3rd ACM Workshop on Networked Systems for Developing Regions (NSDR)
To be held with the 22nd ACM Symposium on Operating Systems Principles (SOSP)

Big Sky Resort, Big Sky, Montana
October 11th, 2009
http://www.dritte.org/nsdr09

** Important Dates **

Submission Deadline: June 15
Notification: August 5
Camera-ready: September 5
Workshop: October 11

** Background **

Following on two successful workshops hosted with ACM SIGCOMM in 2007
and 2008, the 3rd ACM Workshop on Networked Systems for Developing Regions
(NSDR '09) will provide a venue for researchers to present ideas and
results concerning the design, implementation and evaluation of new
computing and communications technologies serving developing regions.

The decreasing cost and increasing access to information and
communication technologies (e.g., mobile phones) are rapidly enabling
access to new services and markets for previously disconnected
populations. However, due to a variety of factors, including cost,
literacy, education, and organizational capacity, conventional
approaches to technology design and implementation are often not
relevant. Moreover, empirical evidence for the impact of such
technologies is largely anecdotal, beyond a few well-known and
well-cited examples.

Addressing this requires engagement of several disciplines, including
but not limited to economics, sociology, anthropology, and political
science, and expertise in a variety of application areas - including
government, health, finance and agriculture. NSDR focuses on
addressing significant technical challenges (e.g., communication
infrastructure in rural areas, novel caching techniques for challenged
networks, security issues arising in such contexts), and on the
deployment and evaluation of novel technologies or applications that
address a specific need (e.g. providing remote financial services or
health care).

** Papers **

We encourage submission of position papers or the results of
preliminary work describing interesting, original, previously
unpublished ideas or results pertaining to the design, implementation
and/or evaluation of networks and systems for developing regions.
Accepted papers will:
- propose new research directions;
- target a specific application;
- inform design and/or deployment;
- or generate lively debate at the workshop.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Low-cost wireless connectivity
- Intermittent systems
- Power-efficient systems
- Low-cost computing devices
- Mobile systems and applications
- Adapting content and applications for local languages
- User interfaces for low-literacy populations
- Design and evaluation of applications for public health,
microfinance, agriculture, e-governance, education, monitoring,
disaster management, etc.

** Submission **

Submissions must be no greater than 6 pages (six pages) in length (including
figures and references), must be a PDF file, and must follow formatting
guidelines and instructions at http://www.dritte.org/nsdr09/submit.html.
Submissions that deviate from these guidelines will be rejected
without consideration. Reviews will be SINGLE-BLIND: authors' names
and affiliations should be included in the submission.

Authors of accepted papers are expected to present their papers at the
workshop. Submissions must be original work not under review at any
other workshop, conference or journal.

** Program Committee **

Vivek Pai, Princeton (co-chair)
Tapan Parikh, UC Berkeley (co-chair)
Muneeb Ali, Princeton
John Bennett, Colorado
Gaetano Borriello, U. Washington
Eric Brewer, UC Berkeley
Ravi Jain, Google
S. Keshav, Waterloo
KyoungSoo Park, Pittsburgh
Bhaskaran Raman, IIT-Mumbai
Umar Saif, LUMS
Lakshmi Subramanian, NYU
Bill Thies, MSR India
Kentaro Toyama, MSR India