PhD scholars are asked to submit a brief proposal outlining their doctoral research, which the consortium committee will evaluate. Good quality applications will be selected for presentation at a DC session as part of the conference. Each scholar with an accepted submission will be assigned a mentor who will provide feedback on their work and discuss the doctoral research with the student and the audience at the consortium.

DC proposals must be submitted using the easy-chair platform here. Select the submission type “Extended abstract/DC proposal/Late-Break work/Demo” and the track “Doctoral Consortium proposal“.

Each proposal should be a single PDF with four required components:

1Six-page research description (excluding references) plus two extra pages for references (6+2 pages) containing:
– name, surname, institution and email of the PhD scholar;
– Context and motivation for your research;
– Key related work that frames your research;
– Specific research questions, hypothesis and objectives;
– Research approach, methods, and rationale for testing the research hypothesis;
– Results and contributions to date;
– Expected next steps and final contribution to knowledge.

The above sections can include diagrams, charts, pictures and formulas.
2Benefits and contribution statement (1 page):
– Your name, Advisor(s) name(s), and the university where you are conducting your doctoral work;
– Current year of study and projected completion date (plus information about the regulations of your PhD program regarding length, any part-time study, etc.);
– Describe what you hope to gain by participating in the DC and how your participation will benefit other students and faculty.
3Letter of Recommendation (from primary PhD dissertation advisor) (1 page):
Describe your interaction with the student and your assessment of the quality of their work. Please explain how the conference doctoral consortium would benefit this student at this point in their doctoral program, as well as the contributions you expect the student to make. Please explain the structure of your student’s program and their expected level of progress so far. Recall that students who cannot obtain a letter of recommendation from their dissertation advisor (or the equivalent) should instead include a short explanation and a description of where the student is in their doctoral progress and the anticipated timeline.
4Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages):
A concise summary of your current curriculum vitae, including research publications, clearly separating those published papers from those under review or in press.

Section 1 must be written using Springer’s Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) in the format provided here. Latex and word files are admitted: however, latex is preferred. All submissions and reviews will be handled electronically. Sections 2, 3, and 4 can be placed as an annexe to section 1 (after the reference section, starting on a new page). Please ensure your submission is complete and conforms to the format and content guidelines above. Because the DC Committee expects to receive many applications, submissions that do not meet these requirements will be desk-rejected.

A PhD scholar with an accepted doctoral proposal must register for the conference to participate in the Doctoral Consortium at the conference. The deadlines can be found below.