SIGART/AAAI/IJCAI 2003 Doctoral Consortium
Sunday and Monday, August 10-11, 2003
Acapulco, Mexico
In conjunction with IJCAI-03

Chair: Marie desJardins, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Here's the schedule for this year's DC.

The SIGART/AAAI Doctoral Consortium (DC) provides an opportunity for a group of Ph.D. students to present their research and explore their career objectives with a panel of established researchers in artificial intelligence.

The consortium has the following objectives:

• To provide a setting for mutual feedback on participants' current research and guidance on future research directions.
• To develop a supportive community of scholars and a spirit of collaborative research.
• To support a new generation of researchers with information and advice on academic, research, industrial, and nontraditional career paths.
• To contribute to the conference goals through interaction with other researchers and participation in conference events.

Support for the 2003 Doctoral Consortium is provided by ACM's SIGART, AAAI, and IJCAI. Additional funding is provided by NSF and by Microsoft, Inc.
 

Call for Applications

Collocated with IJCAI-03

AAAI, ACM/SIGART, and IJCAI invite students to apply for the Seventh AAAI/SIGART Doctoral Consortium. The Doctoral Consortium (DC) provides an opportunity for a group of Ph.D. students to discuss and explore their research interests and career objectives with a panel of established researchers in artificial intelligence.

The consortium has the following objectives:

• To provide a setting for mutual feedback on participants' current research and guidance on future research directions
• To develop a supportive community of scholars and a spirit of collaborative research
• To support a new generation of researchers with information and advice on academic, research, industrial, and non-traditional career paths
• To contribute to the conference goals through interaction with other researchers and participation in conference events.

Important Dates for Application Submission

• February 7, 2003: Application Package Submission Deadline
• March 21, 2003: Acceptance Notification
• August 10-11, 2003: Doctoral Consortium

Applicants to the Doctoral Consortium must submit a packet consisting of six copies of the following items. Hardcopy submissions are
required; no electronic submissions will be accepted.

1. Thesis Summary. A two-page thesis summary that outlines the problem being addressed, the proposed plan for research, and a description of the progress to date. Please be sure to distinguish between work that has already been accomplished and work that remains to be done. Be sure to include a title for your work.
2. Background Information. Information (at most two pages) on your background and relevant experience. This should include information typically found in a curriculum vita, plus additional information that may indicate your potential contribution to the DC.
3. Letter of Recommendation. A letter of recommendation from your thesis advisor. It must include an assessment of the current status of your thesis research, and an expected date for thesis submission. In addition, your advisor should indicate what he or she hopes you would gain from participation in the DC.
4. Participant's Expectations. A short (one page or less) statement of what you expect to gain from presenting and participating in the DC, as well as what you think you can contribute to the DC.

AAAI/SIGART Doctoral Consortium
445 Burgess Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025-3442
Tel: 650-328-3123

Review Process

The consortium organizing committee will select participants on the basis of their anticipated contribution to the workshop goals. We
solicit applications from any topic area and methodology within artificial intelligence. Students will be selected who have settled
on their thesis direction, but still have significant research to complete. The perfect stage is having just had a research proposal
accepted by the thesis committee. Students will be selected based on clarity and completeness of the submission packet, stage of research, advisor's letter, and evidence of promise such as published papers or technical reports.

At the Conference

The organizers invite all students to attend and participate in the Doctoral Consortium, whether or not they apply to present their work.
In previous years, many non-presenting students said they found it useful to observe their peers' presentations and to participate in
the ensuing discussions.

All participants selected to present their work at the Doctoral Consortium are expected to be present throughout the consortium. Our
experience has been that participants gain almost as much by interacting with their peers as by having their presentations
critiqued by the faculty panel. As such, we expect a commitment from participating students to attend the entire DC.

Acknowledgements

Support for the 2003 Doctoral Consortium is provided by ACM's SIGART, AAAI, and IJCAI. Additional funding is provided by Microsoft, Inc.

Inquiries

Additional information may be obtained by contacting the chair of the organizing committee:

Marie desJardins
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
mariedj @ cs.umbc.edu