CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS - DOCTORAL CONSORTIUM

Click here to view the CFP from a PDF file.

The ECAI 2020 Organizing Committee invites Starting Researchers (those who have not been awarded a doctoral degree but also researchers with not more than three years of experience after getting their PhD) to apply for taking part in the Doctoral Consortium (DC) to be held in conjunction with the conference. The DC provides an opportunity for Starting Researchers to discuss their research interests and career objectives with established researchers in AI, to do networking with other participants, and to receive mentoring about career planning and career options.

It includes two main sessions:

Training (August 29). The focus will be in training transversal and communication skills. Participants will learn how to present their work in oral presentations with an emphasis in the practical case of a scientific elevator pitch for both the academy and industry.
Mentoring (August 30). This session is addressed to DC participants without a PhD yet. It is aimed at dissemination of the ongoing research developed by Starting AI Researchers. In practice, participants are expected to present and leverage their work to the AI community (i.e., their peers and senior AI researchers) and to receive feedback from elder researchers as well as guidance on future research directions. The best presentations will be awarded.

It is worth noting that DC is part of the ECAI 2020 Mentoring and Communication for Starting Researchers (MC4SR). Therefore, DC participants are encouraged to attend other MC4SR events (e.g., STAIRS, Meeting with a Fellow and Job Fair) as well as ECAI tutorials.

If you have any inquiry, please do not hesitate to get in touch with ECAI2020 DC Chairs:

Ulises Cortés (Barcelona Supercomputing Center and Univ. Politècnica de Catalunya)
Jose María Alonso (CiTIUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela)

Contact: dc-chairs@ecai2020.eu

Important Dates (All deadlines 23:59 UTC-12)

20 June 2020 Doctoral Consortium application

5 July 2020 Doctoral Consortium notification

20 July 2020 Final Abstract for Proceedings and Pre-recorded Presentation

Further Information for Doctoral Consortium Applicants

Proceedings:

All accepted abstracts (2 pages including references) will be published in the Doctoral Consortium proceedings and presented during the Mentoring session. Abstracts should be formatted according to the ECAI2020 formatting style defined for Highlights. Details are available at ECAI2020 website:

http://ecai2020.eu/wp-content/uploads/AuthorsPack-ECAI2020.zip

Registration

All DC participants are required to register for the ECAI MC4SR event (there is no fee; registration is free of charge). Participants can attend both training and mentoring session. However, only Starting AI Researchers with an accepted abstract can present their work during the Mentoring session.

Application details

Applications must be submitted by the deadline as a pdf-file via the ECAI2020 DC Easychair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ecai2020dc Applicants should submit (as a single PDF file) the following:

A curriculum vitae (2 pages) with background (name, university), education (degree sought, year/status in degree, previous degrees), employment, and relevant experience in research (publications, presentations, conferences attended, etc.).
An abstract (2 pages including references) that summarizes the research problem being investigated, the specific contributions made, and directions for the remaining work. In particular, please write about how the research you are trying to do is done today; what are its limits; what is new in your approach; why do you think it will be successful; if successful, what difference will it make; and the evaluations to check for success. It is worth noting that the abstract is not required for applicants who are interested in attending the Doctoral Consortium but are not willing to present their research work in the Mentoring session.
A personal statement (1 page) with answers to the following questions:
- Have you submitted an article to the main ECAI 2020 conference and/or an ECAI 2020 workshop?
- Have you been awarded a PhD?
  In case of replying YES,
  - When did you get your PhD?
  - What is your current job?
  Otherwise,
  - When do you expect to graduate?
  - What type of job do you desire after graduation (research, teaching, development, etc.) and what do you envision doing for the next five years after graduation?