International Conference on Foundations of Software Science and Computation Structures ( FoSSaCS)

1  The FoSSaCS conference

FoSSaCS was created in 1998 as a continuation, with an enlarged scope, of the CAAP Conference.¹ Since its inception, FoSSaCS has been one of the main conferences composing the ETAPS confederation. FoSSaCS seeks original papers on foundational research with a clear significance for software science. The conference invites submissions on theories and methods to support the analysis, integration, synthesis, transformation, and verification of programs and software systems.

1.1  Forthcoming conferences

1.2  Past conferences

2  The Steering Committee

2.1  Current composition

2.2  Former SC members

Luca Aceto (2005-2007), Luca de Alfaro (2008-2010), Andy Gordon (2002-2004), Furio Honsell (2000-2002), Anna Ingolfsdottir (2005-2008), Mogens Nielsen (2001-2003), Maurice Nivat (1997-1999), Vladimiro Sassone (2004-2006), Jerzy Tiuryn (1999-2001).

2.3  Aim

The FoSSaCS Steering Committee (SC) regulates the FoSSaCS conference, and takes and/or proposes actions according to the rules below in the interest of the conference’s long-term health, vigour, quality, growth, longevity, and impact, in the ultimate interest of the research community which supports the conference.

It provides continuity and institutional memory over the longer term. It determines the themes to be covered by the call for papers, appoints the conference Programme Committee (PC) chairs, and advises them in forming a PC. It fixes rules and conditions for the participation of PC members, in particular in what regards the contribution of papers to the conferences, and any special approach and procedures to be followed for the conduct of the PC meeting. It oversights the publication of the proceedings of FoSSaCS and it cooperates to the governance of ETAPS via its representatives in the ETAPS SC and according to the ETAPS rules.

2.4  Rules for the composition of the SC

The FoSSaCS SC was created in its current form in the summer 2011. Following a bootstrap period, the SC is composed of 7 members elected for a mandate of 6 years (non-renewable). The following rule applies during the bootstrap period: the mandate of SC members elected in 2011 or later (not including Lars Birkedal) is non-renewable. SC members elected before 2011 (including Lars Birkedal) may run for an additional 6 years mandate.

The SC elects a president with a mandate of 3 years. The presidents’ mandate can be extended by a vote till the end of their mandate as a SC member (between 1 and 3 years).

The election for the replacement of a member of the SC at the end of the mandate or following a resignation is performed by the remaining members of the SC. The full scientific coverage of the research areas of the conference should be an important criteria in the election. In particular, the SC is expected to actively seek nominations from areas under-represented and individuals whose opinions, expertise, and expected contribution is regarded as of high value for the conference. A good geographical distribution of the SC is also desirable.

2.5  Rules for the working of the SC

Votes in the SC require an absolute majority of the expressed votes (abstentions are not counted). In case of tie, the vote of the president is preponderant. Votes to change the present regulation require a qualified majority, that is a majority of the members of the SC (at least 4) must vote for the change. The president or a designated representative within the SC attends the annual ETAPS SC. The aims of the SC as specified above, and their responsibility towards the research community supporting the conference are not intended to change. Should the need arise, the SC will endeavour to consult in the community at large. Similarly, should the SC contemplate making a divisive decision.

3  Guidelines for the FoSSaCS PC chair

3.1  List of topics in the call for papers

Starting from 2013, the list of topics in the call for papers is as follows.

3.2  PC members no submission policy

FoSSaCS PC members cannot submit to the FoSSaCS conference.

3.3  Invited speaker

The theme of the FoSSaCS invited talk should be consistent with the scope of the conference. Thus the focus is on foundational work with a clear significance for software science. The proposal of a speaker who was already invited in the past should be an exceptional and well justified event (unifying speakers, speakers invited by other ETAPS conferences, and speakers giving a tutorial are not concerned).

3.4  Rebuttal phase

Starting from 2012 FoSSaCS will be experimenting a rebuttal phase.

3.5  Journal special issue

The FoSSaCS SC supports the publication of journal versions of the best results announced at the FoSSaCS conference. The PC chair is encouraged to plan a special issue in a first class journal and to advertise it as soon as possible in the call for papers.

1

CAAP stands for Colloque sur les Arbres en Algèbre et Programmation. The conference had been running under this name between 1976 and 1980 and was renamed as Colloquium on Trees in Algebra and Programming starting form 1981. The 22nd and last edition of CAAP was held in 1997 in Lille.

This document was translated from L^AT_EX by H^EV^EA.