical systems in physics/chemistry, through exploration of their parameter space, and when these behaviours are perceived through raw sensors (e.g. pixels of images). Web site of Flowers Lab: https://flowers.inria.fr Post-doctoral researcher work description The work will begin by a familiarization with algorithms for intrinsically motivated exploration with unsupervised learning of goal spaces developed in the team. Then, a few interesting numerical/simulation models of physical/chemical phenomena, associated to rich behavioral patterns (such as Turing-like reaction-diffusion models or oil droplet models), will be selected as a basis for developing and experimenting updates of existing exploration and learning algorithms. These algorithmic updates will focus in particular on the use of recurrent neural networks to learn goal spaces that can encode dynamical phenomena. Several algorithmic implementations will be compared, e.g. using several techniques for encoding times series as goal spaces, and compared using various information theoretic measures of the diversity of discovered behaviours in the target dynamical systems. It will be also possible to test these algorithmic updates in more traditional (simulated) sensorimotor learning problems, using standard benchmarks of the literature (e.g. Open Gym environments or Minecraft/Malmo). Experiments will possibly extend the DeepExplauto open-source library developed in the team, as well as standard Deep Learning libraries for the algorithms. Required knowledge and background: Candidates should have a strong expertise in at least one of these areas: - Experience with Deep Learning algorithms (theory and practical implementations) - Stochastic optimization, black-box optimization - Intrinsically motivated exploration algorithms Knowledge and competence in physics/chemical modelling would be welcome. Other requirements: - strong skills in mathematics, statistical inference, machine learning - Advanced programming skills in script languages like python - Motivation to work in an interdisciplinary project References : Baranes, A., & Oudeyer, P. Y. (2013). Active learning of inverse models with intrinsically motivated goal exploration in robots. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 61(1), 49-73. Forestier, S., Mollard, Y., Caselli, D., & Oudeyer, P. Y. (2016). Autonomous exploration, active learning and human guidance with open-source Poppy humanoid robot platform and Explauto library. In The Thirtieth Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS 2016). Grizou, J., Point, L. and the Cronin lab (2017) Tutorial on ?Developmental robotics in a chemistry lab ?, https://croningp.github.io/tutorial_icdl_epirob_2017/. P?r?, A., Forestier, S., Oudeyer, P-Y. (2018) Unsupervised learning of goal spaces for intrinsically motivated goal exploration, in proceedings of ICLR 2018. Points, L. J., Taylor, J. W., Grizou, J., Donkers, K., & Cronin, L. (2018). Artificial intelligence exploration of unstable protocells leads to predictable properties and discovery of collective behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201711089. LeCun, Y., Bengio, Y., & Hinton, G. (2015). Deep learning. Nature, 521(7553), 436-444. Keywords: deep learning; intrinsically motivated exploration; unsupervised learning; automated discovery; complex systems; dynamical systems Pierre-Yves Oudeyer Research director, Flowers lab Inria and Ensta ParisTech, France http://www.pyoudeyer.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From j.v.stone at sheffield.ac.uk Tue Feb 20 09:45:47 2018 From: j.v.stone at sheffield.ac.uk (James V Stone) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2018 14:45:47 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Information Theory Tutorial Message-ID: <889d7dbf-c375-9034-b73e-46598a2e38be@sheffield.ac.uk> For those interested in a gentle introduction to information theory, please see: Information Theory: A Tutorial Introduction by James V Stone Abstract Shannon's mathematical theory of communication defines fundamental limits on how much information can be transmitted between the different components of any man-made or biological system. This paper is an informal but rigorous introduction to the main ideas implicit in Shannon's theory. An annotated reading list is provided for further reading. A pdf file of the article can be downloaded from the Cornell University Library archive: https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.05968 Comments and corrections welcome. regards, James V Stone -- Dr James V Stone Honorary Reader, Sheffield University, UK. http://jim-stone.staff.shef.ac.uk/BookBayes2012/books_by_jv_stone/index.html From demian.battaglia at univ-amu.fr Tue Feb 20 15:46:25 2018 From: demian.battaglia at univ-amu.fr (Demian Battaglia) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2018 21:46:25 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: PhD Opening - TEMPORAL NETWORKS: FROM NETWORK THEORY TO BRAIN SCIENCE AND NEUROLOGY Message-ID: <20462630-EB17-4A4A-B54F-96FCBFFC3C74@univ-amu.fr> We are seeking for excellent and motivated candidates for a PhD project based at Aix-Marseille University (AMU, southern France) focusing on: TEMPORAL NETWORKS: FROM NETWORK THEORY TO BRAIN SCIENCE AND NEUROLOGY The student will be jointly directed by Alain Barrat (AMU, Center for Theoretical Physics) and Demian Battaglia (AMU, Institute for Systems Neuroscience). The project, with a strong interdisciplinary component, aims at developing new techniques for the extraction and analysis of time-dependent networks of functional connectivity, based on time-series of neural activity, and, in particular, of human intracranial recordings during resting state, task conditions and stimulation. Mean-field whole brain models may also be used to explore the link between Functional Connectivity Dynamics and the underlying collective thalamocortical dynamics. Any application must be formally submitted on a devoted Web Portal: https://doc2amu.univ-amu.fr/en/temporal-networks-from-network-theory-to-brain-science-and-neurology DEADLINE: April 9th, 2018 at 23:59 (Paris Time) The selection will occur through a TWO-STEPS EVALUATION, involving a first pre-selection (2 May 2018) and then a competitive oral examination of the retained applicants (31 May - 1 June 2018). ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: - You must be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of your research career (career breaks excluded) - You must be at the time of recruitment, in possession/or finalizing the master degree or equivalent - You must be available to engage in the programme at the starting date (October 1st, 2018) - At the time of recruitment, not to have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the reference date (October 1st, 2018) The fellowship of the successful PhD candidate will be co-funded by the prestigious Marie Sk?odowska-Curie COFUND action within the H2020 Research and Innovation programme of the European Union. Within this programme, the PhD fellows will sign a three-year work contract with numerous advantages: - PhD fellowships above that of a standard French PhD contract (approximately 1625?/month net) - A 500? travel allowance per year for the fellows to travel between Marseille and their place of origin. - Approx 10?000 ? financial support for international research training, conferences and research costs - Tailored training and personalised mentoring within the excellence graduate schools of Aix-Marseille University (NEUROSCHOOL in Neuroscience and CENTURI in Physics of complex living systems) Doctoral fellows will also benefit from support in the administrative procedures, reserved rooms in university housing, several activities to promote integration in the local student life and cultural activities, French language courses covered by the fellowship, etc. For any inquiry feel free to contact us: Demian Battaglia (demian.battaglia at univ-amu.fr ) Alain Barrat (alain.barrat at cpt.univ-mrs.fr ) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From amir.aly at em.ci.ritsumei.ac.jp Wed Feb 21 01:07:30 2018 From: amir.aly at em.ci.ritsumei.ac.jp (Amir Aly) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2018 15:07:30 +0900 Subject: Connectionists: CFP- ACM-THRI Special Issue on Representation Learning for Human and Robot Cognition Message-ID: *ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction (T-HRI) * CALL FOR PAPERS **Apologies for cross posting ** We are happy to call for papers for the journal special issue: *"Representation Learning for Human and Robot Cognition"* *Webpage: **https://thri.acm.org/CFP-RLHRC.cfm * *I. Aim and Scope *Intelligent robots are rapidly moving to the center of human environment; they collaborate with human users in different applications that require high-level cognitive functions so as to allow them to understand and learn from human behavior within different Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) contexts. To this end, a stubborn challenge that attracts much attention in artificial intelligence is representation learning, which refers to learning representations of data so as to efficiently extract relevant features for probabilistic, nonprobabilistic, or connectionist classifiers. This active area of research spans different fields and applications including speech recognition, object recognition, emotion recognition, natural language processing, language emergence and development, in addition to mirroring different human cognitive processes through appropriate computational modeling. Learning constitutes a basic operation in the human cognitive system and developmental process, where perceptual information enhances the ability of the sensory system to respond to external stimuli through interaction with the environment. This learning process depends on the optimality of features (representations of data), which allows humans to make sense of everything they feel, hear, touch, and see in the environment. Using intelligent robots could open the door to shed light on the underlying mechanisms of representation learning and its associated cognitive processes so as to take a closer step towards making robots able to better collaborate with human users in space. This special issue aims to shed light on cutting edge lines of interdisciplinary research in artificial intelligence, cognitive science, neuroscience, cognitive robotics, and human-robot interaction, focusing on representation learning with the objective of creating natural and intelligent interaction between humans and robots. Recent advances and future research lines in representation learning will be discussed in detail in this journal special issue. *II. Potential Topics* Topics relevant to this special issue include, but are not limited to: - Language learning, embodiment, and social intelligence - Human symbol system and symbol emergence in robotics - Computational modeling for high-level human cognitive functions - Predictive learning from sensorimotor information - Multimodal interaction and concept formulation - Language and action development - Learning, reasoning, and adaptation in collaborative human-robot tasks - Affordance learning - Cross-situational learning - Learning by demonstration and imitation - Language and grammar induction in robots *III. Submission* ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, open-access journal using an online submission and manuscript tracking system. To submit your paper, please: - Go to https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/thri and login or follow the "Create an account" link to register. - After logging in, click the "Author" tab. - Follow the instructions to "Start New Submission". - Choose the submission category ?*SI: Representation Learning for Human and Robot Cognition*?. *IV. Timline* - Deadline for paper submission: July 1, 2018 - First notification for authors: September 15, 2018 - Deadline for revised papers submission: November 15, 2018 - Final notification for authors: January 15, 2019 - Deadline for submission of camera-ready manuscripts: March 1, 2019 - Expected publication date: May 2019 *V. Guest editors* Takato Horii, The University of Electro-Communications, Japan ( takato at uec.ac.jp). Dr. Amir Aly, Ritsumeikan University, Japan (amir.aly at em.ci.ritsumei.ac.jp). Dr. Yukie Nagai, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan (yukie at nict.go.jp). Prof. Takayuki Nagai, The University of Electro-Communications, Japan ( nagai at ee.uet.at.jp). --------- *Amir Aly, Ph.D.* Senior Researcher Emergent Systems Laboratory College of Information Science and Engineering Ritsumeikan University 1-1-1 Noji Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 Japan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From a.stein at fz-juelich.de Wed Feb 21 04:45:59 2018 From: a.stein at fz-juelich.de (Alexandra Stein) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2018 10:45:59 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Valentino Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience - Call for Nominations Message-ID: <97a07935-8622-a35f-0447-c2dc62daeb5a@fz-juelich.de> Dear Colleagues, The Bernstein Association for Computational Neuroscience invites nominations for the Valentino Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience. The Bernstein Association for Computational Neuroscience presents the award biennially to a scientist in recognition of outstanding research that contributes to the understanding of the functioning of the brain. The major criterion for the award is the impact or potential impact of the recipient's research on the field of brain science. In the spirit of Valentino Braitenberg's own research, special emphasis is given to theoretical studies elucidating the functional implications of brain structures and their neuronal network dynamics. The awardee receives ?5.000 prize money, donated by the Autonome Provinz Bozen S?dtirol, as well as an invitation to the Bernstein Conference 2018 (including registration fee, travel- and accommodation expenses). The award will be presented together with a Golden Neuron pin in a special award ceremony at the Bernstein Conference, followed by a lecture of the Braitenberg Awardee. Nominations may be submitted by scientists working in the field of computational neuroscience and should include the following documents: - One-page laudation, in which the scientific work of the candidate is honored with regard to the award criteria - CV and list of publications Deadline for nominations is April 30, 2018 by email to a.stein at fz-juelich.de Please note that self-nominations are not permitted. The call for nominations can be found under the following URL: www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/braitenberg_award For inquiries please contact a.stein at fz-juelich.de. Best regards, Alexandra Stein -- Dr. Alexandra Stein Head of Bernstein Coordination Site Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum J?lich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9583 mobile: (+49) 0151 67114645 mail: a.stein at fz-juelich.de web: www.bernstein-network.de Twitter: NNCN_Germany YouTube: Bernstein TV Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From eric.postma at gmail.com Wed Feb 21 06:37:50 2018 From: eric.postma at gmail.com (Eric Postma) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2018 12:37:50 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Full professor 'Simulation' (women only) Cognitive Science/AI Message-ID: *Full professor ?Simulation?