FAQs about organizing a workshop at HiPC 2014

1. When is the 2014 workshop proposal submissions deadline?

   The deadline for submitting a proposal to the workshops chairs is March 1, 2014  March 8, 2014.

2. What workshop topics are of interest?

   Complementing the main technical program, HiPC workshops serve to broaden the technical scope of the conference in emerging areas of high performance computing and communications and their applications. The HiPC workshops serve as an extended forum to present and discuss work-in-progress as well as more mature research among researchers from around the world as well as highlight research activities in India.

3. Proposal requirements?

   Proposals to organize a workshop at HiPC 2014 should include:

   • Title with a short abstract discussing the topics to be addressed; goals; relevance and significance to the main conference.
   • Names, affiliations & contact information for organizers and their roles in organizing the workshop.
   • Tentative format of the workshop, such as keynotes, peer-reviewed paper presentations, panel discussions, etc
   • Plans for soliciting submissions and the process for selecting papers to be included in the workshop.
   The proposal should not exceed 3 pages and should be submitted as a pdf file to the HiPC Workshops Chairs at workshops at hipc dot org.
   
   
4. What is the length of HiPC workshops?

   HiPC workshops should be proposed for a half-day (three hours maximum) session, to be scheduled on December 17th 2014 (morning or afternoon based on space availability).

5. Guidelines for workshop

   Half-day proposals may include three to four paper-presentations. One of the authors of the workshop papers (preferably the presenting author) MUST REGISTER when submitting the CAMERA READY version of their paper. This should be clearly noted in the workshop CFP (i.e., registration to the conference and presentation of the accepted paper at the conference is a requirement for the publication to appear in the proceedings). This is to avoid "no-shows" of speakers during the workshop. This will be strictly enforced.

6. Will network access be available when the workshop is presented?

   Workshop submissions must clearly indicate if "hands on" exercises are essential for their workshop. The conference meeting rooms will have open access Wi-Fi. However, if the organisers require dedicated high bandwidth connection, they should contact the workshops chair in advance and this should be spelt out clearly in their proposal.

7. Do workshop presenters receive complimentary conference registration?

   Short answer is no. HiPC however sometimes does provides a maximum of ONE COMPLIMENTARY registration per workshop [for invited speakers, NOT organizers]. The name and email contact for the person designated to receive this complimentary registration needs to be provided in advance (before November 1st) to the Registration Chair after approval by the Workshops Chair. The complimentary registration is awarded only to distinguished invited speakers who have an established track record of excellence in the area of the workshop. Request for complimentary registration must be accompanied with appropriate justification for the same.

8. What are the requirements to obtain a travel visa?

   Note that invitation letters will be issued only to attendees who have paid their registration fees in full and are eligible to travel to India. Information on obtaining the letter is available when the individual registers online. Visa process can take significant time, so we recommend attendees start the process early (as soon as the notification is received) to avoid visa delays. If the author is unable to appear in person and present because of delayed application for visa, their paper may not appear in the proceedings.

9. Will workshop papers appear in the proceedings? What are the review guidelines?

   Yes, all accepted papers at the workshop will appear in the IEEE proceedings of HiPC. So the standard IEEE guidelines for peer review must be followed. All of the papers should be peer-reviewed by at least 2 reviewers (single or double blind). The selection of papers must be competitive. Typically, up to 50% of submitted papers may be accepted, provided they are of a good quality.

   Workshop organisers are free to choose a review management system, including EasyChair and Microsoft CMT, which are simple for first time organizers. However, if organisers select to use EDAS, the workshops chairs can assist in setting it up to collect submissions. Using EDAS makes it easier to have borderline papers not accepted to the main conference to be resubmitted to one of the workshops. However, using CMT or EasyChair does not preclude forwarding of papers.
   

10. What is the time slot and schedule for the workshop(s)?

    The workshop(s) should be organized for three hours in the morning or afternoon time slot. Organisers should let the workshops chair know their time slot preference by October 15th. Note that time selection may be based on availability of room and other agenda on December 17th 2014. The organisers should plan to finalize their programs in early November. In selecting invited speakers, the organizers should consult with the workshops chairs to possibly identify potential speakers who may be attending the conference in other capacities or participating in other parts of the program.

11. What is the suggested workshop timeline?
    • Workshop proposals are due by March 1, 2014  March 8, 2014. Workshop acceptance notification is by April 1.
    • The Program Committee for the individual workshop should be ready and published online by May 15th. You should start publicity of the CFP within India and worldwide by this date.
    • The deadline for submissions should be 2-3 weeks following the main conference paper notifications, which are scheduled for July 31st 2014.
    • The workshop notification to authors should be late August.
    • The accepted list of papers should be shared with the workshops and proceedings co-chairs by early September to allow the submission of camera ready papers before the end of September.
    • Authors of accepted papers should register for the conference by end of September before they can submit the camera ready papers. Presenters should request invitation letters for travel visa to India, if required, and start the visa application process following the registration.
    • Organisers should let the workshops chair know their time slot preference and tentative schedule by October 15th.
    • Invited keynotes and speakers should be finalized by November 1st and the workshops/registration co-chairs notified of ONE complimentary registration for a speaker, if required. Advance program should be posted on the workshop website by this time.