Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP) is Sweden’s largest individual research program, and provides a platform for academic research and education, fostering interaction with Sweden’s leading companies. The program addresses research in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and software as enabling technologies for development of systems acting in collaboration with humans, adapting to their environment through sensors, information and knowledge, and forming intelligent systems of systems. WASP strengthens, expands, and renews the national competence through new strategic recruitments, a challenging research program, a national graduate school, and collaboration with industry. The program is conducted in close cooperation between leading Swedish universities with an aim to promote the competence of Sweden as a nation within the area of AI, autonomous systems and software.
Aim and scope
WASP now announces a call for expedition projects within AI, autonomous systems and software. In this call WASP accepts applications from Chalmers University of Technology, Linköping University, Lund University, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and Umeå University.
Applicants are encouraged to form multidisciplinary teams across departments or universities to combine their research expertise in the identification of compelling research topics that promise disruptive innovations in AI, autonomous systems and software for several years to come. The expedition concept is modelled on NSF’s Expeditions in Computing and can be described as high gain / high risk targeted expeditions with a specific challenging goal rather than long term thematic frameworks.
An expedition consists of two PIs and two to four PostDocs during two years, with a possible extension of two more years after evaluation. It is considered an advantage if the PIs are from different disciplines, different universities, or if the PIs have never collaborated before. A PI may only be involved in one expedition proposal. More than two Postdocs can only be funded if the two PIs belong to different universities and if they bring different expertise to the project and have no significant prior history of collaboration.
The PIs should be able to devote at least 20% of their time to the active research and coordination in the project. The PIs will receive WASP funding corresponding to 20% of their salary costs. In the application it should be clearly described how the PIs will be able to make this time available. WASP will cover the salary costs of the PostDocs plus travel and material costs according to standard WASP model.
Evaluation process
The evaluation process will be performed in two steps. In the first step, only a short proposal will be evaluated based on the scientific potential of the proposal, the disruptive character of the proposal, the relevance to WASP, the scientific excellence of the PIs, the active participation of the PIs in the project, and the added value gained from collaboration. Selected projects will then be invited to submit full proposals which again will be evaluated. It is an advantage if the PostDocs are identified at this stage but it is not a requirement. The PostDocs do not need to be evaluated by WASP.
The first short proposal should contain the following:
- Short Project Description (max 1 page, 11 font Times New Roman)
The project description should include a short paragraph about the complementarity of the two applicants and
how the collaboration will be practically conveyed.
- Maximum one additional page containing as four separate parts:
-
- Relevance to WASP
- Disruptive/transformative aspect of the project
- Explanation of how the two PIs should be able to each devote 20% of their time to the project
- Earlier collaborations between the two PIs
- CVs of the two main PIs. Each CV should be max 2 pages and include
-
- Name, title and affiliation
- PhD year
- List of ongoing project
- List of current PhD students and postdocs
- List of 5 most important publications since 2005
- Link to Google scholar profile
The application should be written in English and uploaded as a single PDF file in EasyChair at https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=waspx2018
During the evaluation the aim is, to the extent possible, to respect a reasonable balance between the different areas in WASP and between the universities.
Timeline
May 2: Call opens
Aug 10: Deadline short proposal
Sep 10: Decision about short proposals communicated
Sep 28: Deadline long proposals
Oct 27: Final decisions communicated
For general information on WASP: http://wasp-sweden.org
For further information on the expedition projects, please contact Karl-Erik Årzén,karlerik@control.lth.se, +46 46 2228782.