Logic List Mailing Archive
CfProposals: IFAAMAS Agents and Multiagent Systems Schools
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS AGENTS and MULTIAGENT SYSTEMS SCHOOLS
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The International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems
(IFAAMAS) invites proposals for Agent and Multiagent System Schools from
countries or regions that have been traditionally under-represented in the
AAMAS conference (International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents and
Multiagent Systems). For more information on the conference series, please
look at www.aamas-conference.org
The intent is to encourage further participation of researchers from such
countries in AAMAS, and to foster research in the field of agent and
multiagent systems. Attendees at such schools can be from academia
(typically graduate students but also faculty looking to enter the field)
or from industry and government.
WHAT IS IFAAMAS?
IFAAMAS is the International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and
Multiagent Systems (http://ifaamas.org/). It is a legally registered
not-for-profit organisation responsible for organising the AAMAS
conference series. Broadly, the aims of IFAAMAS are to promote research
into and awareness of agent and multiagent systems, primarily by means of
its involvement in organising the AAMAS conferences, but also by providing
student travel scholarships, and the like.
WHAT IS IFAAMAS TRYING TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS INITIATIVE?
A number of advanced schools on agent systems have been held throughout
the world since 1999 (the European Agent Systems Summer School (EASSS) in
Europe, the Americas schools, the Pacific Rim region school). While these
events have been enormously successful, they have primarily been focussed
around regions and countries that already have substantial agent research
communities, and that in addition have the resources to travel to
international conferences. For this reason, IFAAMAS has initiated similar
teaching events in regions that are not so well represented in terms of
established research groups, and that do not have easy access to funds for
international travel.
WHAT KIND OF EVENTS ARE WE AIMING AT?
IFAAMAS will consider any reasonable proposal for a training event, but
typically 3 to 5 days of intensive courses (or tutorials), presented by
internationally or regionally recognised speakers, on a variety of topics
in the agent systems area, with some 5-15 courses, each of 1/2 day to a
day duration. The aim is usually to provide both introductory and more
advanced courses and in addition to provide a "balanced curriculum"
insofar as this is possible. Please do not feel constrained by this model,
however; IFAAMAS will consider any reasonable structure, provided a
justification is given.
WHAT SUPPORT WILL BE AVAILABLE?
IFAAMAS will provide a grant to subsidize the agent school so as to make
it affordable to the participants, for example, by providing travel
support for students to attend the school. In the past, levels of
financial support have been in the form of a (roughly $5000) grant.
WHICH REGIONS/COUNTRIES ARE ELIGIBLE?
Broadly, regions/countries that (i) do not have major established research
groups in the agents area, and (ii) do not have easy access to funds for
international travel.
HOW DO I APPLY?
Proposal writers are encouraged to submit proposals as soon as possible
but no later than *February 15th, 2014*. Proposals will undergo an
evaluation and selection process. Please send your proposals in pdf or
plain text form to Birna van Riemsdijk (m.b.vanriemsdijk@tudelft.nl).
Proposals should include the following information:
- Expected value to the community
* What is the "catchment area" for your school, i.e., which
countries/regions might you expect students from, and what proportion will
be from under-represented countries?
* What is the potential for (further) developing agent research in the
region where you plan to hold your school? For example, do you see a
growing interest in agents and multiagent systems and could the school
help to create momentum for its (further) development?
* How many students might be expected to attend?
* How do you plan to use the requested funds to support the aims of this
call for proposals?
- Programme and organization
* What structure do you envisage the event having? How many
courses/lecturers and on which topics? How many parallel sessions (if
any)? Not all lecturers need be international lecturers; including some
local/regional speakers can sometimes be beneficial.
* When will the school be held, and what will be the duration of the
school? (Please provide multiple possibilities). Is it colocated with
other events?
* What is the location of the school and will this be easily accessible to
lecturers and students?
- Finances
* What amount of funding do you request?
* Is there potential for other support (sponsorship) for the school beyond
IFAAMAS? For instance, would some universities, industry, or the
government potentially support the school?
* Can you give a *preliminary* breakdown of costs? Note that a detailed
breakdown is not necessary at this stage.
* Will affordable student accommodation be available? If so, how many
rooms and how much will they cost?
IFAAMAS Education and Training Subcommittee,
M. Birna van Riemsdijk, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands (chair)
Michael Luck, King's College London, UK
Sascha Ossowski, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Spain
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Dr. M. Birna van Riemsdijk
assistant professor
Interactive Intelligence Group
Department of Intelligent Systems
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
Delft University of Technology
Mekelweg 4
2628 CD Delft
The Netherlands
Room: HB 12.040
Telephone: +31 (0)15 2786331
Website: http://ii.tudelft.nl/~birna/
Twitter: @mbirna