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Call for Submissions

zpraha-07
Prague rooftops

The European Computer Science Summit 2010, the sixth ECSS, has the theme

Informatics: The Changing Landscape

and is now soliciting contributions on themes of interest to the ECSS audience: deans, research laboratory directors, professors and other opinion leaders in informatics (computer science, IT etc.) throughout Europe.

Like its predecessors, ECSS is the meeting place for anyone interested in issues of research, education and policy in informatics. For the first time, ECSS moves to the Eastern half of the continent, in Prague, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, filled with cultural, artistic and historical references.

Invited speakers include some of the most prestigious names in the field from Europe, the US and elsewhere. The program will also include presentations of papers submitted in response to the present Call.

Themes

Possible topics for submitted papers include (non-exhaustive list):

  • Major trends in informatics research and education.
  • Relationship of informatics researchers and educators with governments.
  • Research funding: issues, experience reports, policy.
  • Image of the discipline, student enrollment.
  • Infrastructure to support informatics research and education.
  • Issues in research and education policy.
  • Experience reports on educational techniques for informatics.
  • Research organization for informatics.
  • Research careers in informatics, researcher evaluation.
  • Country-specific issues.

In connection with the conference location, papers emphasizing issues and solutions of particular relevance to Central and Eastern Europe are particularly welcome.

Special Sessions

"European research funding: understanding it, obtaining it and applying it"

Good research requires good funding. European researchers have access, in principle, to a variety of sources, national and transnational. In practice they often find difficult to take advantage of these schemes: they are bewildered by their complexity, lack information, and feel they miss the necessary insider knowledge.

This ECSS session will feature reports from actors on all sides of the research funding scene: funded researchers, research managers, representatives of granting agencies. It will provide participants with both a clear picture of European funding mechanisms and practical advice for submitting successful grant applications. The slogan "think globally, act locally" might have been conceived with research funding in mind: while many funding mechanisms are designed at a transnational level, for example through EU policies, their application often varies with each national context. The session will highlight the opportunities and state of practice in different countries, and analyze the consequences of funding policies on research results. In particular, it will compare the situation in countries that heavily rely on European funding and those which are largely self-sustained through national schemes.

Some of the themes include:

  • Basic characteristics of European research funding
  • Review of the most important funding sources for informatics
  • National specificities: some examples
  • Success in attracting funding: strategies that work
  • Experience reports from successfully funded researchers

The session will follow the ECSS keynote by Prof. Carlo Ghezzi of the Politecnico di Milano, who will share his experience in obtaining an Advanced Researcher Grant in the first ever call for contributions of the European Research Council. Planned for this session are three short invited presentations, followed by a panel. The featured speakers are:

  • Luciano Baresi, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
  • Patrick Furrer, Euresearch, Switzerland
  • Jan Gruntorad, CESNET, Czech Republic

Position papers on the session's topics (see details below) bringing the point of view and experience of research groups in Europe are welcome.

The session will be co-chaired by Luciano Baresi and Elisabetta Di Nitto.

 

"Future of European scientific societies in informatics"

Many scientific societies exist in informatics and more generally ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) in Europe, often with prestigious histories. Some are country-based, others cover all of Europe with a focus on a certain community or sub-discipline. The situation is quickly evolving, and there is a widespread realization that the ICT community needs to join forces at the European level.

As a step towards this goal, the ECSS 2010 will include a special session gathering presidents of major existing societies, as well as representatives from EU and other governmental bodies. The purpose is both to assess the current situation of scientific societies, with their strengths and weaknesses, and to examine future evolution.

Contributions to the topic are most welcome, to submit your paper please see guidelines below.

The session will be co-chaired by Christine Choppy and Jan van Leeuwen.

How to submit

Papers can be submitted as either:

  • Extended abstracts (up to 3 pages)
  • Full papers (up to 12 pages)

Each submission should state to which of these categories it belongs. It should be single-spaced, one-column, with minimum 11-pt font.

All submissions should be provided in PDF format on the conference submission site:

(submissions no longer possible)

Deadline: 31 of July 2010, 19:00 CET (firm)
Notification to authors: 25 of August 2010

Early submission is encouraged.

All accepted papers will be made available to the conference attendees and on the Informatics Europe site (http://www.informatics-europe.org).

 

 

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