* The Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences seeks to appoint a full professor ?Simulation?, with the Department of Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence. As a position created in the context of the Philip Eijlander Diversity Program, the full professorship is open to women only. *?Simulation?* The successful candidate is engaged in research and education on simulations and models in different domains and for different applications, which may include one or more of the following fields: ? Social simulations, i.e., simulations of social networks and social interactions to gain new insights in how individuals and groups behave, interact, and come to decisions; ? Training simulations, i.e., simulations used by industries and governmental institutes to train and educate people, including the use of virtual and augmented reality and computer games; ? Process simulations, i.e., model-based representations of biological and mental processes, to gain insights into behavior, to construct imitations of behaviors in software and robots, and to investigate interaction between people in, for instance, the healthcare domain; The department is strongly involved in the Mind Labs initiative at the Spoorzone of Tilburg (www.mind-labs.eu), the DAF Technology Lab for virtual and mixed reality ( https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/campus/experiencing-virtual-reality), and the Jheronimus Academy of Data Science (JADS) in Den Bosch (www.jads.nl). The successful candidate should have affinity with cognitive science and/or artificial intelligence. The candidate is expected to collaborate with industrial partners on projects, and participate in at least one of the labs of Mind Labs. Involvement with the DAF Technology Lab and/or JADS is also possible and encouraged. The candidate will teach in the Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence bachelor and master program, and/or the Data Science in Society master program. Through her research, the candidate will participate in ?Creating Value from Data?, one of the research and impact themes of Tilburg University. The specific name of the position can be adjusted, depending on the expertise and preferences of the candidate to be appointed. *The candidate* >From a successful candidate we expect: - A doctorate and substantial experience and outstanding performance in university education and research, shown by CV, teaching evaluations and relevant publications; - Ideas on education and on research relevant to the Department of Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence; - Experience in supervision of undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students; - Experience with grant applications, and preferably also successes in this area; - Ability to be a coach and role model for -in particular- female students and scholars. - Experience in collegial cooperation and academic management within the work environment and in national and international networks. *The Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences* The motto of Tilburg University is ?Understanding Society?. The university has schools for economics and management, social and behavioral sciences, law, humanities, and theology and has tight collaboration of academia with industry with access to data and domain expertise. As of January 2018, the School of Humanities has become the School of Humanities and Digital Sciences. As *Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences* we focus on humans in the context of the globalizing digital society, on the development of artificial intelligence and interactive technologies, on their impact on communication, culture and society, and on moral and existential challenges that arise. Its departments are Communication and Cognition, Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Culture Studies, and Philosophy, while the school also hosts the University College Tilburg. *Philip Eijlander Diversity Program* Diversity, inclusion, and equality are priorities of the university?s HR policy. The Philip Eijlander Diversity Program (PEDP) aims to scout and attract extra-ordinary female talent in academia in order to advance the competence areas that the Schools focus on in their research agenda?s and impact themes. As such PEDP can be seen as a quality label. Appointees will receive a start-up grant for their research and are invited to participate in a coaching & career strategy training. Read more about the Philip Eijlander Diversity Program: http://www.tilburguniversity.edu/PED *Employment terms and conditions* Depending on experience, record, and current position, the appointment may be for five years with the perspective of appointment for an indefinite period thereafter, or immediately for an indefinite period. We look for a full time or almost fulltime colleague (0.8 ? 1.0 fte). The selected candidate will be ranked in the Dutch university employment system as full professor (?Hoogleraar 2?). The gross salary depends on qualifications and experience and ranges between ? 5.334, - and ? 7.766 -per month for a full time employment of 38 hours per week. The salary is supplemented with an annual holiday pay and an end-of-year bonus. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may qualify for a temporary tax-free allowance equal to 30% of their taxable salary. The university will apply for such an allowance on their behalf. In the context of the Philip Eijlander Diversity Program, the candidate will have a start-up research grant of 10.0000 euro. If the candidate does not speak Dutch yet, a sufficient passive understanding of Dutch will have to be acquired within two year after appointment. The university will facilitate courses for that purpose, if needed. The Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences will provide assistance in finding suitable accommodation. Candidates will need to have the Dutch University Teaching Qualification (BKO) or acquire one within two years after employment. The university offers attractive fringe benefits, such as an options model for terms and conditions of employment, compensation for parental leave, sports facilities. All university employees are covered by the so-called civil servants pension fund (ABP). We offer support for your personal development and career planning including courses, summer schools, conference visits etc. For more information visit working at Tilburg University . *Information* For additional information, one may contact the Dean of Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences, Prof. dr. Willem B. Drees ( w.b.drees at tilburguniversity.edu, phone: +31 13 466 3577), or Prof.dr.ir. Pieter Spronck, head of the Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence (p.spronck at uvt.nl; phone: +31 13 466 8118). *Application* The candidate should submit in English the following materials, as separate documents or integrated into a single file: ? a letter of application; ? a CV and list of publications; ? short vision statements on research and on education (max 2 x 500 words), and ? two publications (articles or chapters). The deadline for application is *March 15, 2018*. The procedure may involve a trial lecture and/or a scholarly presentation. We hope to have the new colleague at Tilburg University for the Fall semester of 2018 or early 2019. The only way to apply is online by following this link: http://www.tilburguniversity.edu/about-tilburg-university/working-at/wp/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From romain.serizel at loria.fr Wed Feb 21 08:15:45 2018 From: romain.serizel at loria.fr (Romain Serizel) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2018 14:15:45 +0100 (CET) Subject: Connectionists: PhD position in deep learning based speech enhancement In-Reply-To: <183251675.8366339.1519218936281.JavaMail.zimbra@loria.fr> Message-ID: <1909932164.8366407.1519218945497.JavaMail.zimbra@loria.fr> (Apologies for cross posting ) Dear list, We are opening a PhD position at Loria/Inria Nancy Grand-Est (Nancy, France) and T?l?com ParisTech (Paris, France) in the field of deep learning based speech enhancement. For details and to apply, see: https://team.inria.fr/multispeech/phd-position-deep-learning-based-speech-enhancement-with-ad-hoc-microphone-arrays/ Application deadline: April 30 th 2018 -- Romain Serizel Multispeech Project-Team Universit? de Lorraine, Loria Campus scientifique, 54506 Vand?uvre-l?s-Nancy, France Phone: +33 3 5495 8485 Web: https://members.loria.fr/RSerizel/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From elizabeth.wiesman at wright.edu Wed Feb 21 09:00:08 2018 From: elizabeth.wiesman at wright.edu (Wiesman, Liz) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2018 14:00:08 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: PhD in Neuroscience, Cognitive Science Position Message-ID: Dear Colleagues, A fully funded research position is available at the Wright State Research Institute of Wright State University, Dayton Ohio. The Cognitive Neuroscientist will join a team conducting research involving high-level cognition, including executive functions such as attention control, working memory and cognitive inhibition, as well as related cognitive functions such as decision making and learning & memory. The ideal candidate possesses a PhD in Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, or related discipline, and a minimum of 2 year's research experience. Experience with one or more non-invasive neuroimaging modalities, in particular EEG and/or fMRI, is preferred. Familiarity with non-invasive neurostimulation techniques is also a plus but is not required. Note that candidates must be US citizens. We anticipate a start date of 1 April 2018, but are flexible in this regard. For more details about the position, or to submit a formal application to Wright State University's HR website, see the following link: https://jobs.wright.edu/postings/12869 Further inquiries can be made directly to: elizabeth.wiesman at wright.edu Elizabeth Wiesman Chief of Staff & Resource Manager Wright State Research Institute 4035 Colonel Glenn Highway Beavercreek, OH 45431 PH: 937.705.1006 SECURE FAX: 937.705.1302 EMAIL: elizabeth.wiesman at wright.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tarek.besold at googlemail.com Wed Feb 21 11:39:30 2018 From: tarek.besold at googlemail.com (tarek.besold at googlemail.com) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2018 16:39:30 -0000 Subject: Connectionists: Call for Papers for AGI'18, BICA'18, and NeSy'18 (HLAI 2018: the Joint Multi-Conference on Human-Level AI) Message-ID: <008301d3ab32$8c8c3630$a5a4a290$@gmail.com> Dear all, Following the success of the first HLAI multi-conference in New York in 2016 (http://www.hlai2016.org/), the second edition will be held in Prague (Czech Republic), from August 22-25, 2018: https://www.hlai-conf.org/ HLAI 2018 will (again) combine? ?AGI?18, the Eleventh Annual Conference on Artificial General Intelligence. ?NeSy?18, the Thirteenth International Workshop on Neural-Symbolic Learning and Reasoning. ?BICA?18, the Ninth Annual International Conference on Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures. Please find the corresponding Calls for Papers below: ######################################################## AGI'18: Eleventh Annual Conference on Artificial General Intelligence ######################################################## When: August 22-24, 2018 Where: Prague, Czech Republic Event URL: http://agi-conference.org/2018/ The Eleventh Annual Conference on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI?18) will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, on August 22-24, 2018. The AGI conference series is the premier international event aimed at advancing the state of knowledge regarding the original goal of the AI field ? the creation of thinking machines with general intelligence at the human level and possibly beyond. Information on the previous AGI conferences may be found at http://agi-conf.org. As in prior AGI conferences, we welcome contributed papers on all aspects of AGI R&D, with the key proviso that each paper should somehow contribute specifically to the development of Artificial General Intelligence. The EasyChair submission page will open soon. Two types of papers will be accepted: Regular papers, with a length limit of 10 pages, presenting new research results or rigorously describing new research ideas. Short technical communications, with a limit of 4 pages, summarizing results and ideas of interest to the AGI audience, including reports about recent publications, position papers, and preliminary results. The submission deadline is April 25, 2017. The EasyChair submission page will be opened a couple weeks prior: please keep track of it on the event website. Appropriate topics for contributed papers include, but are not restricted to: - Agent Architectures - Autonomy - Benchmarks and Evaluation - Cognitive Modeling - Collaborative Intelligence - Creativity - Distributed AI - Formal Models of General Intelligence - Implications of AGI for Society, Economy and Ecology - Integration of Different Capabilities - Knowledge Representation for General Intelligence - Languages, Specification Approaches and Toolkits - Learning, and Learning Theory - Motivation, Emotion and Affect - Multi-Agent Interaction - Natural Language Understanding - Neural-Symbolic Processing - Perception and Perceptual Modeling - Philosophy of AGI - Reasoning, Inference and Planning - Reinforcement Learning - Robotic and Virtual Embodiment - Simulation and Emergent Behavior - Solomonoff Induction. ? ? ? ?