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FOIS XI (2020 -> 2021) Postponed

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11th International Conference on Formal Ontology in Information Systems (FOIS XI)

Unfortunately, because of the Corona situation we had to postpone FOIS XI by one year. Thus, the conference will occur in September 13-16, 2021 in Bozen.

Here is what this means in practical terms:

– FOIS technical papers (main track): The paper submission for the FOIS XI main technical track is now closed and papers are in review. The accepted papers will be published and made available in open access in 2020.  Authors of these papers may present their publications in September 2021, but this is optional.

– Early Career Symposium, Demo and Industry Track, Ontology Show and Tell: The submission to these tracks is closed for now and will be re-opened in Spring 2021.

Given the delay of FOIS XI, it was suggested to organise a second round of submissions for technical papers with a deadline in spring 2021. One challenge is that the proceedings of the first round of submissions will already have been published at that time. We are currently looking for a solution for that issue that will enable a high-quality publication of the second round of submissions.

 

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CONFIRMED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
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Arianna Betti, University of Amsterdam
Nicola Guarino, ISTC-CNR, Trento
Stefan Schulz, Medical University of Graz———————————–

DEFINITION AND SCOPE
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The advent of complex information systems that rely on robust, coherent and formal representations of their subject matter, has led to the exploitation of ontological analysis and ontology-based representation. The systematic study of such analysis and representation is at the center of the modern discipline of formal ontology, which is a general theory of the types of entities and relations making up domains of interest.Researchers in many domains engage with formal ontology to provide a solid foundation for their work. Common application areas include conceptual modeling, database design, knowledge engineering and management, software engineering, organizational modeling, artificial intelligence, robotics, computational linguistics, the life sciences, bioinformatics and scientific research in general, geographic information science, information retrieval, library and information science, and the Semantic Web.The FOIS conference is a meeting point for all researchers with an interest in formal ontology. The conference encourages new high quality submissions on both theoretical issues and concrete applications. As in previous years, FOIS 2020 aims to be a nexus of interdisciplinary research and communication.FOIS is the flagship conference of the International Association for Ontology and its Applications (IAOA: http://iaoa.org/), which is a non-profit organization promoting interdisciplinary research and international collaboration in formal ontology.

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FORMAT
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FOIS 2020 includes a number of activities:
* FOIS conference (single track program)
* workshops
* tutorials
* a young researchers symposium
* a demo and industry track
* an ontology show and tell

 

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TOPICS OF INTEREST
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Areas of particular interest to FOIS include the following:

Foundational Issues
* Kinds of entities: particulars/universals, continuants/occurrents, abstracta/concreta, dependent entities/independent entities, natural objects/artifacts
* Formal relations: parthood, identity, connection, dependence, constitution, causality, subsumption, instantiation
* Vagueness and granularity
* Space, time, and changeMethodological issues
* Top-level vs. domain-specific ontologies
* Role of reference ontologies
* Ontology similarity, integration and alignment
* Ontology modularity, contextuality, and evolution
* Formal comparison among ontologies
* Relationship with cognition, language, semantics, context
* Ontologies and Knowledge GraphsDomain-specific ontologies
* Ontology of physical reality (matter, space, time, motion etc.)
* Ontology of biological reality (organisms, genes, proteins, cells etc.)
* Ontology of mental reality and agency (beliefs, intentions, emotions, perceptions, cognition,  etc.)
* Ontology of artifacts, functions, capacities and roles
* Ontology of social reality (institutions, organizations, norms, social relationships, artistic expressions etc.)Applications
* Ontology-driven information systems design
* Ontological foundations for conceptual modeling
* Knowledge management
* Qualitative modeling
* Computational linguistics
* Information retrieval
* Semantic Web
* Business modeling
* Ontologies and Machine Learning
* Ontologies and Explainable AI
* Ontologies for particular scientific disciplines (biology, chemistry, geography, physics, geoscience, cognitive sciences, linguistics etc.)
* Ontologies for engineering: shape, form and function, artifacts, manufacturing, design, architecture etc.
* Ontologies for the humanities: arts, cultural studies, history, literature, philosophy, etc.
* Ontologies for the social sciences: economics, law, political science, anthropology, archeology, etc.

