[hpc-announce] [PADS 2024] ***Final Call for Papers***

[Federica Montesano]

==========================================================================

      38th ACM SIGSIM PADS International Conference: Call for Papers
                Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
       Special Interest Group for Simulation and Modeling (SIGSIM)
     Conference on Principles of Advanced Discrete Simulation (PADS)
                             June 24-26, 2024
                          Atlanta, Georgia, USA
                  https://sigsim.acm.org/conf/pads/2024/

==========================================================================


FINAL CALL: February 11, 2024!

We are delighted to announce the 38th ACM SIGSIM PADS International
Conference. SIGSIM PADS is the flagship conference of ACM's Special
Interest Group on Simulation and Modeling (SIGSIM).

The ACM SIGSIM PADS conference focuses on cutting-edge research at the
intersection of Computer Science and Modeling and Simulation (M&S).
High-quality papers are solicited in all aspects of M&S. This year brings
about fresh changes, including the introduction of thematic tracks and a
two-phase submission process, ensuring a more diversified and comprehensive
participation.

We encourage submissions that align with the tracks, especially the
emerging topics which offer a novel focus for the year. The topics of the
tracks are not considered comprehensive: we accept high-quality papers on
all aspects of M&S.


REGULAR TRACKS
--------------

1. Simulation algorithms and infrastructure
   Track Chair: Francesco Quaglia (Tor Vergata University of Rome,
                Italy)

   - Synchronization, scheduling, memory management, load balancing,
     runtime
     environments, fault tolerance
   - Simulation on emerging hardware platforms
   - Simulation in cloud environments, simulation as a service
   - Data-driven simulation systems: Digital Twins, DDDAS, symbiotic
     simulation
   - Simulation engines and techniques for differentiable simulation and
     reinforcement learning
   - Performance evaluation of simulation systems

2. Modeling Methodology
   Track Chair: Adelinde Uhrmacher (University of Rostock, Germany)

   - Modeling formalisms and domain-specific languages
   - Model reuse, composition, interoperability, and provenance
   - Hybrid (continuous & discrete) modeling
   - Experiment design, V&V, model calibration, simulation-based
     inference
   - Automatic model generation, data-driven model creation
   - Big data-driven modeling and output analysis

3. Applications of advanced discrete simulation methods
   Track Co-Chairs: Kevin Jin (University of Arkansas, AS, USA)
                    Philipp Andelfinger (University of Rostock, Germany)

   Case studies considering the application of new or advanced
   computational methods to applications of contemporary interest,
   such as:

   - Domain Applications
      * Healthcare and epidemic modeling
      * Transportation and urban planning
      * Manufacturing and logistics optimization
      * Financial systems and market simulations
      * Environmental and climate change modeling
      * Defense and emergency response scenarios
      * Social network and behavior modeling
      * Smart city and infrastructure planning
      * Gaming and entertainment industry applications

   - Network and System Simulations
      * Wireless, mobile, ad-hoc, sensor network simulations
      * Simulation of HPC interconnects, LAN, WAN, and peer-to-peer
        overlay networks
      * Hardware performance prediction via simulation
      * Cyber-physical systems
      * Cyber security and simulation

   - Cross-cutting Simulation Applications
      * Virtual and augmented reality simulations
      * Simulation with Big Data
      * Sustainable and energy-efficient simulation



SPECIAL TRACKS ON EMERGING TOPICS
---------------------------------

1. AI and Simulation
   Track Chair: Christopher Carothers (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,
                NY, USA)

   - Bridging machine learning models with simulation frameworks
   - Real-time AI-driven adaptive simulation environments
   - Training agents in simulated environments
   - Transfer learning from simulation to real-world scenarios
   - Using AI to predict future simulation states or events
   - Enhancing simulation accuracy through AI-driven predictions
   - Incorporating big data analytics into simulation processes
   - Using AI to streamline data preprocessing for simulations
   - Using AI to validate simulation models and outputs
   - Benchmarking AI-driven simulations against traditional methods
   - Employing AI algorithms for simulation optimization tasks
   - Dynamic reconfiguration of simulations based on AI insights
   - Using simulations for data augmentation in deep learning
   - Evaluating and testing neural network robustness in simulated
     scenarios
   - Real-world applications of integrating AI and simulation

2. Quantum Computing and Simulation
   Track Chair: Prasanna Date (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN, USA)

   Novel, impactful, and original contributions highlighting quantum
   simulations including, but not limited to, the following areas are
   highly encouraged:

   - Astronomy
   - Biology
   - Chemistry
   - Chemical Engineering
   - Computer Engineering
   - Economics
   - Electrical & Electronics Engineering
   - Environmental Science
   - Finance
   - Geospatial Science
   - High Energy Physics
   - Information Science
   - Materials Science
   - Mechanical Engineering
   - Medical Science
   - Pharmaceutical Science
   - Physics
   - Quantum Communication & Cryptography
   - Quantum Chemistry
   - Quantum Physics

   The specific topics in the papers can also address novel quantum
   algorithms (including but not limited to quantum monte carlo,
   variational quantum algorithms, quantum machine learning etc.),
   theoretical contributions, architectures, applications, data
   embedding techniques, and any other research contributions that
   aid in quantum simulations.