######################################################## NeSy'18: Thirteenth International Workshop on Neural-Symbolic Learning and Reasoning ######################################################## When: August 23 & 24, 2018 Where: Prague, Czech Republic Event URL: http://www.neural-symbolic.org/ The International Workshop series on Neural-Symbolic Learning and Reasoning (NeSy) will come to Prague in August 2018 as part of the Multi-conference on Human-level AI (HLAI 2018). ? Having started in Edinburgh at IJCAI 2005, NeSy is the premier event worldwide for the study and integration of neural computation and symbolic AI. Deep networks now offer the state-of-the-art for a large number of perceptual tasks such as image and speech recognition, and for complex games, having achieved impressive super-human levels of proficiency at the games of Go and Chess recently. It is generally accepted though that AI requires a bridge from perception to cognition, including an ability to address a number of high-level cognitive tasks, typically associated with symbolic systems, such as reasoning, planning, abstraction, explanation, transfer learning and knowledge consolidation. We invite submissions of novel research and practice papers addressing any of the aspects of neurosymbolic integration: representation of symbolic knowledge by neural networks, structured learning and relational learning in neural networks, reasoning in neural networks, knowledge extraction and distilling, neural-symbolic cognitive models and agents, and applications of neurosymbolic systems in robotics, simulation, fraud prevention, planning, natural language processing, semantic web, software engineering, autonomous systems verification, multimodal and online learning, semi-supervised and reinforcement learning, fault-tolerant computing, data science and analytics, bioinformatics, visual intelligence, etc. ? In its 13th edition, and follows on from two successful Dagstuhl seminars on the topic in 2014 and 2017, and the sister Cognitive Computation symposium series, NeSy will take the shape of a 3-day conference with an associated journal publication in the prestigious IfCoLog online Journal of Applied Logic (JAL). As in all previous editions (c.f. www.neural-symbolic.org), NeSy will bring together world-leading academics and practitioners, including keynote and invited talks, contributed papers and a round table discussion, to present the latest results in neurosymbolic computing. ? Authors of contributed papers are encouraged to use the LaTex article style, a 12pt font, and to submit a paper with no more than 12 pages plus references. Papers should be submitted as electronic attachments in pdf format by email to the College Publications managing director, Ms Jane Spurr ( jal at kcl.ac.uk). The email message should include the author(s) names and affiliations, the title of the paper and the name of the NeSy'18 co-chair best suited to handle the submission. Please use the phrase "NeSy18 JAL submission" in the subject line. ? The paper submission deadline is June 11, 2018. ? Accepted papers must be presented at the conference. Feedback will be provided in writing by the programme committee and verbally at the conference, and is expected to be incorporated into the final version of the paper for publication in the JAL. Since the journal is online, papers will be published as soon as they are ready. ? Late breaking papers can be submitted for presentation at the conference by 01/08/2018. Such papers may be accepted for publication at the JAL following a second round of reviews after the conference. ? Programme Co-chairs: Artur d'Avila Garcez, Tarek R. Besold. Keywords: neurosymbolic computing, neural networks, machine learning, knowledge representation and reasoning. ? ? ? ?######################################################## BICA'18: Ninth Annual International Conference on Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures ######################################################## When: August 23 & 24, 2018 Where: Prague, Czech Republic Event URL: http://bica2018.bicasociety.org/ Ninth Annual International Conference on Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures (BICA 2018) will be held as a part of HLAI-18 in Prague, Czech Republic, on August 22-24. ? Since 2010, the annual BICA conference attracts researchers from the edge of scientific frontiers, showing steady growth success over eight years. In contrast with major conferences in AI and cognitive science, we offer informal brainstorming atmosphere together with publication venues to ambitious ideas, regardless of their immediate practical value or solid empirical justification. If you believe that you have a constructive contribution to the future human-like AI, then you should present your work at BICA 2018. BICAns understand "biological inspirations" broadly, borrowing them from cognitive psychology, educational, neurosciences, linguistics, ethics, narratology, studies of design and creativity, and more. The "filter" is the question of whether your contribution may help us make machines our friends or understand how the mind works. ? Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures (BICA) are computational frameworks for building intelligent agents that are inspired from biological intelligence. Biological intelligent systems, notably humans, have many qualities that are often lacking in artificially designed systems including robustness, flexibility and adaptability to environments. At a point in time where visibility into naturally intelligent systems is exploding, thanks to modern brain imaging and recording techniques allowing us to map brain structures and functions, our ability to learn lessons from nature and to build biologically. ? Further details will be announced on http://bica2018.bicasociety.org/. --- Tarek R. Besold, PhD WWW: http://www.cat-ai.org Twitter: @jeublanc LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tarekbesold/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From csutton at inf.ed.ac.uk Wed Feb 21 18:39:55 2018 From: csutton at inf.ed.ac.uk (Charles Sutton) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2018 18:39:55 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: CFP: MLP 2018: Workshop on Machine Learning for Programming Message-ID: <0AC12F0A-F644-4843-B118-C0356875AD62@inf.ed.ac.uk> ============================================================= MLP 2018: Workshop on Machine Learning for Programming part of FLOC 2018 Oxford, UK, July 18-19, 2018 Website: http://ml4p.org/ Submission deadline: April 15, 2018 ============================================================= The two-day event will feature invited and contributed talks on improving software reliability and developer productivity by using machine learning, including deep learning. The techniques of interest include leveraging big code repositories (such as GitHub) to build models of code and using them for program analysis, synthesis, and repair techniques that advance the state of the art. # Submission Guidelines We invite submissions of extended abstracts of at most 5 pages in length (excluding references and appendices) for presentation at the workshop. We will consider original research contributions as well well-prepared surveys and vision statements. For instructions about how to submit see the workshop web site: http://ml4p.org/ # List of Topics * new learning algorithms, models, and architectures for the domain of programs; * machine learning methods for program suggestion, synthesis, debugging, and other programming tasks; * probabilistic extensions of conventional program analyses; * source code representations for learning; * applying natural language processing techniques to code, comments, documentation, and other software artifacts; * description and evaluations of new tools. # Invited Speakers * Miltos Allamanis, Microsoft Research * Earl Barr, University College London * Swarat Chaudhuri, Rice * Prem Devanbu, UC Davis * Sergio Giro, Prodo.AI * Michel Pradel, TU Darmstadt * Rishabh Singh, Google * Dawn Song, UC Berkeley * Danny Tarlow, Google Brain * Eran Yahav, Technion * Martin Vechev, ETH Zurich * Jules Villard, Facebook # Program Committee * Marc Brockshmidt, Microsoft Research * Aditya Kanade, IISc Bangalore * Viktor Kuncak (co-chair), EPFL * Bruno Marnette (co-chair), Prodo.AI * Sebastian Riedel, University College London * Charles Sutton (co-chair), University of Edinburgh and Google * Luke Zettlemoyer, University of Washington # Organizing Committee For any queries, please contact * Viktor Kun?ak , EPFL * Bruno Marnette , Prodo.AI * Charles Sutton , University of Edinburgh and Google # Sponsors * Main sponsor: ProdoAI, https://prodo.ai/ * Co-sponsors will be confirmed closer to the date of the event # Student grants * A limited number of student grants will be offered to contribute towards registration and accommodation costs. * More information will be provided at http://ml4p.org/ closer to the date of the event -- Charles Sutton * Reader in Machine Learning * University of Edinburgh Fellow, The Alan Turing Institute * http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/csutton/ Please excuse brevity: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/email_monster The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. From agostino.gibaldi at unige.it Wed Feb 21 13:39:00 2018 From: agostino.gibaldi at unige.it (Agostino Gibaldi) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2018 10:39:00 -0800 Subject: Connectionists: Bio-inspired model of vergence eye movements In-Reply-To: <4e98d6ab-87af-2c99-010c-b56d927079ea@unige.it> References: <4e98d6ab-87af-2c99-010c-b56d927079ea@unige.it> Message-ID: <17980b11-f0d3-49c5-6416-9ef7aea50841@unige.it> Dear Colleagues, it is our pleasure to announce the release of a software that implements a bio-inspired model for the control of vergence eye movements. http://www.pspc.unige.it/Code/index.html The software can be used in for different purposes: - as test-bed for the study of vergence eye movements, - as a teaching tool to show vergence behaviour and its implications, - for the binocular coordination of a robotic stereo head. The the robustness ad adaptivity of the bio-inspired approach allows a control that is easily portable on stereo head with different kinematic characteristics, and that is robust to mechanical imprecision, as well as to changeable and unpredictable lighting condition of real environments. Features of the algorithm: - Effective alignment of the eyes/cameras in the 3D space (error < 0.2 deg) - Control of both horizontal and vertical alignment of the eyes/cameras - Easy portability on binocular robotic platforms with different geometries - Real-time performance - Software developed in C/C++ with OpenCV 3.3.1 - Compiled in Visual Studio 2012, Windows 10 - Portable to other IDEs (e.g., MinGW) and operative systems (e.g., Linux) The source code is provided with an application example that loads a stereo pair from the Genoa Pesto Database (http://www.pspc.unige.it/genuapesto/index.html). In the demo, the stereo pair is shown in anaglyph mode, and the robot fixation is simulated by the user clicking with the mouse cursor on the desired fixation point. The vergence control is then computed at fixation and vergence eye movements are simulated shifting the images proportionally to the control. If the control is working properly, the anaglyph at fixation. image turns to gray scale For a video of the demo click here: https://youtu.be/k6yDMyht184 For a video of the algorithm working on a iCub stereo head click here: https://youtu.be/viO-SMzpHxo Future work will be: - Embed the control in a script to work in the iCub Simulator - Port the code in Python For questions, comments or suggestions you can reach the authors. Best regards, ??? Agostino Gibaldi ??? ??? Mauricio Vanegas ??? ??? ??? Andrea Canessa ??? ??? ??? ??? Silvio P. Sabatini Reference publications: Gibaldi, A., Vanegas, M., Canessa, A., & Sabatini, S. P. (2017). A portable bio-inspired architecture for efficient robotic vergence control. International Journal of Computer Vision, 121(2), 281-302. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11263-016-0936-z Gibaldi, A., Canessa, A., Chessa, M., Sabatini, S. P., & Solari, F. (2011, October). A neuromorphic control module for real-time vergence eye movements on the iCub robot head. In Humanoid Robots (Humanoids), 2011 11th IEEE-RAS International Conference on (pp. 543-550). https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6100861/ %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%% ??? ??? A Portable Bio-Inspired Architecture for %%%%??? ??? ?? Efficient Robotic Vergence Control %%%% %%%% %%%% ??? Copyright (c) Sep. 2017 %%%% ??? All rights reserved. %%%% %%%% ??? Authors: Agostino Gibaldi, Andrea Canessa, Silvio P. Sabatini %%%% %%%% ??? PSPC-lab - Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, %%%% ??? Robotics and Systems Engineering - University of Genoa %%%% %%%% ??? The code is released for free use for SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ONLY. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% % %??? Permission to use, copy, or modify this software and its documentation %??? for educational and research purposes only and without fee is hereby %??? granted, provided that this copyright notice and the original authors' %??? names appear on all copies and supporting documentation. This program %??? shall not be used, rewritten, or adapted as the basis of a commercial %??? software or hardware product without first obtaining permission of the %??? authors. The authors make no representations about the suitability of %??? this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express %??? or implied warranty. % %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% % %??? This software serves for the control of binocular coordination of %?????? eye movements on a robotic stereo head % %??? CREDITS: %??? Gibaldi, A., Vanegas, M., Canessa, A., & Sabatini, S. P. (2017). %??? A portable bio-inspired architecture for efficient robotic vergence %??? control. International Journal of Computer Vision, 121(2), 281-302. % %??? Gibaldi, A., Canessa, A., Chessa, M., Sabatini, S. P., & Solari, F. % ??? (2011, October). A neuromorphic control module for real-time vergence %??? eye movements on the iCub robot head. In Humanoid Robots (Humanoids), %??? 2011 11th IEEE-RAS International Conference on (pp. 543-550). IEEE. % % ??? Kindly report any suggestions or corrections to % agostino.gibaldi at gmail.com % %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Michael.Hanselmann at de.bosch.com Thu Feb 22 03:43:46 2018 From: Michael.Hanselmann at de.bosch.com (Hanselmann Michael (CR/PJ-AI-R4)) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2018 08:43:46 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Position at Bosch AI research: Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning Message-ID: The Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence (BCAI) provides solutions and services in AI technologies to Bosch's business units in mobility, consumer good, industrial technology, and smart buildings. The center works in collaboration with a large team of researchers, engineers, and software providers. We are now hiring Machine Learners for Autonomous Driving, offering a fascinating job in a team of highly motivated top experts in one of the most exciting areas of technology. See https://www.bosch-ai.com for more information. Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning Researcher ? Development of novel reinforcement learning (RL) approaches for complex decision making problems and motion control in autonomous driving ? Main research topic: Learning hierarchical and modularized policies for generalizable and multi-task decision making ? Original research, theoretical investigations, publications at top Machine Learning conferences and journals ? Close contact to the scientific community in RL, scouting and assessment of new approaches, publications on top conferences and journals ? Close cooperation and technical discussion with other internal Machine Learning experts ? Supervision of Master and PhD students Requirements: - PhD in Machine Learning (preferably Reinforcement Learning) with excellent publication record - Proven programming skills in Python and preferably in modern Deep Learning frameworks (Tensorflow, PyTorch,...) - Experience in development and implementation of state-of-the-art RL technologies - Preferably experience with real-world RL applications - Broad knowledge of machine learning and optimization algorithms as well as principles - Strong team player, motivation and ability to define personal research roadmap - Strong English skills, motivation to work in an interdisciplinary and international team Please apply here: https://www.bosch-career.de/bewerben/jobsearch/-/cui/media/uj8m_SFIXp3E-wSM0gGsEztNCEE-o9dsDMP_0U_ZeXUbqgWBKNlFUM8dWzI4G-ZYIr4LO0YWuLGVfb30Tv8lZwu8meg9xfFwp9VA9BzEuphNsGMddkJihMNOIljw0erLoNHliJf3RP_-ldVbKuR4u0yctrbD3CiiZrKejNLXDsRChlVm0eW0XldLb2QoRDsOr_R--SyIxtcpinstE3ve3JndyNcUPgyeVc6BubbxL30* Mit freundlichen Gr??en / Best regards Dr. Michael Hanselmann Bosch Center for AI - Research (CR/PJ-AI-R4) Robert Bosch GmbH | Renningen | 70465 Stuttgart | GERMANY | www.bosch.com Tel. +49 711 811-49420 | Mobil +49 1525 8813459 | Fax +49 711 811-5194774 | Michael.Hanselmann at de.bosch.com Sitz: Stuttgart, Registergericht: Amtsgericht Stuttgart, HRB 14000; Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender: Franz Fehrenbach; Gesch?ftsf?hrung: Dr. Volkmar Denner, Prof. Dr. Stefan Asenkerschbaumer, Dr. Rolf Bulander, Dr. Stefan Hartung, Dr. Markus Heyn, Dr. Dirk Hoheisel, Christoph K?bel, Uwe Raschke, Peter Tyroller -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Michael.Hanselmann at de.bosch.com Thu Feb 22 03:55:43 2018 From: Michael.Hanselmann at de.bosch.com (Hanselmann Michael (CR/PJ-AI-R4)) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2018 08:55:43 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Position in Bosch AI research: Deep Learning for Uncertainties in Models for Autonomous Driving Message-ID: The Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence (BCAI) provides solutions and services in AI technologies to Bosch's business units in mobility, consumer good, industrial technology, and smart buildings. The center works in collaboration with a large team of researchers, engineers, and software providers. We are now hiring Machine Learners for Autonomous Driving, offering a fascinating job in a team of highly motivated top experts in one of the most exciting areas of technology. See https://www.bosch-ai.com for more information. Deep Learning Researcher for Uncertainties in Behavior Models: - Development of deep learning based models for environmental modeling and situation understanding - Implementation of algorithms for multi-agent behavior prediction for highly automated and autonomous driving - Main research topic: accurate estimation and quantification of prediction uncertainties of deep learning based multi-agent behavior models - Original research, theoretical investigations, publications at top Machine Learning conferences and journals - Close contact to the scientific community in Machine Learning (Deep Learning, RNNs, ...), scouting and assessment of new approaches, publications on top conferences and journals - Technical discussions and creation of new ideas within the existing Machine Learning research team - Supervision of Master and PhD students Requirements: - PhD in Machine Learning (preferably Deep Learning and Information Theory) with excellent publication record - Proven programming skills, in particular Python and DL-frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, ...) - Experience in development and implementation of state-of-the-art DL technologies, experience with graphical models is a plus - Broad knowledge of machine learning algorithms and principles as well as probability theory - Experience with real-world applications - Strong teamplayer, motivation and ability to define personal research roadmap - Strong English skills, motivation to work in an interdisciplinary and international team Please apply here: https://www.bosch-career.de/bewerben/jobsearch/-/cui/media/POm4_JI0u1zpeXMVd2--_jtNCEE-o9dsDMP_0U_ZeXUbqgWBKNlFUM8dWzI4G-ZYIr4LO0YWuLGVfb30Tv8lZwu8meg9xfFwp9VA9BzEuphNsGMddkJihMNOIljw0erLoNHliJf3RP_-ldVbKuR4u4afC5GhebOvpTORJGyU1IRChlVm0eW0XldLb2QoRDsOr_R--SyIxtcpinstE3ve3JndyNcUPgyeVc6BubbxL30* Mit freundlichen Gr??en / Best regards Dr. Michael Hanselmann Bosch Center for AI - Research (CR/PJ-AI-R4) Robert Bosch GmbH | Renningen | 70465 Stuttgart | GERMANY | www.bosch.com Tel. +49 711 811-49420 | Mobil +49 1525 8813459 | Fax +49 711 811-5194774 | Michael.Hanselmann at de.bosch.com Sitz: Stuttgart, Registergericht: Amtsgericht Stuttgart, HRB 14000; Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender: Franz Fehrenbach; Gesch?ftsf?hrung: Dr. Volkmar Denner, Prof. Dr. Stefan Asenkerschbaumer, Dr. Rolf Bulander, Dr. Stefan Hartung, Dr. Markus Heyn, Dr. Dirk Hoheisel, Christoph K?bel, Uwe Raschke, Peter Tyroller -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From compsens at medizin.uni-tuebingen.de Thu Feb 22 04:40:40 2018 From: compsens at medizin.uni-tuebingen.de (Compsens) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2018 10:40:40 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Phd Position: Computer Animation and Machine Learning Technology For The Study Of Action And Social Perception Message-ID: <20180222104040.Horde.0NUNICZB-ZxEY0gJT8krKMH@webmail.uni-tuebingen.de> Phd Position: Computer Animation and Machine Learning Technology For The Study Of Action And Social Perception --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Section for Computational Sensomotorics at the Center for Integrative Neurosciences (CIN) and the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH) at the University of Tuebingen invites applications for a PhD student for a project that aims at the development of novel technology for the study of action and social perception exploiting VR technology. VR and computer animation combined with state-of-the-art machine learning approaches (including deep learning) offer novel possibilities for the investigation and understanding of the neural basis of the perception of actions and social signals. The project aims at the development of novel learning-based technologies combining state-of-the-art learning technology and computer graphics for the study of social perception exploiting facial and body movements in humans and animals, including clinical applications. The project is funded for duration of 3 years. What we offer: ?being part of an inspiring multidisciplinary and international research team ?possibility to obtain a PhD in Neuroscience at the International Graduate Training Center (GTC) for Neuro-science in Tuebingen or of a PhD in Computer Science at Tuebingen University ?specialized courses, summer schools, seminars by renowned experts at the GTC ?stimulating interdisciplinary scientific environment (HIH among top 3 European institutions for clinical brain research; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience; 3 Max Planck Institutes: Biological Cybernetics, Intelligent Systems, and Developmental Biology). ?active participation at international conferences ?collaborations with leading international partners in neuro- and computer science (including M.I.T, KU Leuven, Imperial College, CALTECH, etc.) What we are looking for: ?a Master degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, mathematics, or Computational Neuroscience or a related discipline ?strong motivation and enthusiasm for research, ?strong mathematical background ?programming skills (at least in C++ , MATLAB or Python), ideally some knowledge in Computer Graphics, Computer Vision or VR ?willingness to learn relevant techniques and software tools for computer animation, computer vision and deep learning ?interest in action and social perception, related technical and neuroscience applications ?English speaking and writing skills. Committed to Equal Opportunities. Interested candidates should send their application, including a CV, all marks from studies, 2 letters of reference, and a short research statement of about one half page (explaining how your skills might support a project on learning of hierarchies in motor control) to: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prof. Dr. Martin Giese Section for Theoretical Sensomotorics, Dept. for Cognitive Neurology Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research & Center for Integrative Neuroscience University of Tuebingen, Otfried-M?ller Str. 25, D-72076 Tuebingen GERMANY Tel.: +49 7071 2989124 Email: martin.giese at uni-tuebingen.de Web: http://www.compsens.uni-tuebingen.de From jose11235 at gmail.com Thu Feb 22 10:30:15 2018 From: jose11235 at gmail.com (Stephen Jose Hanson) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2018 10:30:15 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: Seeking Computational Grad Students --for Fall 2018. Message-ID: <1519313415.2403.289.camel@rubic.rutgers.edu> Seeking Cognitive and/or Computational Neuroscience Graduate Students? Accepting applications now for starting in Fall 2018.???Rutgers University. We are seeking graduate students interested in the study of cognitive processes (e.g, memory, attention, language, category learning, Neural Networks) using neuroimaging techniques and computational modeling (Deep Learning).??Our lab is focused on understanding the dynamics underlying brain response during rest (resting state) and during the performance of cognitive tasks.??Within this overall framework, we have conducted research with both neurotypical and clinical populations (e.g., addiction, ASD, GAD), and have conducted studies focused on memory, language processing, preference decisions, face processing, and event perception.???Our lab was jointly involved in the development of MVPA as well as IMaGES and other brain connectivity methods (lab has been continuously funded by NSF, McDonnell Foundation and NIH). Dr. SJ Hanson (Psychology, RUBIC)??and Dr. C Hanson??(CMBN, RUBIC) directs the lab and participates in both the Psychology graduate program and the Behavioral Neuroscience program.??Dr. SJ Hanson is also Director of the Rutgers University Brain Imaging Center (RUBIC http://rubic.rutgers.edu). RUBIC houses a Siemens 3T Trio MR scanner to collect MR data and a variety of resources are available to complete any MR neuroimaging study.??The lab also has a compute cluster with dual P100 GPUs as well??as access to larger clusters available on various campuses. The campus is well serviced by train, subway, and bus service and is surrounded by a diversity of shops and restaurants. Manhattan is a twenty minute train ride from the Newark Penn Station and offers world class cultural and entertainment opportunities. For further inquiry or arrange a visit to our lab and RUBIC please send email to either? jose at rubic.rutgers.edu From dhallabhinav at gmail.com Thu Feb 22 12:56:45 2018 From: dhallabhinav at gmail.com (abhinav dhall) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2018 23:26:45 +0530 Subject: Connectionists: [CFP] 6th Emotion Recognition in the Wild Challenge @ ACM ICMI 2018 Message-ID: Apologies for cross-postings Call for challenge participation Sixth Emotion Recognition in the Wild (EmotiW) Challenge 2018 https://sites.google.com/view/emotiw2018 @ ACM International Conference on Multimodal Interaction 2018, Boulder, Colarado. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The sixth Emotion Recognition in the Wild (EmotiW) 2018 Grand Challenge consists of an all-day event with a focus on affective sensing in unconstrained conditions. There are three sub-challenges: engagement in the wild prediction sub-challenge, audio-video based emotion classification sub-challenge and image based group emotion recognition sub-challenge. *Challenge website*: https://sites.google.com/view/emotiw2018 *Contact email*: emotiw2014[AT]gmail.com *Timeline* Challenge website - January 2018 Train and validate data available - March 2018 Test data available - 8 June 2018 Last date for uploading the results - 23 June 2018 Paper submission deadline - 1 July 2018 Paper notification - 30 July 2018 Camera-ready papers - 8 August 2018 *Organizers* Abhinav Dhall (Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, India) Roland Goecke (University of Canberra, Australia) Jyoti Joshi Tom Gedeon (Australian National University, Australia) -- Abhinav Dhall, PhD Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar Webpage: https://goo.gl/5LrRB7 Google Scholar: https://goo.gl/iDwNTx -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pascualm at key.uzh.ch Fri Feb 23 00:41:22 2018 From: pascualm at key.uzh.ch (pascualm at key.uzh.ch) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2018 14:41:22 +0900 Subject: Connectionists: Comparing EEG/MEG neuroimaging methods based on localization error, false positive activity, and false positive connectivity Message-ID: Dear Colleagues, The preprint entitled: "Comparing EEG/MEG neuroimaging methods based on localization error, false positive activity, and false positive connectivity" at: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/02/22/269753 might be of interest to those working in the field of EEG/MEG neuroimaging. The abstract can be found below. Cordially, Roberto ... Roberto D. Pascual-Marqui, PhD, PD The KEY Institute for Brain-Mind Research, University of Zurich Visiting Professor at Neuropsychiatry, Kansai Medical University, Osaka [www.keyinst.uzh.ch/loreta] [scholar.google.com/citations?user=pascualmarqui] ... Abstract: EEG/MEG neuroimaging consists of estimating the cortical distribution of time varying signals of electric neuronal activity, for the study of functional localization and connectivity. Currently, many different imaging methods are being