[pept:161] NSF Workshop -- Science of Design: Software-Intensive Systems

[Kevin Sullivan <sullivan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> (by way of Robert Glueck)]

                   Science of Design: Software-Intensive Systems
                A National Science Foundation Invitational Workshop
                   November 2-4, 2003, Airlie Center, Virginia

                             Call for Position Papers
                       Submission Deadline: October 1, 2003


OVERVIEW

The National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Directorate for Computer and
Information Science and Engineering is sponsoring an invitational workshop
on the topic of Science of Design with a particular emphasis on Software-
Intensive Systems.  The workshop will be held at Airlie Center, 30 miles
from Dulles International Airport, November 2-4, 2003.  The workshop
objective is to help the NSF better define the field and its major open
problems and to prioritize important research issues.  This call seeks
contributions from both U.S. and international participants. Invitations
will be based on a short position statement, the author's likely
contribution to workshop objectives, and factors such as diversity of views
and backgrounds.

SCOPE

Essentially every modern technological artifact, system, or process is based
on a design--an idea, plan, or scheme for the structure, behavior, function,

and value of that thing.  A design is the product of a process of designing
of that desired artifact, system, process.  Moreover, the design itself is
an artifact and is designed.  A science of design, then, is an organized
body of knowledge about the designs and designing of artifacts and the
designs and designing of their designs.  For example, the designing of a
software-intensive system yields an overall system design, including
designs for its computational processes in the form of software artifacts.
The system, its component computational processes, and the overall system
and software designs are all subject to designing.  A science of design
thus pertains to both end products (e.g., safety, ease of use) and to their
designs (e.g., modularity, analyzability).  The scope of this workshop is
broad enough to include all of these levels, with a particular emphasis on
the role of computation and software in the context of software-intensive
systems. The term design here is not meant to refer merely to an idealized
stage of software development between specification and coding.

Past research investments in understanding the design of software-intensive
systems have paid off handsomely in improved design capabilities.
Nevertheless, software-intensive systems are creating tremendous
possibilities, posing significant risks, and having great impacts on our
society; and our knowledge of how to design them effectively---and our
knowledge of the nature of design itself---still falls far short of what is
needed. The goal of this workshop is to address this need by providing
guidance to the National Science Foundation of the formulation of a science
of design (subject, scope, methods, norms, etc.), major open problems, and
important research priorities for a ten-year time frame.

Position papers may address issues to include but not limited to the
following. While ideas are welcome from all fields where design is a focus,
the emphasis is on fundamental issues for software and software-intensive
systems.

* Representations and notations for designs and design tasks
* Role of problem formulation, value, and purpose in design
* Problem-solving techniques and processes involved in design
* Design, task, contract, and industry structures
* Complexity, fit, adaptability between natural & software-intensive systems

* Implications of changing technology-networks, agents, wireless, sensors...
* Automation of design for software-intensive systems
* Human and social issues in software and software-intensive system design
* The statistical nature of software designs and design processes
* Evaluation of software and software-intensive system designs
* Representing and addressing complexity in software-intensive systems
* Relationship of science, practice, & education in software-based systems
* Nature and limits of a science that could account for design and designing
* Broader impacts on society


SUBMITTING

By submitting a paper you agree to attend the entire workshop should you be
invited.  Papers, written in English, must be submitted by 12:00 noon EDT,
on Wednesday, October 1, 2003.  Papers must be formatted as PDF files in 11
point type and must not exceed two U.S. letter size pages.  Longer papers
will not be considered.  Papers should state a position/perspective and also

include author's background relevant to the workshop. Send position papers
to sod-submission@cs.virginia.edu.  Responses will be sent out as soon as
possible.

SCHEDULE

Work will begin on the evening of Sunday, November 2, giving most
participants an option but not an obligation to fly in on Saturday, November

1. Work will end at 3:00 PM, Tuesday November 4, in time for most
participants to return home that day.

ETHOS

The workshop will be organized for collaborative thinking and interaction.
Position papers will not be presented in conference fashion, but they will
be made available to all participants and all participants will be expected
to read them prior to the workshop.  Participants will be discouraged from
advocating for their own research agendas and will encouraged to step back
from current research topics and agendas, to think broadly and reflectively,

and to move toward a new set of problem formulations and research
priorities.

FUNDING

The workshop budget is sufficient to cover most reasonable participant
expenses, up to a defined limit, to include travel, accommodations, and
meals.

WEB SITE

The workshop web site is http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~sullivan/sodsis.html

PROGRAM COMMITTEE

* Baldwin, Carliss, Harvard Business School
* Brooks, Fred, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Computer Science
* Dym, Clive, Harvey Mudd College Department of Engineering
* Green, Cordell, Kestrel Institute
* Jackson, Michael, Consultant
* Kay, Alan, HP Labs; Viewpoint Research Institute; UCLA
* Kiczales, Gregor, University of British Columbia, Computer Science
* Morrisett, Greg, Cornell University Department of Computer Science
* Nielsen, Jakob, Nielsen Norman Group
* Notkin, David, University of Washington Computer Science and Engineering
* Shaw, Mary, Carnegie Mellon University Computer Science Department
* Sullivan, Kevin, University of Virginia Computer Science (Workshop Chair)
* Taylor, Richard, University of California, Irvine, Information & Computer
Science

---

Kevin Sullivan
Associate Professor and Endowed Faculty Fellow
University of Virginia Department of Computer Science