Optical Networking Technical Committee

ONTC Endorsement Policy

The ONTC endorses meetings in support of IEEE ComSoc technical/financial co-sponsorship. Please see the ComSoc website for their procedures on applying for ComSoc technical/financial co-sponsorship. ONTC reviews applications for ComSoc technical/financial co-sponsorship as a regular part of that process, but we will also provide early feedback for applicants in advance of their submitting formally to the ComSoc.

Note that ONTC endorsement by itself is never provided; we provide early intent to endorse meetings submitted through the ComSoc process. ONTC endorsement must not be indicated until ComSoc technical/financial co-sponsorship has been granted.

Rules for ONTC Endorsement

• Similar to the ComSoc, technical/financial cosponsorship, ONTC endorsement is granted to events on a per-instance basis; repeated events (e.g., of a series) must reapply for each new instance
• Similar to the ComSoc, ONTC does not permit meetings to identify themselves as "pending" ONTC endorsement, nor should they use ONTC or IEEE logos until financial/technical and co-sponsorship by the ComSoc has been granted
• Similar to the ComSoc, ONTC expects requests for endorsement to be made sufficiently in advance of the meeting.
• ONTC endorsement is intended for meetings whose primary focus is defined within the ONTC charter (http://committees.comsoc.org/ontc/), which is in a broad area of networking and switching paradgms faciliated though optical technologies, which include but are not limited to optical transmission, wavelength switching, carrier grade Ethernet, optical router design, etc. We also endorse events that bridge optical networking with disparate fields, such as photonic cryptography and green IT.
• NTC reiterates the purpose of endorsement, which, as noted on the ComSoc sponsorship application, include:

  The endorsement helps to ensure that the technical program falls within the committee's scope, that there is a quality, independent peer review process for paper selection, and that three members of the ComSoc TC will be active members of the event's technical program committee.

As a result, ONTC determines responses to requests for endorsement based on the following criteria:

1. the meeting is in-scope for ONTC
2. that the meeting has a peer review process in which every submission* receives at least three substantive and independent reviews
   *excepting only those submissions declined due to process (format, late, etc.) or scope (widely out of scope, or widely out of context for a technical meeting)
3. the meeting has an appropriate TPC
4. the meeting is demonstrably non-profit
5. the meeting has an acceptance rate and acceptance rate history (where applicable) appropriate to the meeting type
6. the request is made in advance of all aspects of the meeting ONTC shall specifically require the application be received at least two months prior to the deadline for the initial due date for responses to the call for participation for any part of the meeting (papers, posters, panel chairs, track/symposium topics, tutorials, etc.)
7. ONTC shall be permitted to select or appoint three TPC members to monitor and report back on the above points, (or shall approve three existing TPC members who are ONTC members, at the ONTC's discretion)

Requirements for Submitting an Endorsement Request

The requirements for submitting a request for ONTC endorsement consists of sending a copy of the following information to any ONTC officer:

1. date and location information, along with information on the two most recent meetings;
2. number of submissions
3. acceptance rate (percent accepted)
4. amount of time on reviewed submissions vs other, i.e., invited papers, speakers, panels;
5. number of reviews per paper
6. names and affiliations of: general chair, program chair, TPC members;
7. description of the focus of the meeting (1 paragraph or a draft call for papers);
8. description of the components of the meeting, i.e., fraction of the meeting time on each of: reviewed submissions, invited submissions, panels, invited speakers, co-located workshops, demos, etc.;
9. description of the review process number of reviewers, paper length, approximate intended acceptance rate;
10. description of the budget overheads of the meeting, i.e., non-profit status, extent of support to parent/sponsoring entity;
11. brief description of why ONTC endorsement is requested.

Upon Receiving Endorsement

If ONTC endorsement is granted, we offer:

• The meeting may indicate ONTC endorsement ("Endorsed by ONTC") on the primary meeting web pages, the proceedings, and other promotional material (e-mails, paper announcements, etc.), after the meeting receives ComSoc technical/financial co-sponsorship status.
• The meeting site / publications may include the ONTC logo, after the meeting receives ComSoc technical/financial co-sponsorship status.
• ONTC will cross-list info on the meeting on our web pages, and note our endorsement at our meetings.

During the period of ONTC endorsement of an event, we expect the following:

• The meeting shall notify the ONTC on status of the ComSoc technical/financial co-sponsorship application as soon as the decision is available.
• The meeting shall notify the ONTC on any significant changes to info provided in the application (at which point the application will be re-reviewed).
• The meeting shall allow for 3 ONTC members on the TPC, to be confirmed after endorsement is determined. TPC members already in ONTC may, at the discretion of ONTC, be selected for this purpose.
• The organizers or the appointed TPC members will attend an ONTC meeting to announce the event to the ONTC members. After the event, it is again expected that the organizers or the appointed TPC members will attend an ONTC meeting and inform ONTC members about the conduct of the event. A short report shall also be submitted to any of the ONTC officers within THREE months after the event.

Regarding Any Changes to a Meeting Once Endorsed

• Once ONTC endorses a meeting, the representatives to that meeting should be tracking and reporting back on substantive changes to process or organization (large increase/change in the TPC, large number of additional side-meetings, etc.).
• It is understandable to add workshops, tutorials, or other side meetings after endorsement/support is determined, but these should be commensurate with being ancillary (side meetings shouldn't overtake the core meeting goals), and related to the core meeting.
• If proceedings of the side meetings is intended to be available via Xplore, that general decision needs to be made at the time of endorsement/support.
• If details of such meetings are known at the time of endorsement, then the decision of endorsing the meeting will be contingent on endorsing its side meetings.
• If the details of such meetings are to be decided post endorsement, then the ONTC reserves the right to decide on endorsement of side meetings on a per-side-meeting basis, and the endorsement of the core meeting is made agreeing to this right.
• Any changes that result in ComSoc withdrawal of technical/financial co-sponsorship will result in ONTC withdrawal of endorsement. Any changes that result in ONTC withdrawal of endorsement will result in a report to the ComSoc and recommendation that they withdraw technical/financial co-sponsorship.

Acknowledgments: The process outlined in this document borrows heavily from the IEEE ComSoc TCCC's policy on endorsement. Please send any corrections and suggestions to: Byrav Ramamurthy.