:: Theme
Cognitive and Self-Organizing Networks for Disasters Aftermath Assistance

:: Scope
Conventional fixed spectrum allocation cannot successfully cope with the scarcity of radio frequency spectrum. Cognitive radio is a novel technology, which improves the spectrum utilization by seeking and opportunistically utilizing radio resources in time, frequency and space domains on a real time basis. The cognitive radio technology poses many new technical challenges, and overcoming these issues becomes even more challenging due to non-uniform spectrum and other radio resource allocation policies, economic considerations, the inherent transmission impairments of wireless links and user mobility. Cognitive radio technology advances are based on interdisciplinary research, including among others: signal processing, information theory, communications engineering, artifi cial intelligence, game theory, economics and legal issues. This conference aims at publishing high quality research papers related to cognitive radio and its applications.

An important and emerging application of cognitive networks and selforganizing networks, in general, is to help in the aftermath assistance in case of natural or man-made disaster strikes. To give relief in the affected areas, the interested parties, i.e., relief and security groups, need communications support; therefore, a communication network needs to be established as quickly and as easily as possible in order to ensure that rescue and relief efforts are not further hindered. From a communication perspective, a disaster scenario can be characterized as having hazardous spatial environments (with the prevention of infrastructure deployment as a consequence) and possibly radio environments as well (with the impairment of the spectrum bands assigned to disaster relief services as a consequence). Cognitive and self-organizing networks come as a solution to implement disaster relief networks, the latter being infrastructure-less or not.

:: Topics of Interest (but NOT limited to)

Track 1: Spectrum Management
Dynamic Spectrum Sharing Techniques and Policies
Flexible Spectrum Usage and Advanced Cognitive Radio
Interoperability, Interference and Coexistence
Resource Management (RRM)
Spectrum Measurement and Sensing
Spectrum Modeling
Spectrum Sharing

Track 2: Cognitive Radio and Networks Design and Realization
Business and Regulatory Aspects of Spectrum Usage Reform
Cognitive and Heterogeneous Wireless Networking
Cross-Layer Cognitive Algorithms
Fundamental Limits of Cognitive Radio
Implementation, Standardization and Certifi cation of Cognitive Radio
PHY and MAC Layer Design for Cognitive Radio
Security Issues
Self-Organizing and Self-Optimizing Spectrum Management
Software Defined Radio

Track 3: Applications of/to Cognitive Radio
Applications of Cognitive Radio
Applied Sciences to Cognitive Radio and Networks
Cognitive and Self-Organizing Networks for Disasters’ Aftermath Assistance
Learning Techniques for Cognitive Radio
Localization for Cognitive Radio

:: Submission Guidelines
Submitted papers must represent original work that is not currently under review in any other conference or journal, and has not been previously published. Prospective authors are encouraged to submit a 5-pages full paper or a 2-pages extended abstract including results following the instructions in the IEEE conference template. All accepted papers will be granted either an oral presentation or a poster presentation. Please find detailed information for submission at: http://www.isabelconference.com/index.php?page=submission

:: Dissemination
All accepted papers will be published in IEEE Xplore. Selected authors will be invited to submit extended versions of their papers for special issues or fast tracks in well-reputed journals.

:: Best paper awards
One best paper award and one best student paper award will be granted to the authors of the best full papers presented at CogART 2011. Each awarded author will receive a memory placate and one title from John Wiley & Sons.

:: Important Dates
April 15, 2011 | Special session proposals
(submit the Special session proposals template to secretariat@isabelconference.com)
April 15, 2011 | Workshop proposals
(submit the Workshop proposals template to secretariat@isabelconference.com)
May 15, 2011 | Tutorial proposals
(submit the Tutorial proposals template to secretariat@isabelconference.com)
May 15, 2011 | Demo/Prototype proposals
(submit the Demo/Prototype proposals template to secretariat@isabelconference.com)
July 31, 2011 | Regular paper submission
September 05, 2011 | Review completion deadline
September 15, 2011 | Invited paper submission
September 15, 2011 | Notification of acceptance
September 30, 2011 | Camera-ready submission
September 30, 2011 | Video submission
September 30, 2011 | Early registration

:: Tutorials
Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks: Fundamentals and Applications
Prof. Tommaso Melodia, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
Prof. Kaushik Chowdhury, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, USA

:: Invited Special Sessions

CR Enabled Cellular Communication Systems in Spectral White Space
Prof. Peter Jung, Dept. of Communication Technology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

Spectrum Sharing Aspects in Cognitive Radio
Prof. Liljana Gravilovska, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Macedonia

:: Featured Special Sessions
• Cognitive Mesh Networks
• Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks
• Cooperative Cognitive Radio Systems
• Cooperative/Distributed Sensing
• Game Theory for Flexible Spectrum Usage
• Localization for Cognitive Radio
• Machine Learning for Cognitive Radio
• Optimization Problems for Cognitive Radio and Advanced Spectrum Management
• Resource/Network Management for Cognitive Radio
• Self-Organization in Wireless Networks
• Signal Processing in Cooperative Cognitive Radio Systems
• Software Defined Radios
• Spectrum Measurements and Sensing
• Spectrum Sharing, Coexistence and Interference Mitigation

:: Workshops
EU Project Workshop "Cognitive Radio Oriented Wireless Networks (CROWN)"
Dr. Tharm Ratnarajah, ECIT, Queen's University Blest, UK
Prof. Constantinos Papadias, Athens Information Technology (AIT), Greece

:: Registration
http://www.isabelconference.com/index.php?page=cogart

:: Location and Social Events
http://www.isabelconference.com/index.php?page=venue
http://www.isabelconference.com/index.php?page=social

:: Organizing Committee
Dr. Simone Frattasi (General Chair and President)
Dr. Nicola Marchetti (TPC Chair and Vice-President)
Kyranova Ltd, UK
Luigi Frattasi (Logistics and Meeting Planner)
Kyranova Ltd, UK
Alice H. Pedersen (Web Marketing and Secretariat)
Kyranova Ltd, UK

:: Local Advisory Committee
Dr. Mischa Dohler
Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC), Spain
Prof. Angel Lozano
Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Spain
Prof. Gregori Vazquez
Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Spain

:: Technical Programme Committee
http://www.isabelconference.com/index.php?page=cogart#technical_programme

:: Patrons and Sponsors
CTIF (Center for TeleInFrastruktur)
CTTC (Centre Tecnologic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya)
IEEE GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade)
River Publishers
Smiths Medical
UPC (Technical University of Catalonia)
UPF (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
WiseSense (www.wisesense.net)

:: Multimedia
http://www.isabelconference.com/index.php?page=photo
http://www.isabelconference.com/index.php?page=video

:: Contact Information
Alice H. Pedersen (Secretariat)
Kyranova Ltd, 20-22 Bedford Row, London, UK
Phone 1: +39 06 99 34 45 43
Phone 2: +44 14 22 57 17 14
Fax: +39 06 62 20 20 02
E-mail: secretariat@isabelconference.com
URL: www.isabelconference.com