used, with very different capabilities of correct localization of activity and of correct localization of connectivity. The aim here is to provide a guideline for choosing the best (i.e. least bad) imaging method. This first study is limited to the comparison of the following methods for EEG signals: sLORETA and eLORETA (standardized and exact low resolution electromagnetic tomography), MNE (minimum norm estimate), dSPM (dynamic statistical parametric mapping), and LCMVBs (linearly constrained minimum variance beamformers). These methods are linear, except for the LCMVBs that make use of the quadratic EEG covariances. To achieve a fair comparison, it is assumed here that the generators are independent and widely distributed (i.e. not few in number), giving a well-defined theoretical population EEG covariance matrix for use with the LCMVBs. Measures of localization error, false positive activity, and false positive connectivity are defined and computed under ideal no-noise conditions. It is empirically shown with extensive simulations that: (1) MNE, dSPM, and all LCMVBs are in general incapable of correct localization, while sLORETA and eLORETA have exact (zero-error) localization; (2) the brain volume with false positive activity is significantly larger for MN, dSPM, and all LCMVBs, as compared to sLORETA and eLORETA; and (3) the number of false positive connections is significantly larger for MN, dSPM, all LCMVBs, and sLORETA, as compared to eLORETA. Non-vague and fully detailed equations are given. PASCAL program codes and data files are available. It is noted that the results reported here do not apply to the LCMVBs based on EEG covariance matrices generated from extremely few generators, such as only one or two independent point sources. From ashutosh at coli.uni-sb.de Fri Feb 23 16:42:27 2018 From: ashutosh at coli.uni-sb.de (Ashutosh Modi) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2018 13:42:27 -0800 Subject: Connectionists: AI Research Scientist Position at Disney Research Message-ID: Hi All, Disney Research Los Angeles is looking for a Research Scientist in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning with applications in Natural Language Representation, Understanding, and Generation for Embodied Conversational Agents. As part of The Walt Disney Company, Disney Research builds upon a rich legacy of innovation and technology leadership in the entertainment industry that continues to this day. Disney Research was launched in 2008 offering the best attributes of academia and industry with the goal of driving value across the company through technological innovation. Our research covers a broad range of exciting and challenging applications that are experienced daily by millions of people around the world. Our staff interacts directly with all core business areas of The Walt Disney Company including Theme Parks and Imagineering, Consumer Products, our Live Action and Animation Studios, and Media Networks. We publish our research and are actively engaged with the global research community, and our researchers collaborate closely with local academic institutions. We are looking for passionate and creative individuals who want to shape the future of entertainment in collaboration with the greatest creative minds in the world. You will work with artists, engineers, scientists, filmmakers, and actors to understand the impact of your work under an umbrella of the world?s most beloved characters and stories. With access to very unique data, you will tackle problems that are only possible to explore at Disney and tailor your research efforts to directly impact guest experiences ? Are you looking for unique data and problems? ? Are you passionate about your research and excited by the opportunity to apply your work to the Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, Disney Feature Animation universes? ? Are you excited by the opportunity to perform deep, game changing research, while contributing to world knowledge, and being directly responsible for the smile of a child (or the child at heart)? If so, join our team and let?s make the impossible, possible. *Duties:* ? Drive value for The Walt Disney Company through groundbreaking research and innovation ? Hiring and mentoring post-doctoral researchers, interns, and work with external collaborators ? Develop a strong network of business partners within the company ? Lead efforts to transfer technology to relevant Disney business units ? Publish research results and patent inventions ? Participate in conferences, workshops, and academic-industrial events *Required Qualifications:* ? Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, or related technical fields ? Proven track record of publishing in conferences such as AAAI, NIPS, ICML, ACL, or EMNLP or significant industrial experience ? Possess strong technical presentation skills and ability to communicate with technical and non- technical audiences clearly *Desired Qualifications:* Experience in the following areas is desirable: ? Statistical models for Natural Language Parsing, understanding and generation ? Statistical Dialogue systems and dialogue planning ? Deep Learning models ? Interactive speech and language technologies ? Speech recognition and synthesis ? Prosody analysis and synthesis ? Symbolic Reasoning and Inferencing ? Human-Computer/Human-Robot Interfaces *To apply:* Please submit a current CV along with a cover letter at the following URL: https://www.disneyresearch.com/job_posting/rs-ai-drla/ Best Regards, Dr. Ashutosh Modi -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tbrown at research.baycrest.org Sat Feb 24 18:25:59 2018 From: tbrown at research.baycrest.org (Tanya Brown) Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2018 18:25:59 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: Posting Request - BRAIN CONNECTIVITY WORKSHOP 2018 Message-ID: ? *ABOUT* Founded in 2002, the Brain Connectivity Workshop (BCW) is an annual international meeting for in-depth discussions of all aspects of brain connectivity research. This meeting has a unique format in that it features only short presentations (15 minutes, 3 slides), followed by 45 minutes of intense discussion. The 17th edition of this workshop, taking place at Stanford University (June 25-27, 2018), begins with an educational day followed by two days devoted to presentations and discussions in four domains: anatomy, physiology and neuroimaging, computational models of brain connectivity, and clinical problems in relation to connectivity in both psychiatry and neurology. *Date* *Location* *Registration open until* *Registration Fee* 25th - 27th June, 2018 Stanford, California 30th April, 2018 $375 USD *Organizers:* *Jin Hyung Lee, PhD* Associate Professor of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Bioengineering, Neurosurgery, and Electrical Engineering (Courtesy) Member of Stanford Bio-X and Stanford Neurosciences Institute Stanford University *Petra Ritter, PhD* Professor and Chair for Brain Simulation Department of Neurology, Charit? Universit?tsmedizin Berlin & Berlin Institute of Health Berlin, Germany *Session Chairs and Speakers:* - *Eliza Lynne Adams*, Stanford University - *Adriano Aguzzi*, University Hospital Zurich - *Michael Breakspear*, Queensland Institute of Medical Research - *Edward Bullmore*, Cambridge University - *Marvin Chun*, Yale University - *Karl Deisseroth*, Stanford University - *Barry Horwitz*, formerly NIH - *Viren Jain*, Google - *Viktor Jirsa*, Aix-Marseille-Universit? - *Liqun Luo*, Stanford University - *Randy McIntosh*, Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest - *Russell Poldrack*, Stanford University - *Pedro Vald?s-Sosa*, Cuban Neurosciences Center - *Peter Tass*, Stanford University - *Daniel Topgaard*, Lund University *REGISTRATION* *Stanford attendees*, please *do not use* the registration form. Email us at contact-biox at stanford.edu . The registration form is now available: *REGISTER HERE!* Registration is $375 USD for all non-Stanford participants. -- *Tanya Brown* Program Manager - The Virtual Brain Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest - Toronto, Canada 416-785-2500 x 2782 tbrown at research.baycrest.org [image: TVB Node 6] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Screen Shot 2018-02-24 at 5.57.51 PM.png Type: image/png Size: 623806 bytes Desc: not available URL: From h.saal at sheffield.ac.uk Sun Feb 25 09:57:30 2018 From: h.saal at sheffield.ac.uk (Hannes Saal) Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2018 14:57:30 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoc in computational neuroscience at University of Sheffield Message-ID: Postdoc in computational neuroscience at the University of Sheffield Closing date: 26th March 2018 We are looking to recruit a Research Associate to work on the Wellcome Trust funded project Modelling synaptic and intrinsic plasticity in primate somatosensory cortex. In short, the project will investigate somatosensory plasticity in human cortex and specifically the effect of different learning rules on somatosensory representations. To this end, you will develop a computational framework that will simulate the effects of different plasticity rules on sensory cortical representations and make predictions that can be empirically tested using existing fMRI paradigms. The project involves close collaboration with partners at UCL and Oxford, who will gather empirical data using a state-of-the-art neuroimaging setup. This post is suitable for a candidate with a background in computational neuroscience, or a closely related discipline. The ideal candidate will have experience with the analysis and simulation of large-scale spiking neuron models, mathematical models of plasticity, and/or self-organizing systems. A significant part of the project will involve collaborating with our partner helping to guide empirical data collection. As such, a background in neuroscience is highly desirable, with knowledge of tactile processing, cortical plasticity, and/or neuroimaging especially preferred. For more info, please see http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BHY156/research-associate/ or contact Dr Hannes Saal (h.saal at sheffield.ac.uk) -- Dr Hannes P Saal Lecturer in Cognitive Science and Computational Modelling Active Touch Laboratory (co-director) Department of Psychology & Sheffield Robotics University of Sheffield Pam Liversidge Building F.05 Sheffield S1 3JD United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)114 222 6504 Web: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/psychology/staff/academic/hannes_saal -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moritzgw at tuebingen.mpg.de Mon Feb 26 03:23:59 2018 From: moritzgw at tuebingen.mpg.de (Moritz Grosse-Wentrup) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2018 09:23:59 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Post-doctoral position in machine learning for computational psychiatry at the University of Munich (LMU) Message-ID: <01f9bb9c-5cd2-52c7-da81-519a3e9da578@tuebingen.mpg.de> We are seeking a highly creative and motivated post-doctoral researcher to work at the intersection of machine learning and computational psychiatry. The position will be based in the group of Moritz Grosse-Wentrup in the Department of Statistics [1]. The successful candidate will closely interact with the group of Nikolaos Koutsouleris in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy [2]. To apply, you should have a strong passion for developing and employing machine learning methods that make a difference in patients' lives. Also, you should have (or be about to obtain) a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Statistics, Information Engineering, Psychology/Psychiatry (with a strong analytical background), or a related field. You should have an excellent track record in machine learning or data science, which is backed up by publications in major journals or papers at top conferences. Prior experience in psychology or psychiatry would be advantageous but is not a strict requirement. You need to be fluent in written and spoken German. Your job duties include . performing independent research at the intersection of machine learning and computational psychiatry, . teaching courses and seminars to students in statistics and computer science, . and contributing to an interdisciplinary grant proposal on machine learning for computational psychiatry. Salary is according to TV-L E13 (100%) [3]. Part-Time employment is possible. The initial appointment will be for one year, with a potential extension contingent on funding. The starting date is flexible. Screening of applications will commence on March 18, but we will consider applications until the position is filled. The University of Munich is one of Europe's premier academic and research institutions [4]. The recently established elite graduate program in Data Science [5] bundles research in data science across various institutes and attracts excellent students from all over the world. Besides, Munich is a beautiful metropolis with high recreational value. Your application should include a cover letter (~one page), a CV, and contact information of at least two referees. Please submit your application documents (as one PDF file) to mgw at stat.uni-muenchen.de. We particularly welcome applications by female candidates. Disabled applicants will receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled applicants. If you have any questions before submitting your application, please contact Prof. Dr. Moritz Grosse-Wentrup Department of Statistics Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit?t M?nchen Ludwigstr. 