Resources for Workshop and Tutorial Organizers

The goal of workshops at RAS sponsored conferences is to explore a specific research question or set of research questions, with an agenda that might be too broad or with talks that might be too speculative for a conference session.

The organizers should include senior RAS members that are able to bring their experience, their knowledge of the society, and their knowledge of the field to bear on the organization and operation of the workshop. All organizers must attend the entire workshop.

The invited speakers and contributed presentations should reflect the state of the art.

There should be ample discussion time to discuss the status quo. This discussion time may take the form of a panel or an extended q/a after each talk or session.

1. Workshop proposals should contain a plan for dissemination of the outcome of the workshop even if it is only a short report by organizers publicized on a website
2. Workshop organizers are allowed to solicit papers. However, these papers cannot take the form of conference paper submissions (see 1). While they may be reviewed by the organizers prior to acceptance, they cannot be confused with regular, peer-reviewed, papers. RAS workshop papers cannot be published as peer reviewed papers.

Workshop organizers should take under advisement the association with one of the RAS Technical Committees through solicitation of a letter of support. To obtain such a letter, the organizers should provide to the TC Chairs:

1. list of organizers
2. explanation of goals of workshop wrt/ state of the art
3. outline of general program with description of measures to evoke discussion and interaction
4. list of invited speakers and rationale for inviting them
5. criteria for selecting from the submissions based on fit to the workshop topic
6. dissemination method of results
7. plan for soliciting participation

No best paper awards should be given at a workshop. On the other hand, best poster or best presentation awards are allowed. Any award should clearly specify the full title of the workshop and make it clear that it is not an RAS conference award.

Workshop papers made available to the public must clearly indicate the workshop that they were part of. It is highly recommended to use the LaTeX style files provided via this link: IEEE RAS template

Please note that financial transactions related to the Workshop or Tutorial (e.g. financial sponsorship, funding for invited speakers, travel grants, etc.) must be run through the conference accounts.

Please note that the intellectual property of the content submitted to or presented at the workshops remains with the authors. The use of this material by the workshop organizers requires the consent of the authors. If you have arranged for some material to be published through IEEExplore, please have the authors sign an IEEE copyright form.

1. Title ―
2. Type ― specify [full day | half day] workshop
3. Organizers ―
   Please list all organizers, with the contact person first. For each person, please provide: name, email, affiliation, URL, and career state [PhD student | post-doc | professor | industry | …]. To comply to the guidelines, at least on senior RAS members should be included.
4. URL ―
   Please provide a URL to the proposal’s web site.  The site should indicate that the workshop is proposed to [fill in conference name].  You can use this site to provide additional information to reviewers, but reviewers are not required to review this information.
5. Scientific Goals ― [max. 200 words]
   Please describe the goals you pursue by organizing this workshop. Include a description of the urgency or need that you are addressing with the workshop.
   Please consider that the format of a workshops is well-suited, for example, for
   1. juxtaposing different scientific perspectives in an attempt to clarify a scientific question,
   2. bringing different sub-communities together,
   3. exposing a wider audience to a novel development in the field,
   4. bringing together existing and new members of an IEEE RAS technical committee.

   The following objectives are considered less suitable for a workshop:

   1. creating a small conference,
   2. holding a project meeting that is only of interest to project members.
6. Proposed Event ― [max. 500 words]
   Please indicate how your event will be structured (e.g. invited speakers, solicited contributions, talks, posters, poster session, discussion session, panel discussion,  break-out sessions, demos, competitions …).  Please provide details, such as the affiliation of invited speakers and their status (e.g. tentative, confirmed …).  For each component of your program, if appropriate, please explain how it will contribute to achieving the scientific goals of the workshop.
7. Related Events ―
   Please provide the title, venue, date, and URL for workshops that have been organized by the proposers over the last five years.  Please list separately the same information for workshops that have been organized by other on similar topics over the last five years.
8. Soliciting Participation ― [max. 100 words]
   Please describe how you will solicit participation in your workshop.
9. Dissemination / Archiving ― [max. 100 words]
   Please describe how the results of the workshop will be recorded, archived, and disseminated.
10. Support of IEEE RAS Technical Committee ―
    Please indicate the Technical Committee that supports your workshop and attach to the proposal a letter of support (email from one of the TC chairs is sufficient).
11. Equipment ―
    Please indicate the estimated equipment need (e.g. number of posters, power requirements, wired internet …).  A projector and screen will be provided by default and do not have to be listed
12. Please include the following, signed statement in your proposal:“I/we understand that no best paper awards are to be given at workshops, that all financial transactions related to the workshop must be routed through the conference accounts, and that solicited contributions (papers or abstracts) must use the provided IEEE RAS template. I/we have read and will follow the guidelines for workshop and tutorials. I/we understand that workshop and tutorial organizers must be present in person at the event.”

1. Title ―
2. Type ― specify [full day | half day] tutorial
3. Organizers ―
   Please list all organizers, with the contact person first. For each person, please provide: name, email, affiliation, URL, and career state [PhD student | post-doc | professor | industry | …]. To comply to the guidelines, at least on senior RAS members should be included.
4. URL ―
   Please provide a URL to the proposal’s web site.  The site should indicate that the tutorial is proposed to [fill in conference name].  You can use this site to provide additional information to reviewers, but reviewers are not required to review this information.
5. Tutorial Content― [max. 300 words]
   Please describe the content of the tutorial and the expected learning outcome for the participants.
6. Motivation ― [max. 200 words]
   Please explain why the topic of the tutorial is timely and how the community benefits from learning about it.
7. Proposed Event ― [max. 500 words]
   Please indicate how the tutorial will be structured (e.g. different sections, speakers, practical exercises, break-out sessions, verification of learning success, …).  Please provide details, such as the affiliation of speakers and their status (e.g. tentative, confirmed …).  For each component of your program, if appropriate, please explain how it will contribute to achieving the scientific goals of the workshop.
8. Related Events ―
   Please provide the title, venue, date, and URL for tutorials that have been organized by the proposers over the last five years.  Please list separately the same information for tutorials that have been organized by other on similar topics over the last five years.
9. Soliciting Participation ― [max. 100 words]
   Please describe how you will solicit participation in your workshop.
10. Dissemination / Archiving ― [max. 100 words]
    Please describe how the results of the workshop will be recorded, archived, and disseminated.
11. Support of IEEE RAS Technical Committee ―
    Please indicate the Technical Committee that supports your tutorial and attach to the proposal a letter of support (email from one of the TC chairs is sufficient).
12. Equipment ―
    Please indicate the estimated equipment need (e.g. number of posters, power requirements, wired internet …).  A projector and screen will be provided by default and do not have to be listed.
13. Please include the following, signed statement in your proposal: “I/we understand that no best paper awards are to be given at workshops, that all financial transactions related to the workshop must be routed through the conference accounts, and that solicited contributions (papers or abstracts) must use the provided IEEE RAS template. I/we have read and will follow the guidelines for workshop and tutorials. I/we understand that workshop and tutorial organizers must be present in person at the event.”