AGENTLINK UPDATE # 60 -- 24 May 2004 This is the email newsletter of AgentLink -- Europe's Network of Excellence for Agent-based Computing. The AgentLink WWW site is http://www.AgentLink.org/ IMPORTANT: Please take the time to ensure that every member of your group receives a copy of the AgentLink update. If you have a group mail alias, why not get this alias to be added to the mailing list? To subscribe/unsubscribe to this mailing list simply send a request to mailto:coordinator@agentlink.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * New AgentLink Website * EASSS Summer School * AgentLink News Issue 14 now available * AgentLink Deployment Survey * Call for Research Event Support Proposals ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * New AgentLink Website Over the last few months we have been updating the AgentLink website, and are pleased to announce that the new version has gone live. To visit the new site, and to apply to become a member of AgentLink III, visit: http://www.agentlink.org/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * EASSS Summer School After successful summer schools on Agent Systems in Utrecht, Saarbrucken, Prague, Bologna and Barcelona, AgentLink III organises the 6th European Agent Systems Summer School Liverpool, UK, 5 - 9 July 2004. Please note: early registration is untill 25 May, registration until 25 June! EASSS 2004 will consist of a mixture of introductory and advanced courses delivered by internationally leading experts in the agent field, and will cover the full range of theoretical and practical aspects of agent-based computing. EASSS'04 is open to anyone from research or industry, both AgentLink members and non-members alike. A registration fee will be charged to cover costs, but some support will also be available for PhD students. There are several cheap connections from European cities to Liverpool, and convenient intercontinental flights to London or Manchester. For more information and registration: http://www.agentlink.org/happenings/easss/2004/index.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- * AgentLink News Issue 14 now available The fourteenth issue of the AgentLink newsletter is now available online -- go to http://www.agentlink.org/newsletter/ As usual, hardcopies will be sent to all AgentLink members in due course. Agentlink Report AgentLink III Peter McBurney, Terry Payne Project Report The Agentcities/openNet Testbed Steven Willmott Standards Latest News from the Standardisation World Monique Calisti Agent Research Overview Automated Market Mechanism Design Steve Phelps, Peter McBurney AgentLink Report AgentLink III Workpackages - Industry Action (Michal Pechoucek) - Standardisation Activity (Monique Calisti) - Research Action (Steven Willmott) - Student Integration Programme (Wiebe van der Hoek) - Technical Forum (Andrea Omicini) - Technological Roadmap (Michael Luck) Book Review Agent-Based Software Development Jordi Sabater Site Report Calico Jack LTD Brian Boswell Events Calendar We are always interested in receiving articles for the newsletter. If you are interested in writing a short, high level article, or want to provide a report on projects or industrial agent systems, then email editor@agentlink.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * AgentLink Deployment Survey The first call for the new *Deployment of Agent technology* survey has been published, which is being organised by the Agentlink Networked Agents technical forum in order to: * better understand how people are using agent technology. * what projects are active and which tools are available. * what barriers remain to take up. The survey has two components: a web based survey which takes about 15-20 minutes to fill in, and a call for short (3 page) descriptions of either ongoing agent related projects or tools/systems which will go to a compiled list of tools/projects on the networked agents web site: http://x-opennet.org/netagents/ The results of both the survey and the tools/projects submissions will be made available on-line and at a sumposium in Rome (June 30th - 1st July) in conjunction with the other Agentlink Technical Fora. If you would like to attend the event please follow the instructions on the above web site. So if you are: * involved in agent research / development / deployment * working in research projects which might use agent technology. * developing tools / services / products which might be used in developing agent systems Please consider taking the survey and submitting descriptions. This is your chance to say what works and what sucks :-). Note that the surveys are open only for the *next month*: * Deadline for survey submissions (web): 18th June * Deadline for 3 page project or tool descriptions: 11th June Looking forward to your contributions! For more information please see: * http://x-opennet.org/netagents/ * http://wwww.agentlink.org/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * Agentlink III: Call for Research Event Support Proposals (Call open March 2004 October 2005) The Agentlink III project is committed to supporting European Research activities in the area of Agent Technology and under its research coordination action is able to provide various types of support for research and scientific events related to Agent technology. The objective of this support is to pump-prime research in strategically important areas, support emerging new areas, encourage inter-disciplinary links and support access to leading events in particular for students from under-resourced regions. The call for support proposals is open from March 2004 and Agentlink therefore warmly welcomes proposals for support from the community Types of Support Agentlink III Can Give --------------------------------------- Through this activity Agentlink can provide the following types of support: * Cooperation: support through promotion of the event via the Agentlink III event listings (Agentlink web site), use of the Agentlink logo and a statement supported by Agentlink on the event web site if desired. * Technical Support: support through suggestions of speakers, topics or Agentlink III member groups which may be relevant to the event and could be contacted (specifically intended for interdisciplinary events), use of the Agentlink logo and a statement supported by Agentlink on the event web site if desired. * Sponsorship: support through a financial contribution toward some aspect of event costs examples include but are not limited to: supporting speaker travel / subsistence costs, supporting student attendance at events to which they would otherwise not have access, supporting items such as best paper awards. How to Apply ------------ To have your event considered for funding you need to submit a short request for support to Agentlink via the following address: research-action@agentlink.org (email plain text preferred). The application should include: * Your name and contact details (including email, telephone, fax and postal address). * The organisation you work for. * Your role in the organisation of the event (chair, PC member, etc.). * Agentlink membership number (if applicable). * Title and acronym of the event. * Location and dates of the event. * URL of the events homepage (if available) * A declaration of any other European Project support the event is receiving, has applied for or is planning to apply for. * Name of any event it is collocated with. * A short description (max 300 words) of the event. * A copy of the (draft) event call for papers if appropriate. * A short description of the kind of support you are looking for (indicate the type of support, and for financial support indicate the requested amount and the specific purpose to which this amount will be allocated). * A short justification of the need for such support and benefit to the European Agent research community. Once you have made the application please allow some time for processing (typically we expect this to be a month however it could be longer: please allow plenty of time before your event when applying). Applications should be sent to research-action@agentlink.org. Further details on applications, including a description of the evaluation process, the types of events that AgentLink can support, conditions/expectations on awards, and a FAQ can be found at http://www.agentlink.org/. Contact -------- - Steven Willmott, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC)