Call for Workshops

The CP conference is the premier annual international conference on constraint programming. It is concerned with all aspects of computing with constraints, including but not limited to algorithms, environments, languages, models, systems, theory, and applications such as decision making, resource allocation, configuration, planning, and scheduling.

We invite proposals for workshops preceding the main conference program of CP 2016, which will be held in Toulouse (France) from 5 to 9 September 2016.

The purpose of the CP workshops is to provide an informal venue in which participants can:

• explore specific research areas in depth,
• discuss new research directions,
• study specific application areas of CP, or
• bring together researchers from different fields with shared interests.

In previous years, workshop topics included data analytics, smart cities, packing & placement, cloud computing, teaching, testing & verification, bioinformatics, constraint-based modelling, CP solvers, crossfertilisation with other solving technologies, etc. We encourage proposals for workshops on new topics, especially multi-disciplinary ones.

Based on successful experiments made in the last two years, we particularly encourage workshops that break away from the tradition of reviewing (“publishing”) and presenting submitted papers: instead, the better attended workshops tended to foster much more interaction by having several invited talks, if not introductory or specialist tutorials, and/or presentations selected only on the basis of brief submitted abstracts. We encourage any other innovations that are likely to increase the audience and interaction.

All workshops will take place at the site of the main conference, and follow either a half-day format or a full-day format.

Incubator Workshop

The Association for Constraint Programming (ACP) has issued a call for an Incubator Workshop. An incubator workshop should address a promising novel topic, be multi-disciplinary in nature, and have the aim to broaden the application of CP or deepen its methodologies.

The organizers of the selected incubator workshop can request sponsorship from the ACP to strengthen the workshop program, which can for example be used to support external speakers. The ACP will make 1,500 euros available for this purpose.

Workshop organizers that want to be considered to receive funding as incubator workshop should indicate this in the CP workshop proposal, together with a clear motivation. More details can be found at Quarterly Report 3/2015 (item ACP.5) of the ACP Executive Committee.

Important Dates (for proposers of Worskhop)

• April 2016
• Workshop proposal submission deadline

  April 1st, 2016

  Send your proposal of Workshop by email to the CP 2016 Workshop Chair (Pierre Flener).

• Workshop acceptance notification

  April 11, 2016

• May 2016
• Workshop webpage at the CP 2016 website
  + First call for abstracts (or papers) and participation

  May 13, 2016

• July 2016
• Early registration deadline

  Late July 2016

  Accepted speakers should be notified before this (still unknown) date

• September 2016
• CP 2016 Workshops

  September 5, 2016

Proposal Format

Each workshop proposal should include the following information, in a single PDF file or in plain text:

• Title
• Abstract outlining the goals and scope of the workshop
• Description of the target audience
• Motivation for running the workshop at CP 2016
• Motivation (if applicable) for running it as an incubator workshop
• Estimate of the number/list of (invited) speakers, tutors, and participants
• History of the workshop (if applicable)
• Tentative duration of the workshop: half day or full day
• Relevant chairing experience of the main organizers (if any)
• Organizing committee members (if already known)
• Contact information of the main organizers

The Workshop Chair will acknowledge receipt of the proposal.

Responsibilities of the Workshop Organizers

The workshop organizers are responsible for:

• Creating several calls for abstracts (or papers) and calls for participation, and distributing them on specialist channels not used by the Publicity Chair of CP 2016.
• The call for abstracts (or papers), if any, must clearly describe the review & selection process and indicate that at least one author of every accepted abstract (or paper) must attend the workshop and pay the workshop fee, else the presentation (and paper) will be withdrawn from the proceedings, if any, and program.
• Creating and publishing, in a timely manner, a webpage at the CP 2016 website, including all the relevant calls and information pertaining to the workshop.
• Providing a blurb for the conference program.
• Reviewing and selecting abstract (or paper) submissions.
• Scheduling the presentations within the workshop.

It should be noted that the conference organization does not budget for free registration, accommodation, or travel expenses for the workshop organizers or their invited speakers. The workshop organizers should therefore secure any source of funding or sponsorship deemed necessary for their invited speakers (if any).

Responsibilities of the CP 2016 Organizing Committee

The responsibility of the conference organization is to:

• Provide publicity for the workshop program as a whole.
• Provide logistics at the conference venue (meeting room, catering, etc.).
• Coordinate the allocation of time blocks for each workshop.
• Collect the workshop fees covering the rental and catering costs.
• Publicize the workshop calls with the help of the Publicity Chair.

Submission Process

Please send your proposal of Workshop by email to the CP 2016 Workshop Chair (Pierre Flener).