This page provides answers to several questions that may arise during the effort to prepare and to submit a panel to SC17. However, we recognize that we cannot possibly cover all questions here. If your specific question is omitted from this list, please feel free to send it to panels@info.supercomputing.org. We will try to answer your question promptly and if appropriate will consider adding it to those addressed here.
PANEL FORMAT
Q. What is a panel at SC17?
A. A panel provides a forum that promotes highly interactive discussions on a wide variety of topics among the panelists and audience. The panel format includes a moderator and up to 6 panelists. The panel should generate lively discussions among the panelists and with the audience; its format cannot be a set of mini-presentations that do not leave time for discussion with the audience. A panel is non-commercial.
Q. What is the length of a panel session?
A. All panels will take place during the concurrent sessions at the conference. Each time slot is 90 minutes.
SUBMISSIONS and NOTIFCATIONS
Q. When will I know if my proposal submission will be included in the conference?
A. Accept or reject notifications will be sent to all submitters in early July.
Q. Where can I find the panels program online?
A. The program for Panels will be on line within 2 weeks from the notifications.
Q. Can I submit more than one panel proposal?
A. You are welcome to submit multiple proposals. A committee of peers select panels in a peer-review process. Because a limited number of slots are available, an individual can be a member of a panel (i.e., contact, moderator, or panelist) of at most two panels at SC17.
Q. Do panels need to have a title? What material do I need to submit?
A. You should select a panel title when submitting your proposal as well as a list of the name and affiliation of each discussant and the moderator, but do not have to include titles for individual presentations. A contact for the panel proposal should also be provided. You must include a brief abstract describing the panel topic and questions to be addressed exactly as you want them to appear in the conference program. A proposal that describes the panel in more detail should be submitted but cannot be longer than two pages. Make sure your submitted proposal has your panel title on it. Upload a single PDF file. The panel proposal may include information such as a description of the panel topic or position statements by the panelists. You must convince the panel review committee that the panel will truly be an interactive session and not deteriorate into long-winded, disjointed, and boring mini-presentations. Do not waste space giving a technical history; instead, explain why the panel will attract a good audience and why the audience will feel that the panel was beneficial.
REVIEW CRITERIA AND COI
Q. Is my panel peer-reviewed?
A. Yes, panel proposals are reviewed by a committee of experts. Each proposal will have at least three reviews.
Q. Is the peer-review process double-blind?
A. No, reviewers have access to the name of the panel proposers. While the members of the committee reviewing panel proposals are available on the SC17 webpage, the name of the individual reviewers of each proposal will not be made available to the authors.
Q. What are the main review criteria for panel acceptance?
A. The panel committee will focus on these criteria: relevance; significance; novelty or excitement; audience type and attraction; panel format and discussers; and proposal clarity.
Q. What are the SC17 guidelines for Conflicts of Interest (COI)?
A. A potential conflict of interest occurs when a person is involved in making a decision that (1) could result in that person, a close associate of that person, or that person’s company or institution receiving significant financial gain, such as a contract or grant, or (2) could result in that person, or a close associate of that person, receiving significant professional recognition, such as an award or the selection of a paper, work, exhibit, or other type of submitted presentation.
Panel proposers and panel committee members will be given the opportunity to list the potential conflicts during the submission and review process respectively. The panel committee chair will make every effort to avoid assignments that have a potential COI.
For SC17, we consider a conflict of interest to exist with:
- Your Ph.D. advisors, post-doctoral advisors, Ph.D. students, and post-doctoral advisees forever;
- Family relations by blood or marriage, or equivalent (e.g., a partner)*;
- People with whom you collaborated in the past five years** — collaborators include:
- Co-authors on an accepted/rejected/pending research paper;
- Co-PIs on an accepted/pending grant;
- Those who fund your research;
- Researchers whom you fund; or
- Researchers with whom you are actively collaborating;
* Close personal friends or others with whom you believe a conflict of interest exists.
** People who were employed by, or a student at, your primary institution(s) in the past five years, or people who are active candidates for employment at your primary institution(s); and
Note that “service” collaborations, such as writing a DOE, NSF, or DARPA report, or serving on a program committee, or serving on the same editorial board of a journal do not inherently create a COI.
REGISTRATION AND ATTENDANCE
Q. By submitting a panel proposal, am I committing to attend the SC17 and pay the technical program registration fee, if the submission is accepted?
A. Yes. If you make a submission, you are making a commitment to register and attend SC17 if your work is accepted. There are a limited number of slots for panels so it is important that you attend if your panel proposal is accepted. If you do not register or attend SC17, you are leaving a vacant slot and a potential opportunity for someone else to present that will have been lost.
Q. Do I need to secure permission from all participants on a panel discussion (i.e., moderator and panelists) before submitting a proposal?
A. Yes. You must secure participant permission (as well as their agreement that they will register and attend upon acceptance) prior to making your submission. If the submission is accepted for presentation, all panelists must register for the Technical Program of SC17.
Q. I am participating in a panel at SC17. Do I still have to register to attend SC17?
A. All individuals planning to present or attend SC17 must register. Panel presenters must have a Technical Program Registration.
INFRASTRUCTURES and ORGANIZATION
Q. What infrastructures are provided to panels at SC17?
A. Each panel’s infrastructure includes one projector, one screen, one table for the panelists with multiple chairs, one clip-on or one podium microphone for the moderator, and multiple microphones for the panelists. One or multiple aisle microphone will be provided. The moderator should direct attendees to the aisle microphone for questions so that everyone can hear.
Q. I am a panelist or a moderator. When should I show up? When shall I leave the room?
A. Please arrive at the room designated for the panel at least 15 minutes before the panel starts. Refer to the conference program for the identification of the room dedicated to your panel session. We ask the moderator and the panelists to leave the room at the end of the 90-minute session to leave time to the next panel organizers to set up their panel.
Q. What support is provided to panels at SC17?
A. A student volunteer will be present at the panel and will assist organizers to contact technical personnel in case of problems with the AV or other problems.
Q. Can a session be audio- or video-recorded?
A. No audio or video recording is permitted.