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CONFERENCE ORGANISATION
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General Chair
* Roberta Ferrario (ISTC CNR, Trento, Italy)

Program Chairs
* Boyan Brodaric (Geological Survey of Canada, Canada)
* Fabian Neuhaus (Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany)

Local Organization
* Oliver Kutz (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy)
* Nicolas Troquard (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy)

Publicity Chairs
* Guendalina Righetti (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy)
* Maria Hedblom (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy)

Proceedings Chair
* Megan Katsumi (University of Toronto)

Workshop / Tutorial Chairs
* Torsten Hahmann (University of Maine)
* Claudio Masolo (ISTC CNR, Trento, Italy)

Ontology Show and Tell
* Michael Gruninger (University of Toronto)
* Frank Loebe (University of Leipzig)

Early Career Symposium
* Pawel Garbacz (John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin)
* Selja Seppala (University College Cork)

Demo and Industrial Track Chairs
* Robert Hoehndorf (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)
* Amanda Vizedom (Credit Suisse)

JULY SWAO MONTHLY REPORT

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The Semantic Web Applied Ontology (SWAO) Special Interest Group will be embarking on a new project to develop a guide for ontology development. Though there are existing guides to ontology development we feel there are gaps in the level of detail of ontological analysis. The intent of this project is to create a guide that will be easy enough to use, but still provide a greater measure of analysis. The goal is to provide more robust ontologies.

JUNE SWAO MONTHLY REPORT

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Many communities are now designing and employing semantic technologies, including the knowledge graphs, big data, linked data, and semantic web communities.  These communities actually share many common goals, but the level of collaboration between these communities and the Applied Ontology community has been much less than expected.  SWAO was established to bring all perspectives to the table, thus creating a forum for the multiple communities to work collaboratively in tackling common problems. All are welcome to participate regardless of membership or affiliation.

 

SWAO is currently engaged in two major activities:

 

  1. “Ontology Articulation Guidelines”
  2. Special Issue “Toward Meaningful Explanations” in the Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences

CALL FOR FUNDING REQUESTS FOR 2020/2021

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Dear IAOA members,

one of IAOA’s missions is to foster research on Ontology and the dissemination thereof. The Executive Council is seeking proposals to sponsor scientific events in the domain of Applied Ontology. Given the current pandemic situation, we are open to proposals of physical as well as virtual meetings, e.g., workshops, conferences, summer schools. The goal is to support new initiatives in the community at large rather than to provide repeated funding. The events eligible should be scheduled to take place between July 2020 and June 2021.

If you would like to organize a scientific event with the support of IAOA, please provide the following information:

1.) Event title and description of topic
2.) Primary organizer contact information (with email address)
3.) Names and affiliations of all organizers; please indicate
who among the organizers is currently an IAOA member
4.) Dates (approximately, if no dates are fixed yet) and venue
5.) Event of which the event is a satellite (if applicable)
6.) Pointer to descriptions of previous editions of the event, if any
7.) Format of the event and schedule
(for example, paper presentations, tutorials, demo sessions, etc.)
8.) How much money you need from IAOA (up to 500 Euros per event)
and how it is planned to be used
9.) Any additional funding from sources other than the IAOA
(already confirmed or targeted)
10.) Plans for dissemination of the event’s result(s)
(publication in proceedings, special issue in journals, etc.)
11.) Projected audience: numbers, level
(students, academics, researchers, business people, etc.)
12.) Other information worth mentioning (program committee, etc.)

DEADLINE

Submission of proposals: 25 June 2020 (Thursday; UTC-12)

CONTACT INFORMATION

Submissions and questions regarding funding proposals should be sent to secretary@iaoa.org .

Best regards,
Frank Loebe
(IAOA Secretary)

RESULTS OF THE BALLOT ON THE 2019 FINANCIAL REPORT

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Dear IAOA Members,

we are grateful to everyone who spent time on our Virtual Assembly and who expressed their votes concerning the 2019 Financial Report [5]. The ballot was closed with the end of May 6, 2020.
The 2019 Financial Report has been approved by all participants of the ballot. These results are listed below and on [1,2].
Many thanks to everyone actively engaged!

In case there remain any further questions, please feel free to contact us at [3] or send issues of general relevance to the members’ mailing list [4].

Additionally we thank Ken Baclawski for preparing the 2019 Financial Report, the Auditors for their work controlling the report and the books, and those who coordinated the ballot and set up the voting system.

Finally, thanks to you once more for your contributions.

Best wishes,

Laure Vieu
President, IAOA

== Voting results of the ballot in May 2020 ==

Ballot item: 2019 Financial Report [5]
Total number of members / entitled to vote:  60
No quorum required
Total number of votes:                       20
Participation rate:                          33.3 %
Ballot Results:
Yes:     20 (100%)
No:       0 ( 0.0%)
Abstain:  0 ( 0.%)

== References ==

[1] https://wiki.iaoa.org/index.php/IAOA_Assembly_2020_04

[2] https://iaoa.org/members/users/iaoa-res2020.php

[3] info at iaoa.org

[4] iaoa-member at ovgu.de

[5] https://iaoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/iaoa-ch-financial-report-2019.pdf

FOIS 2020 – EXTENDED DEADLINE: MAY 13, 2020

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Foremost, the FOIS 2020 organizing committee hopes you are all in good health and not too low spirits in the present situation!