33, 80539 M?nchen, Germany Phone: +49-89-2180-3847 mgw at stat.uni-muenchen.de Links: [1] http://www.datascience.statistik.uni-muenchen.de [2] http://www.klinikum.uni-muenchen.de/Klinik-und-Poliklinik-fuer-Psychiatrie-und-Psychotherapie/de/ueber_uns/team/koutsouleris [3] http://oeffentlicher-dienst.info/tv-l/west/ [4] https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/lmu-munich [5] http://www.m-datascience.mathematik-informatik-statistik.uni-muenchen.de From J.Bowers at bristol.ac.uk Mon Feb 26 07:47:23 2018 From: J.Bowers at bristol.ac.uk (Jeffrey Bowers) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2018 12:47:23 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoctoral position for ERC Advanced Grant Message-ID: Postdoctoral position for ERC Advanced Grant entitled: 'Generalization in Mind and Machine'. Based at the University of Bristol, UK. Deadline March 15th. The project: This five-year ERC-funded project entitled "Generalisation in Mind and Machine" explores how well neural networks support human-like generalisation across a range of tasks. Over the course of the grant there will be four postdoctoral fellows involved in modelling, one postdoctoral fellow involved in empirical work, and two PhD students. This is one of modelling posts that runs for three years. I am looking to hire someone with a PhD in computer science or cognitive psychology (or related field) who has experience working with neural networks. In contrast with the large community of researchers focused on improving the performance of deep networks for applied reasons, the goal of this project is to explore what neural networks tell us about how the brain works. More specifically, the team will be working on questions of generalisation in the domains of object identification, word identification, short-term memory, and games, amongst other areas. This research is related to previous and ongoing research in Professor Bowers' lab that explores why and when artificial neural networks learn localist "grandmother cell" representations with the goal to better understand why some neurons respond to high-level information in a highly selective manner. Please go to the following link to find out more about this project and link for applying: https://jeffbowers.blogs.ilrt.org/job-opportunities/ To have a better idea of the perspective I take on neural network modelling, please see the following paper (other papers can be found at this link as well): https://jeffbowers.blogs.ilrt.org/files/2017/11/bowers-tics-2017.pdf Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. 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URL: From mpavone at dmi.unict.it Mon Feb 26 08:57:27 2018 From: mpavone at dmi.unict.it (Mario Pavone) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2018 14:57:27 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: MESS 2018 - from Design to Implementation - Last News - Taormina, Italy, 21-25 July 2018 Message-ID: <20180226145727.Horde.UiXPDuph4B9alBJHwlP3avA@mbox.dmi.unict.it> Call for Participation (apologies for multiple copies) -- SCHOLARSHIPS & TITLE OF THE LECTURES -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MESS 2018 - Metaheuristics Summer School - from Design to Implementation - 21-25 July 2018, Taormina, Italy https://www.ANTs-lab.it/mess2018/ mess.school at ANTs-lab.it ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ** APPLICATION DEADLINE: 15th April 2018 ** MESS 2018 is aimed at qualified and strongly motivated MSc and PhD students; post-docs; young researchers, and both academic and industrial professionals to provide an overview on the several metaheuristics techniques, and an in-depth analysis of the state-of-the-art. As first edition, MESS 2018 wants to analyze all metaheuristics from its designing to its implementation. In particular, in MESS 2018 will be analyzed modern heuristic methods for search and optimization problems, as well as the classical exact optimization methods, seen also in the metaheuristics context. All participants will have plenty of opportunities for debate and work with leaders in the field, benefiting from direct interaction and discussions in a stimulating environment. They will also have the possibility to present their recently results and/or their working in progress through oral or poster presentations, and interact with their scientific peers, in a friendly and constructive environment. ** Confirmed Speakers + Christian Blum, IIIA-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain - Lecture 1: Construct, Merge, Solve & Adapt: A Recent Hybrid Metaheuristic - Lecture 2: Swarm Intelligence in Combinatorial Optimization + Juergen Branke, Warwick Business School, UK - Lecture 1: Simulation-based optimisation - Lecture 2: Multi-objective optimisation + Salvatore Greco, University of Catania, Italy & University of Portsmouth, UK - Lecture 1: Basic Concepts of Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding/Making - Lecture 2:Using Preference Elicitation in Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization + Yaochu Jin, University of Surrey, UK - Lecture 1:Data-driven surrogate-assisted evolutionary multi-objective optimization - Lecture 2: Multi-objective machine learning + Gunther Raidl, Technische Universitat Wien, Austria - Lecture 1: TBA - Lecture 2: TBA + Helena Ramalhinho Lourenco, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain - Lecture 1: Extensions of Iterated Local Search - Lecture 2: Issues and examples of applying metaheuristics in business + Mauricio Resende, AMAZON, USA - Lecture 1: TBA - Lecture 2: TBA + Celso Ribeiro, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil - Lecture 1: Optimization by GRASP ? Part I - Lecture 2: Optimization by GRASP ? Part II + Andrea Schaerf, University of Udine, Italy - Lecture 1: Simulated Annealing and Friends: Introduction to Randomized Local Search Methods - Lecture 2: Simulated Annealing, we need to talk: Critical Analysis of Real-World Applications of Randomized Local Search Methods to Scheduling and Timetabling Problems + Fabio Schoen, Unviersity of Florence, Italy - Lecture 1: Large scale global optimization methods: basics - Lecture 2: Large scale global optimization methods: examples of applications + El-Ghazali Talbi, University of Lille 1, France - Lecture 1: TBA - Lecture 2: TBA + Daniele Vigo, University of Bologna, Italy - Lecture 1: TBA - Lecture 2: TBA ** Short Talk and Poster Presentation All participants may submit an abstract of their recent results, or works in progress, for presentation and having the opportunities for debate and interact with leaders in the field. Mini-Workshop Organizers and Scientific Committee will review the abstracts and will recommend for the format of the presentation (oral or poster). All abstracts will be published on the electronic hands-out book of the summer school. The Abstracts must be submitted by *April 15, 2018*. ** Sponsor & Scholarships: Thanks to the sponsorship by EU/ME METAHEURISTICS working group (https://www.euro-online.org/websites/eume/), some scholarships for the best participants will be available. More sponsors and scholarships will be announced soon!! ** Certificate: Participants will be delivered a certificate of attendance indicating the number of hours of lectures. ** School Directors + Salvatore Greco, University of Catania, Italy + Panos Pardalos, University of Florida, USA + Mario Pavone, University of Catania, Italy + El-Ghazali Talbi, University of Lille 1, France + Daniele Vigo, University of Bologna, Italy ** Oral & Poster Presentation Organizers + Luca Di Gaspero, Unviersity of Udine, Italy + Paola Festa, University of Naples "Federico II", Italy ** Metaheuristics Competition Chair + Raffaele Cerulli, University of Salerno, Italy ** More Information: https://www.ANTs-lab.it/mess2018/ -- mess.school at ANTs-lab.it Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MetaheuristicsSchool/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MESS_school -- Dr. Mario Pavone (PhD) Assistant Professor Department of Mathematics and Computer Science University of Catania V.le A. Doria 6 - 95125 Catania, Italy tel: 0039 095 7383034 fax: 0039 095 330094 Email: mpavone at dmi.unict.it http://www.dmi.unict.it/mpavone/ =========================================================== MESS 2018 - Metaheuristics Summer School 21-25 July 2018, Taormina, Italy W: https://www.ANTs-lab.it/mess2018/ E: mess.school at ANTs-lab.it FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MetaheuristicsSchool/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MESS_school =========================================================== From julien.mairal at inria.fr Mon Feb 26 09:12:51 2018 From: julien.mairal at inria.fr (Julien Mairal) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2018 15:12:51 +0100 (CET) Subject: Connectionists: AI summer school, July 2-6 in Grenoble, France In-Reply-To: <779719140.9940596.1519654323579.JavaMail.zimbra@inria.fr> Message-ID: <1481700092.9941032.1519654371555.JavaMail.zimbra@inria.fr> Dear colleagues, Inria and Naver labs Europe are co-organizing PAISS, an Artificial Intelligence Summer School, during the week of July 2-6 in Grenoble, France. See https://project.inria.fr/ paiss/ Our distinguished speakers include: - Lourdes Agapito (UCL) - Kyunghyun Cho (NYU) - Emmanuel Dupoux (EHESS) - Martial Hebert (CMU) - Diane Larlus (NAVER LABS) - Hugo Larochelle (Google Brain) - Yann LeCun (Facebook/NYU) - Julien Mairal (INRIA) - Julien Perez (NAVER LABS) - Jean Ponce (INRIA) - Cordelia Schmid (INRIA) - Andrew Zisserman (Oxford/Google DeepMind). This event is the revival of a past series of very successful summer schools, which alternatively took place in Grenoble and Paris. See http://www.di.ens.fr/willow/ events/cvml2013/ for the latest edition in 2013. While originally focusing on computer vision, the summer school now targets a broader AI audience. We expect approximately 200 attendees. See https://project.inria.fr/ paiss/application/ for applications. Best regards. Julien -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From maneesh+connectionists at gatsby.ucl.ac.uk Mon Feb 26 11:27:05 2018 From: maneesh+connectionists at gatsby.ucl.ac.uk (Maneesh Sahani) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2018 16:27:05 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoctoral fellowships at the Gatsby Unit Message-ID: The Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit invites applications for one or more postdoctoral training fellowships in theoretical neuroscience and related areas. Neuroscience research in the unit focuses on the interpretation of neural data, population coding, perceptual processing, neural dynamics, neuromodulation, and learning. We have strong connections with experimental neuroscience and cognitive science groups at UCL (particularly in the Sainsbury-Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour with which the Unit shares a new purpose-built home) and at institutions around the world. The Unit also has significant interests across a range of areas in machine learning, and is perhaps unique in the way these fields are brought together. The fellowships are suitable for candidates with a doctoral degree and previous experience in relevant theoretical neuroscience or machine learning research. We are especially keen to recruit fellows with expertise in the modelling of perception or population-scale neural data. Full details of the fellowships, and information on how to apply, are available at http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/vacancies/TN%20Fellows/TN-2018.html The closing date for applications is 23rd Mar 2018. If you have questions unanswered by the website, please contact me by email or in person at Cosyne. -- Maneesh Sahani, Ph.D. Professor of Theoretical Neuroscience and Machine Learning, Director, Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit UCL, 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG From gangluo at cs.wisc.edu Mon Feb 26 18:31:59 2018 From: gangluo at cs.wisc.edu (Gang Luo) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2018 15:31:59 -0800 Subject: Connectionists: VLDB Workshop on Data Management and Analytics for Medicine and Healthcare (DMAH 2018) In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <47fc771e-c6c0-cc54-7ba2-df3fd79a6b27@cs.wisc.edu> ?????????????????????? -- Call for Papers -- ?? The Fourth International Workshop on Data Management and Analytics ??????????????????? for Medicine and Healthcare (DMAH 2018) ?????????????????? In Conjunction with VLDB 2018 ????????????????????? Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ??? ??? ???????? August 31, 2018 ??????????????????????? http://dmah.info/ Healthcare enterprises are producing large amounts of data through electronic medical records, medical imaging, health insurance claims, surveillance, and others. Such data have high potential to transform current healthcare to improve healthcare quality and prevent diseases, and advance biomedical research. Medical Informatics is an interdisciplinary field that studies and pursues the effective use of medical data, information, and knowledge for scientific inquiry, problem solving and decision making, driven by efforts to improve human health and well being. The goal of the workshop is to bring people in the field cross-cutting information management and medical informatics to discuss innovative data management and analytics technologies highlighting end-to-end applications, systems, and methods to address problems in healthcare, public health, and everyday wellness, with clinical, physiological, imaging, behavioral, environmental, and omic- data, and data from social media and the Web. It will provide a unique opportunity for interaction between information management researchers and biomedical researchers for the interdisciplinary field. This workshop welcomes papers that address fundamental research issues for complex medical data environments, data management and analytical methods, systems and applications. Topics of interest include, but not limited to: Big data integration for medical data; Data cleansing for noisy and missing data; Medical data and knowledge management and decision support; Data management technologies for medical data; Semantic Web and ontologies for clinical and biomedical applications; Medical natural language processing and text mining; Data mining and knowledge discovery from Electronic Health Records; Algorithms to speed up the analysis of big medical data; Innovative visualization techniques for query and analysis of medical data; Medical image mining; Medical information retrieval; Data privacy and security for healthcare data; Hospital readmission analytics; Medical fraud detection; Social media and Web data analytics for public health; Data analytics for pervasive computing for medical care. DMAH 2018 accept two types of papers: 1) Regular research papers reporting original research results or significant ?? case studies (18 pages). 