Tutorials FAQ

1. Did the submission deadline change?

The SC13 tutorial submission deadline was March 25, 2013. This deadline was approximately one month earlier than previous years.

2. Are there other major changes this year?

Tutorial payment policies had gotten very complex, particularly about travel reimbursements. That resulted in people being confused about what would be paid and when. So we have simplified things. One result is that presenters no longer have to worry about collecting receipts and presenting them for payment. Instead, a travel stipend will be provided to cover miscellaneous expenses. Full details will be provided to presenters of accepted tutorials.

3. What tutorial topics are of interest?
   SC tutorials are intended to cover a wide range of topics of interest to the HPC community. The tutorials committee encourages proposals for full-day (six hours) or a half-day (three hours) tutorials with broad applicability and of interest to a large fraction of the SC13 attendees. Proposals for the following areas (as well as others) are solicited:

• Basic and introductory topics for expanding broader engagement
• Applications and application frameworks
• Algorithms, numerical methods, and libraries
• Software engineering for portable performance and scalability
• Parallel programming methods, models, languages and environments
• Software tools for accelerators (GPGPUs, FPGA, etc.)
• Performance evaluation and/or optimization tools
• Debugging and correctness tools
• High performance I/O, storage, archive, and file systems
• Large databases and data mining for HPC
• High performance networking technology
• Scientific and information visualization
• Large systems administration and/or resource management
• Computer and network security
• Fault-tolerance, reliability, maintainability, and adaptability
• High performance computer architecture
• Clusters and distributed systems
• Embedded- and/or reconfigurable systems
• “Hot Topics” of current interest to the SC13 community

4. Where should one submit a tutorial proposal?
   Tutorial proposals were submitted electronically via the web site: https://submissions.supercomputing.org/.
5. How long can an SC tutorial be?
   Tutorials may be proposed for either a full-day (six hours) or a half-day (three hours).
6. What if a topic of interest can be covered in less than three hours?
   Tutorials must require three hours or six hours. Shorter subjects should be combined into a coherent theme for consideration.
7. How many presenters may a tutorial include?
   Full-day proposals may include up to four presenters, half-day proposals may include one or two presenters. The limits primarily relate to SC-funded coverage of airfare and hotel nights and other travel reimbursements. Additional presenters (or assistants for hands-on exercises) are allowed although the conference reserves the right to limit the total number of presenters. Accepted tutorials are strongly encouraged to identify all presenters and assistants as early as possible (ideally in the submitted tutorial proposal).
8. What is the format of tutorial proposal submissions?
   Each tutorial submission must present its course information through the web form and a PDF file. The web form requires basic tutorial information such as the title, length, presenter information, and keywords. More details on the proposal, such as goals, targeted audience and outline, should be written in the submission PDF. The submission PDF of successful tutorial proposals follows the proscribed format documented in the call for tutorials. Submissions are particularly encouraged to submit a draft of the full tutorial presentation as the visual aid sample.
9. Will network access be available when the tutorial is presented?
   Tutorial submissions must clearly indicate if “hands on” exercises are essential to the tutorial. Tutorials may indicate that they include an option for “hands on” exercises, in which case the tutorial may be accepted with, or without, support for “hands on” exercises. All tutorials that include hands on sessions will be held in rooms that provide high speed, wired network access. Any tutorial that is accepted without “hands on” exercises must not include any such exercises in order to avoid network access issues.
10. When must materials for accepted tutorials be submitted?
    Accepted tutorials must submit all material in time for it to be included in the DVD or Flash storage distribution of all tutorial material. Final submission dates will be provided at the time of tutorial acceptance but typically precede the conference by two months.
11. Are changes allowed to the final submitted tutorial materials?
    The presentation must follow the submitted tutorial plan with potential minor extensions to present more timely. In general, tutorial presenters are expected to use the submitted material with no changes. Changes motivated only by limits on the time available to presenters to prepare the submitted material are not acceptable. However, if the tutorial covers material that is beyond the presenters’ control, such as decisions by standards bodies, then changes that incorporate this material are allowed. In such cases, the submitted material should clearly indicate where changes are anticipated and provide as close to a final version as possible.
12. What are the expectations of tutorial presentations at the conference?
    SC tutorials are one of the most popular programs of the conference. Although the tutorial registration is separate from the main technical program, and adds a considerable additional cost, the tutorials program attracts several thousand participants. Thus, tutorial abstracts must clearly present what lessons can be learned. Further, tutorial presenters are expected to deliver professional presentations and to treat tutorial attendees with respect. Each tutorial will receive detailed evaluation after the presentation from the attendees, which will be used to evaluate future tutorial proposals.
13. What are the rules with respect to tutorial honoraria?
    SC tutorials include “usual and customary” honoraria in recognition of the effort involved in representing the conference. Half day tutorial presenters will receive honoraria totaling $1,000. Full day tutorial presenters will receive $2,000. Honoraria must be claimed at the conference or will be considered forfeit. Full details, including other conditions, will be provided to presenters of accepted tutorials.
14. What other actions are required of tutorial presenters?
    Tutorial presenters are expected to attend the tutorial breakfast the day of their presentation. Final instructions for tutorial presenters are made at this breakfast. In addition, tutorial honoraria are disbursed at it. Presenters are expected to alert the SC13 Tutorials Chair if they are unable to attend.
15. What travel expenses will be covered?
    As explained in the CFP, travel support will be provided for up to four presenters for each full-day tutorial (up to two for each half-day tutorial). The conference covers airfare and basic hotel costs, and provides a travel stipend to cover other expenses. Full details will be provided to presenters of accepted tutorials.
16. Have travel policies changed from last year?
    Yes!  They’ve been simplified to benefit both tutorial presenters and the conference.  In particular, airfare and hotel must be booked through the conference.
17. Do tutorial presenters receive complimentary conference registration?
    Only for their tutorial sessions, and only for a limited number of people (up to four presenters for each full-day tutorial, or up to two for each half-day tutorial).  This “tutorial-only” registration includes lunch on the day of the tutorial. Other assistants, or presenters wishing to attend other parts of the Conference must register in the standard way using the SC13 registration website.