Evolvability

Network on Evolvability in Biological and Software Systems
SYMPOSIA

U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)


Network | Symposia | Seminars | Publications | Members

1 October 2007, "Third International IEEE Workshop on Software Evolvability 2007" at the IEEE International Conference on Software Maintenance (ICSM)", Paris, France

24 September 2006, "Second International IEEE Workshop on Software Evolvability 2006" at the IEEE International Conference on Software Maintenance (ICSM), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

26 September 2005, "First International IEEE Workshop on Software Evolvability 2005" at the IEEE International Conference on Software Maintenance (ICSM), Budapast, Hungary

2-5 September 2005, Special sessions on Artificial Life and on Complex Adaptive Systems at IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation, Edinburgh, Scotland.

2003-2004 SEEDS Meetings - Scalable, Evolvable, Emergent, Developmental Systems: EPSRC Novel Computation Research Cluster

8-10 October 2003 "Evolvability and Interaction: Evolutionary Substrates of Communication, Signaling, and Perception in the Dynamics of Social Complexity", London, England, U.K.
[Audio of Invited and Other Talks courtesy of Complexity Digest]

26-28 August 2003 "Evolvability, Genetics and Development in Natural and Constructed Systems" at Tewin Bury Farm Hotel near Welwyn, Hertfordshire, England

24-25 April 2003 "Evolvability and Sensor Evolution", University of Birmingham, U.K.

18-20 September 2002 "Evolvability and Individuality", St. Albans, Hertfordshire, U.K.

7-8 February 2002 "Software Evolution and Evolutionary Computation", University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, U.K.
[Report on meeting in J. Memetics by D. Gatherer]

19-21 June 2001 Evolvability and Future of Theoretical Computer Science Symposium with special lectures by Joseph Goguen and John Rhodes Including lectures series on "System Evolvability: Requirements, Ethics, Semiotics, User-Interfaces, and Formalism" by Joseph Goguen (University of California, San Diego), University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, U.K.

The Evolvability Network in Biological & Software Systems wants to get researchers thinking and talking together on the problems of evolvability in natural and artificial systems — and the UK is full of people working and thinking about these issues in various disciplines, often unaware of each other's existence and with no forum in which to meet. Support over 3 years is limited to under £60,000 for establishing and promoting the network in the UK and connections with scientists abroad. With its leadership based at the University of Hertfordshire, the Evolvability Network is organising symposia roughly every six months at sites where network members are based. Candidate sites for possible symposia identified so far by network members include the University of Hertfordshire, University of Sussex, British Telecom Research Labs (Ipswich), University of Edinburgh, and University College London.

The network operating structure is based in the University of Hertfordshire with members from around the UK (from both academia and industry) with initial 3-year funding by EPSRC for a series of meetings (symposia) around the UK, some external foreign speakers, and modest secretarial support all for promoting the study of evolvability. We intend will publish one or more edited books with international scientific publishers (most likely Springer Verlag) and to encourage collaborative research on evolvability, especially within the UK and especially across disciplines.

Members, researchers, and industrial partners are invited talk at our symposia; also students are encouraged to participate. Advised by network members, UK and foreign experts from academia and industry are supported as invited plenary speakers with support of their travel and accommodation expenses at about £5000 total per symposium (allowing 5-8 invited talks over each 2-3 day symposia). A smaller amount of support is also available for network members contributing and organising presentations, as well as to support student participation. Less than £1000 per symposium is allocated for local facilities rental and audiovisual support, and part-time secretarial support (8 weeks/year) is needed for correspondence and arrangements with invited speakers, and network administrative assistance.

It is expected that the network will establish a rapidly growing community of interest in the nascent areas of evolvability, creating fruitful ties across disciplines and between academia and industry. Beyond the first three years, this interest should be self-supporting making further EPSRC support unnecessary.


Network | Symposia | Seminars | Publications | Members
Last updated 19 June 2005