2015 NSF Early-Career Investigators Workshop on Cyber-Physical Systems for Smart Cities

The 2015 NSF Early-Career Investigators Workshop on Cyber-Physical Systems in Smart Cities

Background on CPS and Smart Cities

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are engineered systems that are built from, and depend upon, the seamless integration of computational algorithms and physical components. Advances in CPS will enable capability, adaptability, scalability, resiliency, safety, security, and usability that will far exceed the simple embedded systems of today. CPS technology will transform the way people interact with engineered systems -- just as the Internet has transformed the way people interact with information. New smart CPS will drive innovation and competition in sectors such as agriculture, energy, transportation, building design and automation, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Due to growing global needs to create more livable urban spaces, Smart Cities are emerging as a priority for research and development in the U.S. and around the world. Smart Cities require more than just technological solutions; they must be human-centric and built for the sustained, optimal livelihoods of their inhabitants. The vision of Smart Cities therefore calls for collaborations among engineers, architects, social scientists, educators, and others. The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) program supports the research and development of smart technologies, systems, and infrastructures for the future - and so the CPS research and education community will play a key role in Smart Cities R&D.

Workshop Announcement
In order to continue to grow and nurture a vibrant CPS research community, and to identify innovative research opportunities at the intersection of CPS and Smart Cities, the University of Washington (Seattle, WA), with support from NSF, is announcing the 2015 Early Career Investigators Workshop on Cyber-Physical Systems in Smart Cities (ECI-CPS). The ECI-CPS workshop will take place in conjunction with the 2015 CPS Week in Seattle. This workshop will be implemented as a week-long activity focusing on identifying and developing compelling research ideas at the intersection of CPS and Smart Cities. Workshop activities will be integrated with CPS Week so that attendees can benefit from both events.

The 2015 ECI-CPS workshop seeks to identify, develop, and strengthen the CPS research community, particularly in the emerging area of Smart Cities. Participation in this workshop is thus prioritized for early-career researchers (i.e., senior Ph.D. candidates, postdoctoral fellows, research scientists, and assistant professors). We encourage participation and contribution from all research disciplines, including computer and information science, engineering, social, behavioral and economic sciences, and beyond. We also welcome contributions from international researchers.

Tentatively, the first day of the workshop (April 13) will comprise a series of invited talks and selected presentations from among the workshop attendees to discuss issues, opportunities, and outlook of CPS and Smart Cities. Through the course of the first day, the attendees will also self-organize into teams. The rest of the workshop focuses on building collaborations and professional development to strengthen the CPS early-career community. On April 14, 15, 16, workshop attendees will participate in CPS Week while working with their teams to further develop research ideas at the intersection of CPS and Smart Cities. On the final day (April 17), teams will reconvene to present their research ideas and receive feedback. A set of leading researchers from academe and industry will select first-, second-, and third-placed teams on the basis of the novelty, applicability, and likely impact of their ideas.

Potential Topics for Discussion (include, but are not limited to):

• CPS-enabled smart technologies, systems, and infrastructures (e.g., testbeds) for Smart Cities
• Case studies and testbeds for Smart Cities around the workd
• Report pm case studies and testbeds for Smart Cities around the world
• Distributed optimization and control for interdependent infrastructure networks (e.g., energy, communication, transportation, and water)
• Modeling the social impact of smart technologies
• Advances in human-in-the-loop design and human interfaces with Smart Cities systems and infrastructures
• Closing the loop for (near) real-time control and decision making (e.g., for power and transportation networks)
• Ubiquitous sensing and urban analytics
• Computing for sustainable and green urban living
• Education in CPS and Smart Cities

Call for Participation:
Interested participants should submit a short position paper (see the format specified below) discussing a research challenge/opportunity in CPS that contributes to Smart Cities research topics. The paper can reflect ongoing and/or future research interests, but should contribute toward defining an agenda for Smart Cities R&D. Workshop invitations will consider innovation, broader significance, and diversity of perspectives.

Important Details:
Workshop Date: 13th-17th April 2015

Location: Washington State Convention Center -- Seattle, Washington USA

Workshop Website: http://cps-vo.org/group/CPSEarlyCareerInvestigators2015

Timeline/Deadlines:

• 27 February 2015: Submission of position paper
• 6 March 2015: Notification of invitation
• 10 March 2015: Workshop registration

Target Participation: Participation is prioritized for upper-level graduate students (post proposal defense) and recent Ph.D. graduates (postdocs, research scientists, assistant professors).

Funding: Invited attendees from outside the Seattle area will be provided with a stipend of $1,500 ($1,000 for attendees from the Seattle area) to subsidize expenses. Please note that package registration for both the ECI-CPS workshop and CPS Week will be $825, which leaves $675 to supplement expenses such as transportation and lodging. Participants are expected to leverage additional funds from their home institutions to cover remaining costs. Workshop organizers will provide invitation letters to support invitees in leveraging additional funds. We welcome contributions from international researchers. Potential support for international participants may be available based on contribution to workshop content.

Workshop Co-Chairs: Maryam Fazel (UW) and Babak Parviz (Amazon Inc.)

Program Committee: Sairaj Dhople (Univ. Minnesota), Jay Giri (Alstom), Sertac Karaman (MIT), Ann Majewicz (UT-Dallas), Mehran Mesbahi (Univ. Washington), Meeko Oishi (Univ. NM), Desney Tan (Microsoft), Saman Zonouz (Rutgers Univ.)

Government Sponsors: David Corman (NSF), Tho Nguyen (NSF), Gurdip Singh (NSF) Sylvia Spengler (NSF)

Submission Instructions:
Position papers can be submitted at: http://cps-vo.org/group/CPSEarlyCareerInvestigators2015

Submissions are 2-page maximum including figure(s), 12pt font and normal margin. Please include the following within the 2-page paper:

• Title
• 3-5 keywords
• Short bio of the author (please use maximum 1/2 page out of the 2 page for this portion)
• Paper format:
  • Background/motivation
  • Proposed research/work in CPS
  • Potential impact in advancing the Smart Cities

The workshop will comprise approximately 60 participants selected by the program committee to achieve diverse and balanced participation across sectors and disciplines. A subset of those invited to participate in the workshop will be offered the opportunity to give presentations.

Questions regarding this workshop may be addressed to Maryam Fazel (mfazel@uw.edu) or Tho Nguyen (thnguyen@nsf.gov).

---Please consider contributing to, and participating in, this important national event.