Investigative Workshop, "Multidisciplinary Approaches to Analyzing Animal Vocal Communication Sequences"

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The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) is now accepting applications for its Investigative Workshop, "Multidisciplinary Approaches to Analyzing Animal Vocal Communication Sequences," to be held October 21-23, 2013, at NIMBioS.

Objectives: The aim of this workshop is to bridge the gap between mathematical and biological researchers with an interest in the quantitative analysis of animal vocal sequences. Recent developments in the mathematical analysis of complex animal communication have generated opportunities to understand the functional aspects of animal vocalizations, their role in social organization, and ultimately to explore the origins and evolution of human language. Until now, however, the collaboration between mathematicians/computer scientists and biologists/zoologists in this field has been very limited. We aim to define the state of the art in this field, explore new horizons for collaboration, and provide new techniques through a synthesis of the mathematical and biological approaches to communication analysis. We will also use this unique gathering to define some of the key questions that need to be posed to address ultimate and proximate hypotheses about behavior, in the context of animal vocal communication systems.

Location: NIMBioS at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Co-Organizers: Dan Blumstein, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of California, Los Angeles; Marie A. Roch, Computer Science, San Diego State Univ.; and Arik Kershenbaum, NIMBioS, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville

For more information about the workshop and a link to the online application form, go to http://www.nimbios.org/workshops/WS_vocal

Participation in the workshop is by application only. Individuals with a strong interest in the topic are encouraged to apply, and successful applicants will be notified within two weeks of the application deadline. If needed, financial support for travel, meals, and lodging is available for workshop attendees.

Application deadline: June 24, 2013

The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) (http://www.nimbios.org) brings together researchers from around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life sciences. NIMBioS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture with additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.