2) Extended abstracts presenting novel research directions or challenging ?? problems (4 pages). Important Dates: Individual Workshop Papers: May 7, 2018 Notification of Acceptance: June 18, 2018 Camera Ready: June 30, 2018 Workshop date: August 31, 2018 All submitted papers will be rigorously reviewed. All accepted papers will be made available as a workshop proceedings to be published by Springer LNCS. Workshop Chairs: ?? Fusheng Wang, Stony Brook University, USA ?? Gang Luo, University of Washington, USA ?? George Teodoro, University of Brasilia, Brazil From peccs at insticc.info Tue Feb 27 11:02:18 2018 From: peccs at insticc.info (peccs at insticc.info) Date: 27 Feb 2018 16:02:18 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: CFP SPCS 2018 - Int.l Conf. on Signal Processing and Communication Systems (Porto/Portugal) Message-ID: <20180227160219.1.2EEFA2B30EE21C09@insticc.info> SUBMISSION DEADLINE International Conference on Signal Processing and Communication Systems Submission Deadline: March 13, 2018 http://www.spcs.peccs.org/ July 29 - 30, 2018 Porto, Portugal. SPCS is organized in 4 major tracks: - Image Processing - Audio and Speech Signal Processing - Biomedical Signal Processing - Communication Systems In Cooperation with EUROMICRO. A short list of presented papers will be selected so that revised and extended versions of these papers will be published by Springer. All papers presented at the congress venue will also be available at the SCITEPRESS Digital Library (http://www.scitepress.org/DigitalLibrary/). Should you have any question please don?t hesitate contacting me. Kind regards, SPCS Secretariat Address: Av. D. Manuel I, 27A, 2? esq. 2910-595 Setubal, Portugal Tel: +351 265 520 184 Fax: +351 265 520 186 Web: http://www.spcs.peccs.org/ e-mail: peccs.secretariat at insticc.org From Peter.Taylor at newcastle.ac.uk Tue Feb 27 10:04:17 2018 From: Peter.Taylor at newcastle.ac.uk (Peter Taylor) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2018 15:04:17 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoc position: Newcastle University, UK. Longitudinal EEG analysis in epilepsy. In-Reply-To: References: <89C49896-C1FD-4A5F-9F66-1C95255BCE57@newcastle.ac.uk> Message-ID: Dear all, Applications are invited for a Wellcome Trust funded two-year postdoctoral research associate position at Newcastle University, UK. For informal enquiries please contact me directly, specific details and application instructions below. Cheers, Peter -- http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BHW817/research-associate-assistant-in-epichange-d110498r/ Applications are invited for a researcher to work on the Wellcome Trust funded project: EpiChange: Quantifying longitudinal changes after epilepsy surgery. The goal of the project is to understand how EEG recordings change after epilepsy surgery, and if those changes relate to patient outcomes. This project involves close collaboration between clinical and computational experts. You will be responsible for the analysis and interpretation of a unique existing longitudinal EEG dataset from patients who have undergone epilepsy surgery, where outcomes are known. This opportunity gives us the ability to probe how changes in brain dynamics (reflected on EEG), relate to changes in brain structure (related to surgery). Crucially this will be done in individual subjects longitudinally, rather than cross-sectionally. You should hold a PhD (or close to completion) in one of the following areas: Neuroscience / Engineering / Mathematics / Physics / Computer Science. Qualified candidates should have experience in signal processing, feature selection, and machine learning techniques. Strong communication and organisational skills are also essential. You will be innovative, enthusiastic, able to work independently, and as part of a team. Salary: ?27,285 to ?28,936 per annum (PhD near completion) OR ?29,799 to ?38,833 per annum (PhD Awarded) Closing date: 22 March 2018 -- Dr Peter Taylor, Lecturer in Data Science, School of Computing, Science Central, Newcastle University, UK https://sites.google.com/view/peternealtaylor/home -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mohri at cs.nyu.edu Tue Feb 27 12:01:38 2018 From: mohri at cs.nyu.edu (Mehryar Mohri) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2018 12:01:38 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: ALT 2018 -- Call for Participation Message-ID: ALT 2018 -- Call for Participation The 29th International Conference on Algorithmic Learning Theory Lanzarote, Spain, April 7-9, 2018 http://www.cs.cornell.edu/conferences/alt2018/ The 29th International Conference on Algorithmic Learning Theory (ALT 2018) will be held in Lanzarote, Spain, April 7-9, 2018. ALT is a top conference in learning theory and is dedicated to all theoretical and algorithmic aspects of machine learning. This is a new ALT with new dates (Apr 7-9) and a unique location, the wonderful Spanish island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. The conference will consist of two and half days of technical presentations, including 2 invited talks, 2 tutorials, and 33 oral presentations for strong technical papers spanning a broad and exciting set of topics. We seek your participation to make the program a great success. The social program includes a boat trip and a gala dinner. Program: http://www.cs.cornell.edu/conferences/alt2018/schedule.html Registration: http://www.cs.cornell.edu/conferences/alt2018/participants.html#registration Best, Karthik Sridharan and Mehryar Mohri alt2018pcchairs at gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bjerva at di.ku.dk Wed Feb 28 04:02:53 2018 From: bjerva at di.ku.dk (Johannes Bjerva) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 09:02:53 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: *SEM 2018 - Final CFP and deadline extension (March 9) References: <0FF798A3-28E9-496E-8FFA-20D8242981BE@ku.dk> Message-ID: <161CBB67-2D63-4314-8E9C-15ED8E4381B0@ku.dk> *SEM 2018: THE SEVENTH JOINT CONFERENCE ON LEXICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL SEMANTICS June 5-6 2018, New Orleans (USA) Co-located with NAACL 2018 https://sites.google.com/view/starsem2018/ First Call for Papers We are pleased to announce that SIGLEX and SIGSEM, special interest groups of the ACL, are organizing the 7th Joint Conference on Lexical and Computational Semantics: *SEM. This time *SEM will be co-located with NAACL 2018 in New Orleans (USA), and it will take place on the 5-6 of June 2018. *** The two fantastic invited speakers at *SEM 2018 will be Ellie Pavlick (shared with SemEval) and Christopher Potts *** *SEM brings together researchers interested in the semantics of natural languages and its computational modeling. The conference embraces symbolic and probabilistic approaches, and everything in between; theoretical contributions as well as practical applications are welcome. The long-term goal of *SEM is to provide a stable forum for the growing number of NLP researchers working on all aspects of semantics. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: Data-driven semantics Word sense disambiguation and induction Distributional and statistical semantics Meaning Representations Multiword and idiomatic expressions Semantic parsing and interpretation Frames and semantic role labeling Formal approaches to semantics Semantic ambiguity and underspecification Mathematical methods for semantics Temporal entities and relations Extraction of events and causal and temporal relations (Named) Entity linking Pronouns and coreference Single- and cross-document coreference Discourse semantics Discourse structure and presupposition Rhetorical relations Sentiment analysis Extra-propositional aspects of meaning Metaphor, irony, and figurative meaning Semantic annotation and evaluation Textual inference and question answering Generation and summarization Semantics for social media Knowledge mining and acquisition Semantic web and ontologies Ontology learning and population Grounding and wikification Multimodal computational semantics Comparative computational semantics IMPORTANT DATES -------------------------------- Papers submission due: March 9, 2018 (NOTE: Extended from March 2) Notification of acceptance: April 9, 2018 Camera-ready: April 16, 2018 *SEM conference: June 5-6, 2018 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS ---------------------------------------------- Submissions to *SEM-2018 must describe unpublished work and be written in English. We solicit both long and short papers. Long papers describe original research and may consist of up to eight (8) pages of content, plus unlimited pages for references. Final versions of long papers will be given one additional page of content (up to 9 pages) so that reviewers' comments can be taken into account. Long papers will be presented orally. Short papers describe original focused research, project or system description, and may consist of up to four (4) pages, plus unlimited pages for references. Upon acceptance, short papers will be given five (5) content pages in the proceedings. Authors are encouraged to use this additional page to address reviewers comments in their final versions. Short papers will be presented as posters. Each submission will be reviewed by at least three reviewers. Final versions should take into account the comments from the reviewers. As the reviewing will be blind, the paper must not include the authors' names and affiliations. Furthermore, self-references that reveal the author's identity, e.g., "We previously showed (Smith, 1991) ..." must be avoided. Instead, use citations such as "Smith previously showed (Smith, 1991) ...". As for online paper sharing, at *SEM, we adopt the ACL policy for submission, which can be found here: https://aclweb.org/adminwiki/index.php?title=ACL_Policies_for_Submission,_Review_and_Citation. Papers that do not conform to requirements will be rejected without review. For a paper to be included in the conference proceedings, at least one of the authors must be registered as a participant at the *SEM conference. Papers will be submitted using the START system: http://www.softconf.com/naacl2018/starsem18/ Please note that double submission of papers will need to be notified at submission. ORGANIZERS ----------------------- General Chair: Malvina Nissim, University of Groningen,The Netherlands Program Chairs: Jonathan Berant, Tel-Aviv University, Israel Alessandro Lenci, University of Pisa, Italy Publication chair: Emmanuele Chersoni, University of Pisa, Italy / Aix-Marseille University, France Publicity chair: Johannes Bjerva, University of Copenhagen, Denmark CONTACT ----------------- Contact email: starsem2018-chairs at googlegroups.com Conference website: https://sites.google.com/view/starsem2018/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/starsem2018 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starsem2018/ *SEM is pronounced "starsem". From Hong.Yu at umassmed.edu Wed Feb 28 07:09:51 2018 From: Hong.Yu at umassmed.edu (Yu, Hong) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 12:09:51 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoc positions in the Boston area, MA, USA Message-ID: Professor Hong Yu?s research lab (https://bio-nlp.org/) invites applications for several postdoc positions in the area of natural language processing, machine learning and data mining. There are multiple projects in information extraction, text simplification, natural language understanding and generation, and mining electronic health records of millions of patients for identifying clinical events and predicting healthcare outcomes. The candidates are expected to work with a team of interdisciplinary researchers. Email CV and the contact information of three referees to hong.yu at umassmed.edu. Hong Yu, PhD, FACMI Professor, Department of Computer Science University of Massachusetts, Lowell University of Massachusetts, Amherst (Adjunct) Department of Medicine (Adjunct) University of Massachusetts Medical School and Research Health Scientist, Bedford VAMC 781-687-2642 Call: 508-856-8222 Participant Code: 0176 Moderator Code: 2294 Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential, proprietary and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and destroy or permanently delete all copies of the original message. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From gunnar.blohm at gmail.com Wed Feb 28 11:14:46 2018 From: gunnar.blohm at gmail.com (Gunnar Blohm) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 11:14:46 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: CoSMo 2018: call for applications Message-ID: <8c47bd78-5cac-df44-6f79-74acb007e4da@queensu.ca> *8th Annual Computational Sensory-Motor Neuroscience Summer School (CoSMo 2018)* University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA July 29? - August 12, 2018 We would like to invite applications for the 8th annual Computational Sensory-Motor Neuroscience Summer School. The course is about experimental, computational and medical aspects of sensory-motor neuroscience with a focus on active learning. Covered topics include Bayesian methods, motor learning & control (also clinical), computational approaches, sensory-motor transformations and data neuroscience. An important focus is on doing research as opposed to just hearing about it. Teaching modules will combining? lectures with hands-on Matlab programming, simulation and data-analysis. Newly acquired computational tools can also be applied in 2-week evening group research projects. The course is aimed at graduate students and post-doctoral fellows from diverse backgrounds including Life Sciences, Psychology, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics and Engineering. Good knowledge in calculus, linear algebra and Matlab is expected. Enrollment will be limited to 40 trainees. *Application deadline: Apr 9, 2018* For more information and to apply, please go to http://www.compneurosci.com/CoSMo/ Scholarship information and the application form can be found here: http://www.compneurosci.com/CoSMo/application.html The school is co-organized by Drs Gunnar Blohm, Paul Schrater, and Konrad K?rding. This year, it receives funding from the NIH through a Brain Initiative R25 grant and from The Brain Canada Foundation. Attendance is free! -- ------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Gunnar BLOHM Associate Professor in Computational Neuroscience Association for Canadian Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience (CNCN) Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Mathematics & Statistics, and Psychology, School of Computing, and Canadian Action and Perception Network (CAPnet) Queen?s University | 18, Stuart Street Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6 Tel: (613) 533-3385 | Fax: (613) 533-6840 Email: Gunnar.Blohm at QueensU.ca | Web: http://www.compneurosci.com/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From gangluo at cs.wisc.edu Wed Feb 28 09:29:35 2018 From: gangluo at cs.wisc.edu (Gang Luo) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 06:29:35 -0800 Subject: Connectionists: Last CFP: Distributed and Parallel Databases: Data Management and Analytics for Healthcare In-Reply-To: <093bb663-250f-3dfa-cc78-11db3a5911b7@cs.wisc.edu> References: <093bb663-250f-3dfa-cc78-11db3a5911b7@cs.wisc.edu> Message-ID: Distributed and Parallel Databases Special Issue Call for Papers "Data Management and Analytics for Healthcare" www.Springer.com/10619 GUEST EDITORS: Fusheng Wang (Fusheng.wang at stonybrook.edu) Department of Biomedical Informatics Department of Computer Science Stony Brook University Gang Luo (luogang at uw.edu) Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education