The updated deadline for submission to FOIS is MAY 13.

Though it is not possible at the moment to reach a final decision about the shape of  the conference event itself, we can announce that the organisation team of FOIS 2020 is committed to publishing the FOIS proceedings with IOS Press in 2020, in electronic format with permanent open access.

Thus, the paper submission and selection process will run just as expected. FOIS will happen as a face-to-face event in Bolzano when it is safe to travel. Ideally, in September 2020 but otherwise at a later date in 2021, in coordination with other BOSK events.

Physical attendance at FOIS 2020 will be optional for the authors, regardless of whether the conference will happen in September 2020 or at some later date in 2021.

We warmly invite you all again to submit your papers to FOIS 2020.

The FOIS 2020 Organizing Committee

IAOA first 2020 Virtual Assembly Announcement

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Dear IAOA members,

Our Statutes [1] require the Association’s Financial Statement to be formally approved every year by a (virtual) assembly.

This is a formal invitation to participate in the first 2020 virtual assembly, whose main purpose is to discuss and approve the 2019 Financial Statement. The report from the Auditors on the Financial Statement and the proposed budget for 2020 will also be made available.

The auditors are currently examining the financial documents.
We will send a brief notification as soon as the Financial Statement,  approved by the auditors, is available, by April 16. Then the discussion on it (and possibly other issues concerning the Association) can take place until April 23, 2020. Finalized details will be published by April 28, 2020. The voting period will be April 29-May 6, 2020 — save these dates!

Everyone with an active IAOA membership is eligible to vote. Detailed voting instructions will be available from the Assembly page [2] and shall be distributed anew at ballot opening.

The Assembly may approve the Financial Statement by simple majority; there is no quorum. The outcome of the voting will be announced to the members’ mailing list by May 8, 2020.

Laure Vieu
President, IAOA

[1] https://iaoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/iaoa-ch-statute-2016-06-23-en_v12.pdf

[2] https://wiki.iaoa.org/index.php/IAOA_Assembly_2020_04

Results of the 1st IAOA Virtual Assembly 2019

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Dear IAOA Members,

we are grateful to everyone who spent time on our Virtual Assembly and
who expressed their votes concerning the 2018 Financial Report. The
ballot was closed with the end of April 15, 2019 (anywhere = UTC-12).

The 2018 Financial Report has been approved by all participants of the
ballot except for one, who abstained. These results are listed below and
on [1,2]. Many thanks to everyone actively engaged!

In case there remain any further questions, please feel free to contact
[3] info@iaoa.org or send issues of general relevance to the members'
mailing list [4].

Additionally we thank Ken Baclawski for preparing the 2018 Financial
Report, the Auditors for their work controlling the report and the
books, and those who coordinated the ballot and set up the voting system.
Finally, thanks to you once more for your contributions.

Best wishes,
Laure Vieu
President, IAOA


== Voting results of the ballot in April 2019 ==

Ballot item: 2018 Financial Report [5]

Total number of members / entitled to vote:  72
No quorum required
Total number of votes:                       17
Participation rate:                          23.6 %

Ballot 1 (Approval of the 2018 Financial Report)
Yes:     16 (94.1%)
No:       0 ( 0.0%)
Abstain:  1 ( 5.9%)


== References ==

[1] http://ontologforum.org/index.php/IAOA_Assembly_2019_04

[2] https://iaoa.org/members/users/iaoa-res2019.php

[3] info@iaoa.org

[4] iaoa-member@ovgu.de

[5]
https://iaoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/iaoa-ch-financial-report-2018.pdf

FIRST IAOA ASSEMBLY FOR 2019

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Dear IAOA members,

our Statutes [1] require the Association’s Financial Statement to be formally approved every year by a (virtual) assembly.

This is a formal invitation to participate in the first 2019 virtual assembly, whose main purpose is to discuss and approve the 2018 Financial Statement.

The Financial Statement [2] is available from the Assembly page [3], together with the Auditors’ report.

Then the discussion on it (and possibly other issues concerning the Association) took place until April 05, 2019.

Finalized details on the assembly and voting procedure have been published on April 09, 2019 on the Assembly page [3].

The voting period is April 10-15, 2019. The ballot is now open, please cast your vote!

Everyone with an active IAOA membership is eligible to vote. Detailed voting instructions are available from the Assembly page [3] and have been distributed anew on April 10 just before ballot opening.

The Assembly may approve the Financial Statement by simple majority; there is no quorum. The outcome of the voting is planned to be announced to the members’ mailing list by April 18, 2019.

Laure Vieu

President, IAOA

 

[1] https://iaoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/iaoa-ch-statute-2016-06-23-en_v12.pdf

[2] https://iaoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/iaoa-ch-financial-report-2018.pdf

[3] http://ontologforum.org/index.php/IAOA_Assembly_2019_04

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