Call for Participation in the CUU Doctoral Consortium

Doctoral Consortium Co-Chairs:

Dr. Clifford Nass, Stanford University

Dr. Peter Gregor, University of Dundee

The CUU 2003 Doctoral Consortium provides an ideal opportunity for doctoral students to explore their research interests in an interdisciplinary workshop, under the guidance of a panel of distinguished research faculty. The Consortium has the following specific objectives:

• Develop a group of promising young researchers dedicated to universal usability, providing them with a global network of researchers who can support their professional development.
• Guide the research of these promising young researchers through contact with experts in the field. Allow these young researchers to attend the CUU 2003 conference
• Offer each participant fresh perspectives and comments on their work from researchers outside their own institution, both from faculty and other students.
• Provide a supportive setting for mutual feedback on participants' current research and guidance on future research directions.
• Allow the student participants to contribute to the conference goals through interaction with other researchers and conference events.
• Allow students to learn of potential career paths within academia and industry.
• Illustrate the interrelationship of different aspects of universal usability through interaction among students and faculty with diverse research interests.

The Consortium will be held on Sunday November 9, 2004. Ten (10) students and will be invited to attend and discuss each student's work in turn. Student participants will have a poster of their work exhibited at the main conference. Students will receive complimentary conference registration, and reimbursement of travel, accommodation and food. Each participant in the Doctoral Consortium is expected to attend the entire day of the Consortium, including dinner on Sunday.

Applying to the Doctoral Consortium

To apply, prepare a package consisting of an extended abstract, a personal research statement, a letter of recommendation, and an estimate of travel expenses. The deadline for submission is Monday September 22, 2003, 5:00 p.m. (1700) Pacific Standard Time. Neither late nor incomplete submissions will be considered. Thus, you will need to begin preparing your submission significantly before the deadline to ensure that all essential information is in place.
If accepted, you will be expected to complete your travel arrangements immediately.

Extended Abstract

Prepare a two-page extended abstract of your thesis work in the ACM Conference Publications Format ( http://www.acm.org/sigs/pubs/proceed/template.html ), including: title, author information, abstract, keywords, thesis research summary, and references. The extended abstract should cover a Universal Usability-related topic (see http://www.acm.org/sigs/sigchi/cuu2003/call.htm#Topics for some relevant topics). The extended abstract should clearly specify:

• The problem(s) that the proposed research is addressing.
• The main contribution(s) of the research to the Universal Usability field.
• The proposed solution(s), including a brief description of the methodology adopted (for example, with the scheme Method-Results-Discussion for experimental studies), of the advance status, and of a tentative plan for future work.

Personal Research Statement

This will be circulated only to other consortium participants and the reviewers. It should be kept short, but might usefully include material not suitable for the published abstract, such as any issues or provisional research plans you would like discussed at the consortium, what you most would like to gain from the consortium (for example, “I am confident of the technical content but would like detailed comment on my experimental design” or “I am fairly confident of my research design, but would like discussion of how this does (or doesn't) relate to more mainstream Universal Usability”), and a brief biographical sketch that includes educational background, research experience, potential publications, and any additional information that would help the review committee evaluate your potential contribution to the Consortium.

Letter of Recommendation

Provide a letter of recommendation from your thesis advisor that includes an assessment of your research, the outcomes of any formal reviews, and your expected timetable for completion. This letter should briefly state what your supervisor expects you to gain from, and to contribute to, the consortium. This may be sent separately to the Doctoral Consortium Co-chairs at cuu2003-doc@universalusability.org if desired, but as it is required, be sure that it is sent.

Estimate of Travel Expenses

Please submit an estimate of the travel expenses you will be claiming if accepted for the consortium. This should include travel to and from airports (not only the basic air fare). Your estimate should be as accurate as possible, and you should be in a position to complete your travel arrangements immediately on acceptance. In addition to your travel expenses, students accepted to the Consortium will receive a free conference registration, accommodation expenses for 3 nights (not to exceed the rate of one person in a double-occupancy room at the conference hotel), and per diem expenses to cover the cost of meals.

If You Require a Visa to Travel to Vancouver, BC, CANADA

Please state whether you will need a visa to visit Canada. If you will need a visa to visit Canada you must prepare completely for this before submission, and apply for your visa immediately on notification of acceptance. Information about obtaining a Visa is provided on the conference website at http://www.acm.org/sigs/sigchi/cuu2003/accomodation.htm

How to Submit Your Doctoral Consortium Package

All submissions must be in English. Submissions should be submitted electronically in PDF format. Submissions arriving after the deadline will not be considered. Responsibility for permissions to use video, audio or pictures of identifiable people rests with you, not with CUU 2003. You will receive email notification upon receipt of your submission. Send your completed package to cuu2003-doc@universalusability.org.

The Doctoral Consortium review committee will select participants based on their anticipated contribution to the Consortium objectives. Participants typically have settled on their thesis directions and had their research proposal accepted by their thesis committee, but will still have enough time after the conference for it to be possible for new ideas and advice to make a difference to their research. Submissions will be judged against the following criteria:

• Originality of work
• Importance of the work for setting up the fundamental aspects of universal usability
• Rigorousness and soundness of results, gained or expected
• Balance between theoretical and experimental results

Confidentiality of Submissions

Confidentiality of submissions is maintained during the review process. All submitted materials for rejected papers will be kept confidential in perpetuity. All submitted materials for accepted papers will be kept confidential until the date of the Consortium, November 9, 2003. Submissions should contain no information or materials that will be proprietary or confidential at the time of publication, and should cite no publications that will be proprietary or confidential at the time of publication.

Upon Acceptance

Applicants will be notified via e-mail by October 3, 2003 whether they have been accepted. If you cannot complete your travel arrangements, get a visa if needed, and attend the complete Doctoral Consortium, you must inform the Doctoral Consortium Chair immediately so that your place can be offered to another student.

At the Conference

Each participant in the Doctoral Consortium is expected to attend throughout the entire day, including dinner on Sunday 9 November.
Distinguished members of the CUU community will join you for each dinner and lunch. You will present your work in one of the sessions, and work with other students in some collaborative sessions.
In addition, each participate is expected to attend the full conference and present their work in the poster session of the technical program.

Doctoral Consortium Submission Checklist

E-mail your application as a set of attached documents in PDF format to cuu2003-doc@universalusability.org by the deadline of Monday, September 22, 2003, 5:00 pm (1700) PST.

Your application must include all of the following:

• Extended abstract
• Personal research statement
• Letter of recommendation
• Estimate of travel expenses

If accepted, you must:

• Arrange your travel and accommodation immediately, keeping receipts for use when claiming reimbursement for your expenses. Typically, you should arrive in time for dinner Saturday, November 8th, and leaving early evening of Tuesday 11 November. If you will require a visa for entry to Canada, complete your application process immediately.
• Prepare and bring to the Consortium a short talk. Prepare and bring to the Conference a poster.

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This Doctoral Consortium is made possible through funding from the National Science Foundation.

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