University of Washington Distributed and Parallel Databases invites papers for a special issue on Data Management and Analytics for Healthcare. Scope Healthcare enterprises are producing large amounts of data through electronic medical records, medical imaging, health insurance claims, surveillance, and others. Such data have high potential to transform current healthcare to improve healthcare quality and prevent diseases, and advance biomedical research. Medical Informatics is an interdisciplinary field that studies and pursues the effective use of medical data, information, and knowledge for scientific inquiry, problem solving and decision making, driven by efforts to improve human health and well-being. This special issue seeks original and high-quality research articles cross-cutting information management and medical informatics to discuss innovative data management and analytics technologies highlighting end-to-end applications, systems, and methods to address problems in healthcare, public health, and everyday wellness, with clinical, physiological, imaging, behavioral,environmental, and omic- data, and data from social media and the Web. Topics of interest include, but not limited to: * Big data integration for biomedical data; * Data cleansing for noisy and missing data; * Medical data and knowledge management and decision support; * Data management technologies for medical data; * Semantic Web and ontologies for biomedical applications; * Medical natural language processing and text mining; * Data mining and knowledge discovery from medical data; * Algorithms to speed up the analysis of big medical data; * Innovative visualization for query and analysis of medical data; * Medical image mining; * Medical information retrieval; * Data privacy and security for healthcare data; * Hospital readmission analytics; * Medical fraud detection; * Social media and Web data analytics for public health; * Data analytics for pervasive computing for medical care. PAPER SUBMISSION: * Authors are encouraged to submit high-quality, original work that has neither appeared in, nor is under consideration by, other journals. * All papers will be reviewed following standard reviewing procedures for the Journal. * Papers must be prepared in accordance with the Journal guidelines: www.springer.com/10619 * Submit manuscripts to: http://DAPD.edmgr.com. Choose ?title? as the article type. Distributed and Parallel Databases www.Springer.com/10619 Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed F. Mokbel : Professor, University of Minnesota, USA Amit P. Sheth, Wright State University, USA Divyakant Agrawal, University of California at Santa Barbara, USA IMPORTANT DATES: Submission deadline: March 31, 2018 (articles will be handled as soon as they are received) First author notification: May 31, 2018 Revised articles due: June 30, 2018 Final author notification: September 1, 2018 From M.Baltieri at sussex.ac.uk Wed Feb 28 12:53:07 2018 From: M.Baltieri at sussex.ac.uk (Manuel Baltieri) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 17:53:07 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: [meetings] 2nd CFP, Special session - Hybrid Life: Approaches to integrate biological, artificial and cognitive systems, ALife 2018 (Tokyo) In-Reply-To: <541BA9CB-DA55-4EF8-B7AF-0A9DED49478C@sussex.ac.uk> References: <541BA9CB-DA55-4EF8-B7AF-0A9DED49478C@sussex.ac.uk> Message-ID: [Apologies for cross-posting] ********** 3nd Call for Papers ********** Special session - Hybrid Life: Approaches to integrate biological, artificial and cognitive systems https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/ 2018 Artificial Life conference (ALife) Tokyo, JAPAN, 23-27 July 2018 - http://2018.alife.org/ Invited panelists: Ryota Kanai, Jun Tani, Masahiko Inami and Mizuki Oka. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION: The main focus of ALife research is the study of natural systems with the goal of understanding what life is. More concretely, ALife defines ways to investigate processes that contribute to the formation and proliferation of living organisms. In this session we focus on three common approaches to tackle this investigation, proposing ways to integrate, extend and possibly improve them. More specifically we refer to: 1) the formalisation of the necessary properties for the definition of life, 2) the implementation of artificial agents, and 3) the study of the relation between life and cognition. For this special session we propose to start from these well-established Alife methodologies, and extend them through: a unified formal language for the description and modelling of living, as well as artificial and cognitive systems, e.g. control theory, Bayesian inference, dynamical systems theory, etc., the exploration of biological creatures enhanced by artificial systems (or artificial systems augmented with organic parts) in order to investigate the boundaries between living and nonliving organisms, and the evaluation of coupled biological-artificial systems that could shed light on the importance of interactions among systems for the study of living and cognitive organisms. This special sessions aims to invite contributions from the fields of psychology, computational neuroscience, HCI, theoretical biology, artificial intelligence, robotics and cognitive science to discuss current research on the formalisation, combination and interaction of artificial/living/cognitive systems from theoretical, modelling and implementational perspectives. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: Formalisation of life and cognition (e.g. dynamical systems theory, stochastic optimal control, Bayesian inference, etc.) Cognitive robotics Autopoiesis Life-mind continuity thesis Systems biology Origins-of-life theories with relationships to artificial and cognitive systems Animal-robot interaction Bio-inspired robotics Bio-integrated robotics Human-machine interaction Augmented cognition Sensory substitution Interactive evolutionary computation Artificial perception PANELISTS: Ryota Kanai Ryota Kanai is a neuroscientist working on the computational principles underlying consciousness and the brain, and the founder and CEO of an AI startup, Araya, Inc. in Tokyo. His goal is to create artificial consciousness using intrinsic motivation, deep neural networks, and integrated information while taking inspirations from neuroscience. He formerly led a cognitive neuroscience lab at the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science at the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. Araya Inc.: http://www.araya.org/ Jun Tani Jun Tani is a Full Professor at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Okinawa, Japan. He is directing the Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit. He has investigated the problem of embodied cognition by applying the predictive coding framework to neurorobotics experimental study for more than 20 years. His study has been summarized in his book, ?Exploring Robotic Minds: Actions, Symbols, and Consciousness as Self-Organizing Dynamic Phenomena." published from Oxford Univ. Press in 2016. CNRU at OIST: https://groups.oist.jp/cnru Masahiko Inami Masahiko (Masa) Inami is a Professor in the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He is also directing the Inami JIZAI Body Project, JST ERATO. His research interest is in Augmented Human, human I/O enhancement technologies including perception, HCI and robotics. He received BE and MS degrees in bioengineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and PhD in the Department of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) from the University of Tokyo in 1999. He joined the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Tokyo, and in 1999, he moved to the University of Electro-Communications. In April 2008, he joined Keio University, where he served as a Professor of the Graduate School of Media Design and the Vice-director of the International Virtual Reality Center till October 2015. In November 2015, he rejoined the University of Tokyo. His installations have appeared at Ars Electronica Center. He proposed and organized the Superhuman Sports Society. InamiLab at Todai: https://inamilab.org Mizuki Oka Mizuki Oka is an associate Professor at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. Obtained the International Baccalaureate at the United World College of the Adriatic in 1998. Studied computer science at the University of Tsukuba where she obtained the Doctor of Engineering in 2008. Served also as a research fellow for the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science from 2005 to 2008. Worked at the Center for Knowledge Structuring at the University of Tokyo as a post-doc from 2008 to 2013 in Japan. Gave a talk at TEDxTokyo in 2012 and at TEDxTsukuba in 2013. Her current research interests are Web Science and Artificial Life. She is also a founder of ALife Lab. and CO-CEO of Alternative Machine Inc. Personal website: http://mizoka.jp/english/ Important Dates 19th March 2018 ? Paper submission deadline 23rd April 2018 ? Paper acceptance notification 21st May 2018 ? Camera-ready version 23-27th July 2018 ? Artificial Life conference (ALife), Tokyo, Japan Paper Submission Papers and abstracts submitted to this special sessions will be reviewed by a selected group of experts from the a-life community as well as from other areas key to our proposal, specifically chosen for this review process. If you are submitting to a special session you will be given the opportunity to select it during the submission process. Submissions to special sessions follow the same format, instructions and deadlines of regular ALife papers, as specified here http://2018.alife.org/instructions-for-authors/ . Organizers Manuel Baltieri, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. m.baltieri at sussex.ac.uk Keisuke Suzuki, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. k.suzuki at sussex.ac.uk Hiroyuki Iizuka, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan hiroyukiiizuka at gmail.com Contacts For questions, enquiries and more information please check our website https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/ or get in touch with Manuel m.baltieri at sussex.ac.uk . All the best, Manuel, Keisuke, Hiro -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mathis.richter at ini.rub.de Wed Feb 28 13:34:01 2018 From: mathis.richter at ini.rub.de (Mathis Richter) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 18:34:01 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Summer school 2018: Neuronal dynamics for cognitive robotics, Bochum, Germany Message-ID: Please forward this advertisement to whoever you think might be interested. The deadline for applications is June 1, 2018! Thanks, Mathis Richter --- Summer School on: NEURONAL DYNAMICS FOR COGNITIVE ROBOTICS held September 10-14, 2018 at the Institute for Neural Computation, Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany, coordinated by Prof. Dr. Gregor Sch?ner. Neuronal dynamics provide a powerful theoretical language for the design and modeling of embodied and situated cognitive systems. This school provides a hands-on and down-to-earth introduction to neuronal dynamics ideas and enables participants to become productive within this framework. The school is aimed at advanced undergraduate or graduate students, postdocs and faculty members in embodied cognition, cognitive science, and robotics. The school combines tutorial lectures in the mornings with hands-on projects working with robotic systems. Participants will develop their own modeling project, which will connect to their ongoing doctoral or postdoctoral research. Topics addressed include neural dynamics, attractor dynamics and instabilities, dynamic field theory, neuronal representations, artificial perception, simple forms of cognition including detection and selection decisions, memory formation, learning, and grounding relational concepts. For more information see: https://www.dynamicfieldtheory.org/summerschool To apply, please send a CV and a short cover letter with background and motivation to mathis.richter at ini.rub.de Selection of participants will begin by June 1, 2018. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: summer_school_bochum_2018.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 3025888 bytes Desc: not available URL: From cgf at isep.ipp.pt Wed Feb 28 15:11:43 2018 From: cgf at isep.ipp.pt (Carlos Ferreira) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 20:11:43 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Special Sessions/Tutorial Proposals/CFP: International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications (ICMLA) Message-ID: ****Apologies for cross-posting**** 17th International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications 17-20 December 2018, Orlando Florida ICMLA 2018 aims to bring together researchers and practitioners to present their latest achievements and innovations in the area of machine learning (ML). http://www.icmla-conference.org/icmla18/callforpapers.html The conference provides a leading international forum for the dissemination of original research in ML, with emphasis on applications as well as novel algorithms and systems. Following the success of previous ICMLA conferences, the conference aims to attract researchers and application developers from a wide range of ML related areas, and the recent emergence of Big Data processing brings an urgent need for machine learning to address these new challenges. The conference will cover both machine learning theoretical research and its applications. Contributions describing machine learning techniques applied to real-world problems and interdisciplinary research involving machine learning, in fields like medicine, biology, industry, manufacturing, security, education, virtual environments, games, are especially encouraged. Contributions describing applications of machine learning (ML) techniques to real-world problems, interdisciplinary research involving machine learning, experimental and/or theoretical studies yielding new insights into the design of ML systems, and papers describing development of new analytical frameworks that advance practical machine learning methods are especially encouraged. Important Dates: Special Sessions/Tutorial Proposals: *Submission Deadline: May 1, 2018* Main Conference Papers: *Submission Deadline: July 5, 2018* Special Sessions Papers: *Submission Deadline: September 7, 2018 * The ICMLA Conference: December 17-20, 2018 The ICMLA Organization Committee Carlos Ferreira ISEP | Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto Rua Dr. Ant?nio Bernardino de Almeida, 431 4249-015 Porto - PORTUGAL tel. +351 228 340 500 | fax +351 228 321 159 mail at isep.ipp.pt | www.isep.ipp.pt