IMPORTANT DATES
---------------

Submission Deadline, Second Call ...: February 11, 2024 (firm)
Second Notification of Acceptance ..: April 3, 2024
PhD Colloquium Abstracts ...........: April 5, 2024
PhD Colloquium Notification ........: April 17, 2024
Camera Ready .......................: April 24, 2024


The second submission deadline is the traditional PADS deadline. PADS now
offers an additional and optional earlier one, to provide authors with a
unique opportunity to refine their research and enhance the quality of
their submissions.

Papers submitted to the first call may receive reviews that include
suggestions for improvements, areas of concern, and additional points that
can be addressed or incorporated. In this case, authors have an interim
period between the first and second deadlines to consider the feedback,
make revisions, and further polish their submissions. Authors can resubmit
their revised papers to the second call for further revision of their
submission.

Our two-phase process ensures a higher quality of papers through an
iterative feedback loop. This allows authors to engage more deeply in the
review process, gaining a better understanding of where improvements can be
made. By addressing concerns and making improvements, authors increase the
likelihood of their papers being accepted. This process fosters a culture
of excellence and continuous improvement, pushing the boundaries of
research and innovation in the field of M&S.

Papers can also be directly submitted to the second call. A regular review
process will occur in this case, with an accept/reject outcome.

All contributions that meet the standards and criteria set by the
conference committee during this second phase will be accepted for
presentation at the ACM SIGSIM PADS '24 International Conference. For each
accepted paper in any of the tracks (including the PhD Colloquium) and in
the TOMACS special issue, at least one author must attend the conference
and present their work.

All submissions can be made via easychair at the following link:
https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=sigsimpads24



ACM TOMACS SPECIAL ISSUE
------------------------

ACM SIGSIM PADS'24 introduces an exciting opportunity for authors, in
collaboration with ACM Transactions on Modeling and Computer Simulation
(TOMACS).

Selection for the Special Issue. Upon submission of a paper to the ACM
SIGSIM PADS'24 conference, the Technical Program Committee (TPC) holds the
discretion to propose that the paper be included in a special issue of
TOMACS.

Even papers requiring major revisions can be recommended during the first
call for the TOMACS special issue. Authors of these papers will then have
the opportunity to address feedback and submit their revised manuscripts by
the second deadline set for the conference.

Special Issue Publication Timeline: The special issue of TOMACS will be
released concurrently with the Conference Proceedings. This ensures that
the spotlight remains on the most influential and innovative research at
the time of the conference.

Turnaround Time: For papers that require only minor revisions, the
turnaround time from submission to acceptance for the TOMACS special issue
can be as short as 3.5 months. The process will span approximately 6 months
for papers needing major revisions, ensuring authors ample time to refine
and improve their work while benefiting from a timely publication.

Benefits: Selected papers enjoy the prestige of being published in a
special issue of a reputable journal with a short turnaround time. Authors
benefit from rapid feedback, revisions, and publication as well as the
opportunity to present the work at PADS.

Submit your papers and seize the chance to be part of this distinguished
special issue!



PHD COLLOQUIUM
--------------

ACM SIGSIM PADS also invites students to participate in the PhD Colloquium
and Poster Session at the 2024 ACM SIGSIM PADS by submitting an extended
abstract illustrating their research activities.
The extended abstracts must be in double-column format, up to two pages
(including references). Abstracts accepted to the colloquium will be
published in the conference proceedings.
Travel grants are available for students taking part.



PAPER FORMATS
-------------

Papers must be written in English and present original and unpublished
content. All tracks accept full and short paper contributions.

_Full papers_ should be at most 10 pages in ACM proceedings format, not
including references.
_Short papers_ should be at most 4 pages in ACM proceedings format, not
including references.

Short papers should describe interesting, novel research in an early stage
of development or position papers of interest to the community. All short
papers will be fully reviewed and published in the conference proceedings.



PAPER REVIEWING
---------------

All submissions will be reviewed using a double-blind review process, i.e.,
the identity of authors and referees will not be revealed to each other. To
ensure blind reviewing, all identifying information must be removed from
the manuscript: this includes removing authors' names and affiliations,
acknowledgments, funding information, and all references to the authors'
work that would disclose their identity. This information can be added to
accepted manuscripts.



ARTIFACT EVALUATION
-------------------

PADS has joined the group of ACM conferences that have established an
optional reviewing process to evaluate artifacts and reproduce
computational results.

When submitting a contribution, the authors can choose to undergo
evaluation, but this process has no effect on the standard paper evaluation
process, as the reproducibility process only starts after the paper is
accepted.



ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
--------------------

General Chair: Margaret Loper, Associate Director, Information and
Communications Laboratory, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta, GA,
USA.

Program Chair: Alessandro Pellegrini, Assistant Professor, Tor Vergata
University of Rome, Italy.




For further details regarding the submission format, guidelines, and other
conference-related information, please visit the official ACM SIGSIM PADS
website.

-- 
Federica Montesano