*************
                          * ISBA 2004 *
                          *************

                       VIÑA DEL MAR, CHILE

                          MAY 23-27, 2004

    **********************************************************
    * CALL FOR SESSION PROPOSALS, STUDENT PAPERS AND POSTERS *
    **********************************************************


The ISBA 2004 World Meeting will be held in Viña del Mar, Chile on
May 23-27, 2004. The scientific program will include opening and
closing plenary talks, technical sessions including debates, student
paper sessions, tutorials and contributed posters.  Details regarding
the program and the meeting will be posted at the conference web site

                    http://isba.mat.puc.cl

as they become available.  Please check the web site regularly.

                     ************************
                     * SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE *
                     ************************

Fabrizio Ruggeri, CNR-IMATI, Italy (Chair)
Alicia Carriquiry, Iowa State University, US
Dipak Dey, University of Connecticut, US
Carmen Fernández, Lancaster University, UK
Pilar Iglesias, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Chile
Kerrie Mengersen, University of Newcastle, Australia
David Ríos Insua, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Spain
Hal Stern, University of California - Irvine, US

                  ******************************
                  * CALL FOR SESSION PROPOSALS *
                  ******************************

The conference scientific program will include approximately 25 technical
sessions each consisting of three 30-minute talks. The Scientific Committee
invites proposals for technical sessions.

To be considered, the Scientific Committee must receive a proposal
containing the names and contact information for the organizer and speakers
and a 1-2 page extended abstract for each speaker. Extended abstracts are
to be at most two A4 or American letter size pages, in 10pt font or larger.
The proposal must be submitted on or before NOVEMBER 15, 2003. A speaker
may only appear in one proposed session. Only electronic submissions will
be accepted (extended abstracts should be in PDF format). Proposals should
be submitted using the conference web site http://isba.mat.puc.cl

A list of possible topics is included below but this is not intended to
limit submissions in any way. The Scientific Committee will choose sessions
for inclusion in the program based on scientific content and originality.
The Committee encourages session organizers to include the work of young
researchers.

Organizers of technical sessions selected for the program will be notified
by DECEMBER 31, 2003. Speakers not registered for the meeting on or before
APRIL 1, 2004  may be replaced. Speakers in technical sessions not selected
for presentation will be encouraged to submit their papers for presentation
in the Contributed Poster sessions.

                  *****************************
                  *  CALL FOR STUDENT PAPERS  *
                  *****************************

The conference scientific program will include a number of sessions
dedicated to the presentation of student papers. The Scientific Committee
expects to select approximately 9 papers for 30-minute oral presentation
at the meeting, but the number could be increased depending on the
number and the quality of the submissions.

To be considered students should submit an extended abstract of up to
three A4 or American letter size pages, in 10pt font or larger. The
abstract must be submitted on or before NOVEMBER 15, 2003. Only electronic
submissions (in PDF format) will be accepted.  Abstracts should be
submitted using the conference web site http://isba.mat.puc.cl

A list of possible topics is included below but this is not intended to
limit submissions in any way. The Scientific Committee will choose papers
for inclusion in the program based on scientific content, originality,
degree of completeness, and overall merit. Authors of papers to be
presented orally will be notified by DECEMBER 31, 2003. Authors of papers
not selected for presentation will be encouraged to submit their papers for
presentation in the Contributed Poster sessions.

           *******************************************
           * CALL FOR CONTRIBUTED POSTER SUBMISSIONS *
           *******************************************

Direct submission of contributed posters is also encouraged. Title,
authors, a contact e-mail address and a brief abstract of up to 250 words
should be submitted using the conference web site http://isba.mat.puc.cl
on or before APRIL 1, 2004. At least one author must also have registered
for
the meeting by that date.  All posters meeting these conditions and approved
by the Scientific Committee will be scheduled on the program. The space
available for display will be about 1 square meter per poster.

***NEW*** EARLY SUBMISSION FOR CONTRIBUTED POSTER ***NEW***

As requested by some participants who can apply for funds only when
they present papers, it is possible to submit the abstract (as above)
on or before JANUARY 31, 2004. Authors of accepted papers will be
notified by FEBRUARY 15, 2004. At least one author must also have
registered for the meeting on or before APRIL 1, 2004.

The APRIL 1, 2004 deadline is kept for the participants willing to
submit their paper later.

                 *************************
                 * PUBLICATION OF PAPERS *
                 *************************

We are glad to inform prospective participants at ISBA 2004 that selected
papers presented at the conference (both oral and poster presentations)
will be published in the new electronic ISBA journal, BAYESIAN ANALYSIS,
following a review process to be established by the editorial board of the
journal.

               ***********************************
               * A NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF TOPICS *
               ***********************************

 1. Foundations -- prior distributions, utilities, decision theory
    and decision analysis, causality

 2. Teaching Bayesian statistics

 3. Inference -- probability and distribution theory, optimality,
    robustness, finite population inference and survey samples

 4. Generalized linear models (and variations), hierarchical models,
    nonlinear models

 5. Model selection, model diagnostics, model averaging

 6. Time/Space modeling -- stochastic processes, time series, dynamical
    systems, spatial and spatio-temporal modeling

 7. Multivariate methods -- clustering, mixture models, classification,
    discrimination, visualization

 8. Non-parametric and semi-parametric methods

 9. Computational methods, algorithms, convergence, software

10. Machine learning, probabilistic expert systems, data mining

11. Medical/Biological applications (not bioinformatics) -- biostatistics
    and epidemiology, medical statistics, animal and plant sciences

12. Genetics/Bioinformatics - gene expression data, proteomics,
phylogenetics

13. Physical science applications -- engineering, physics, astronomy

14. Industrial applications -- quality control, experimental design,
    reliability

15. Social science applications -- economics, psychology, education, law,
    history, archeology

        *************************************
        * REGISTRATION FEE AND ACCOMODATION *
        *************************************

Details on the registration fee and the accomodation will be
available shortly on the conference web site http://isba.mat.puc.cl

                    ************
                    * CONTACTS *
                    ************

For any information please contact the Chairs of the ISBA 2004 Committees

Fabrizio Ruggeri  (Scientific Committee) [log in to unmask]
Alicia Carriquiry (Finance Committee)    [log in to unmask]
Pilar Iglesias    (Local Committee)      [log in to unmask]