Workshop aim

The I-science for astronomy workshop will stimulate the interaction between computer scientists and astronomers by exploring innovative astronomical applications for data mining, data modelling, distributed computing and visualization (for more information about I-science funding programme, please see the appendix). The workshop objectives are to highlight the role of computer science in astronomical research, including advanced data mining, powerful distributed computing, data visualization and the virtual observatory. This I-science initiative will bring together astronomers and computer scientists in a collaboration programme that starts with a one week workshop. During the workshop new innovative collaborative research projects will be explored and perceived; a selection of these will continue as NWO funded scientific research projects, either for postdocs or for PhD projects (total budget 0.5 M€). An independent committee will judge the quality of proposals after the workshop.

The workshop aims to enhance collaborations between astronomy and computer science by nurturing cross disciplinary initiatives, with a particular focus on motivating students, PhDs and postdocs for innovative I-science developments. Astronomy offers big challenges to computer science, which require fundamentally new methods or even abstractions.

The originality of this workshop is marked by the following:

• addressing cutting edge computer science research issues;
• delivering a number of research project proposals and initiatives taking the existing I- science projects as a source of inspiration;
• involving a truly interdisciplinary cooperation (involving three I-science research programmes: GLANCE, VIEW and STARE research programme);
• involving both advanced master and PhD students as well as post-doc and senior researchers;
• hosting world leading keynote speakers in the field.