ISSUE 14 - December 2011

Unsubscribe | Subscribe

UPCOMING EVENTS

1. HIGHLIGHT - COPELABS Starts ACM SIGCOMM Chapter - Portugal

The national R&D community has a new chapter of the Association for Computer Machinery (ACM) in Portugal, which is focused on the support of activities complementary to the ACM Special Interest Group in Data Communications, SIGCOMM. 

The ACM Chapter SIGCOMM - Portugal has as purpose to promote increased knowledge and greater interest in the science, design, development and application of modern computing in SIGCOMM in Portugal. As such, the activities of this Chapter include sponsorship of meetings, workshops and additional events; dissemination of science; working with other ACM units or activities such as lectures, professional development seminars, and technical briefings.  

We invite you to become a member/to take part in this regional SIGCOMM Chapter and to help in promoting activities within the context of ACM SIGCOMM in Portugal!

IN THIS ISSUE

1. HIGHLIGHT - COPELABS Starts ACM SIGCOMM Chapter - Portugal

2. COPELABS Has New Facilities

3. New Project on Intelligent Transport Systems

4. COPELABS's First Year Assessment

2. COPELABS Has New Facilities

As part of a long-term plan to foment and to enhance the development of research, University Lusófona has made available the first floor of its Edifício U to  R&D units of the School of Communication, Arts, Architecture, and Information Technologies (ECATI). These new facilities comprise circa 500m2 which are shared by CICANT (R&D unit focused on communication sciences), LabArt (R&D unit focused on architecture), and COPELABS.

The area assigned to COPELABS , designated as part of the unit's final facilities since September 2010, has been based on a long-term vision which shows the commitment of University Lusófona to the development of R&D in the field of informatics sciences. The unit counts with an open-space area of circa 200m2,  designed in a way that allows easy and open interaction between the unit's researchers involved in projects and activities, as well as students and visiting scholar; a demo-room; meeting-rooms, as well as a common get-together area.

The first floor of building U is also equipped with the most modern networking technology, including support for both voice and audioconferencing. 

3. New Project on Intelligent Transportation Systems

COPELABS has started in December a new project focused on signaling and pervasive networking applied to the intelligent transportation systems area. The project, entitled MITS - Modullar Management for Intelligent Transportation Systems, is product of a cooperation between COPELABS, University Lusófona and EFACEC. The cooperation is expected to give rise to a modular software extension suitable to integrate different sets of management standards for ITS.

4. COPELABS's First Year Assessment

COPELABS celebrates in December 2011 its first operational year, counting with a total of 19 associates, 17 integrated members (5 with PhD) and 2 collaborators (2 with PhD), statistically making a total of 14.45 full-time-equivalent (FTE) personnel, 7 PhDs.

In 2012, COPELABS shall count with a total of 19 associates, seeing an increase in the effective FTEs, from 14.45 to 17, and also an  increase in the number of integrated members with a PhD, which is expected to increase from 5 to 7.

In terms of advanced training, COPELABS has been in 2011 the hosting unit for 8 PhD students (University Lusófona as hosting institution) and for 13 MSc students (University Lusófona as institution that provides the degree).

As for scientific productivity, COPELABS has surpassed the planned indicators, of which here is highlighted in regards to project acquisition/negotiation: the acquisition of a total of 4 international and 3 national, externally funded projects;  negotiation/submission of a total of 7 additional international projects. 

In terms of publications per capita and based on 14.45 FTE, COPELABS has reached in 2011  a peer-reviewed submission publication rate of 3.39, out of which 2.21 are still under submission, and 1.04 correspond to the effective publication ratio per capita in 2011. We also highlight the organization of a total of 18 national seminars; 1 international (Dagstuhl) seminar; 4 national workshops (API and ArdWorks); participation in the co-organization of 1 international conference (EuroITV 2011), and 1 national conference (WordCamp Lisboa 2011), among other events which COPELABS elements attended.

The results that achieved in 2011, and which surpassed initial expectations, are expected to be improved and to follow an estimated increase in quality which has been planned based on a robust growth of the unit, since 2010. COPELABS associates can obtain the 2011 report through the COPELABS intranet or by contacting siti-mgt at siti1 dot ulusofona dot pt.