The Student ThinkTank is a full day meeting for students doing Doctoral or Masters projects in auditory display. It will be held on Sunday July 3rd, a day before the ICAD 2016 conference in Canberra, Australia. It will be free of charge for conference participants and refreshments will be provided. In addition the formal presentations of successful applicants (as below) it is possible to attend as an observer. If you'd like to attend as an observer, please send an email to thinktank _at_ icad.org.

The ThinkTank is your chance to set a whole roomful of auditory researchers to work on your particular research issue, to help you choose which method, tool or technique to use to save you from heading down a dead end. Besides providing breakthrough insights into your particular project the ThinkTank will foster friendships and networks that are essential in an international community for auditory display.

Attendees will be selected from those who make a submission by Monday 11 April 2016.

What to Submit

Cover Letter for ThinkTank Proposal Packet

Your cover letter should include the following information:

Statement of interest in participating in the ThinkTank.
Full name of School and Department in which you are taking your degree.
Current stage in the your academic program (e.g., completed MS, 2 years into PhD.
Name of the supervising professor.
Your full contact information: address, phone number, and email address.
Title of the research and keywords pertinent to the research.
The URL of your web page (if any).

Two-page Research Interest Summary

The body of the research summary should provide a clear overview of the research that you have already conducted; is in the process of completing; has planned; or ideas for research that you would like to pursue. The statement should discuss the relevance and potential impact of the research on the field, and discuss its broader impact in the world. You are encouraged to include the following sections:

Introduction and problem description.
Brief background and overview of the existing literature.
Goal of the research.
Current status of the research.
Preliminary results accomplished, if any.
Broader Impact of this research.
Open issues, topics to be discussed at the ThinkTank, and expected outcomes from participating in the ThinkTank. For example, you might want to discuss choosing the right tools and techniques, to choosing research topics, to how to organize your thesis, to philosophical or aesthetic issues - anything where you could benefit from the perspectives and experience of other students and expertise from the panel.

Letter of Recommendation

Enclose a letter of recommendation written by your Graduate Advisor/Thesis Advisor/Supervisor. Your advisor/supervisor is asked to verify that you are a graduate student, working in the area of sonification or auditory display. Advisors are also encouraged to include an assessment of the current status of the your research and an indication of the expected date of its completion. In addition, your advisor is encouraged to indicate what she/he hopes you would both gain and contribute by participating in the ThinkTank.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Please prepare a 1-page CV that relates your background, relevant experience, and research accomplishments.

Selection and Notification

Twelve of the submissions will be selected by the Panel for formal presentation and "think-tanking". Notifications of selection will be emailed by 2nd May, 2016. The selected problems will be representative examples of a widespread problem, or will be particularly interesting or difficult (as determined by the expert Panel). Each student whose problem is selected will prepare a 15 minute presentation for the ThinkTank which will be followed by a 15 minute discussion by everyone in attendance. The Panel will present a report on the think-tank in the ICAD 2016 conference program.

All those who submit a problem may participate in the ThinkTank to observe the presentations and join in the discussions; however, only the twelve selected submissions will be able to make a formal oral presentation. Even if your problem is not selected you will leave with a sense of what other students are doing and how they are approaching problems in auditory display, as well as new friends to talk about your project with during the rest of the ICAD 2016 conference and in the future. If your problem is selected, you may also leave with the breakthrough you need!

Full details about the conference can be found on the conference website icad.org/icad2016/ The website will be kept up to date (including details of all the confirmed panel members).

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is available as follows:

Thanks to funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), students based in the USA who are selected to present at the Think Tank will receive air fare (from within the US), ICAD conference registration, and funding towards 6 nights accommodation.
Students from outside the USA who are selected to present are not eligible for the NSF travel and accommodation subsidy, though they will be given free ICAD conference registration.
Any other students (US-based or not) who are not selected to make a formal presentation and get formal feedback, are still invited to participate in the Think Tank to observe the presentations and join in the discussions; they are not eligible to receive any funding.

ThinkTank Panel

The ThinkTank Panel comprises six international researchers who work across a range of disciplines covered by auditory display.

How to Submit

Please email your proposal to thinktank _at_ icad.org by 11rd April, 2016. Notifications of selection will be emailed back to the addresses used for submission by 2nd May, 2016.

Contacting us

If you have any questions about the ThinkTank, please feel free to email the Panel Chair at thinktank _at_ icad.org.