The Steering Committee of the International Bioinformatics Workshop (IBW) series is interested in receiving proposals to host the Sixth International Bioinformatics Workshop in the summer of 2009. The IBW ( http://www.cbi.pku.edu.cn/IBW/IBW.html) series aims to promote communication among, and education for Chinese researchers on the cutting-edge progress in bioinformatics, computational and systems biology, genomics, and proteomics. Established in 2003, IBW had its first five successful meetings in Shanghai (2003), Beijing (2004), Changchun (2005), Changsha (2006), Weihai (2007) and will have its sixth meeting in Kunming (2008), having attracted over a thousand participants. As we aim to help maximally increase the awareness about bioinformatics, computational and systems biology in China, we are mostly interested in receiving proposals that intend to organize the IBW2009 meeting in regions that have not previously hosted an IBW meeting.

IBW2009 will have two key components:

1. a five-day short bioinformatics course to be taught by a leading bioinformatician, co-sponsored by the DragonStar program (sponsored by NSFC) and the IBW
2. a 2-3 day workshop mainly consisting of invited talks by leading domestic and overseas bioinformaticians, covering a wide range of topics in bioinformatics, computational and systems biology.

The successful application team for hosting the IBW2009 meeting will form a local organizing committee, appoint a committee chair and nominate a conference co-chair from the local host organization to chair the meeting with one of the IBW steering committee members. The organizing committee will be responsible for

1. fund-raising to pay for the travel and lodging expenses of invited speakers, including applying for funding from NSFC and local organizations
2. working with the IBW steering committee to set up the detailed workshop program
3. actively advertising the workshop nation-wide
4. setting up workshop website
5. possibly organizing post-workshop tours.

To apply for hosting the IBW2009 meeting, please send a short proposal containing the following information to the IBW steering committee ( ibw_committee@mail.cbi.pku.edu.cn) by August 1 2008:

1. A one-page plan for organizing IBW2009, including time, venue of the meeting, plan for advertising IBW2009, key events of the meetings, pre- and post-meeting activities, if any,
2. A plan to raise fund to pay for the invited speakers' international and local travel and lodging expenses
3. A proposed organizing committee and its chair.

Applicants are highly encouraged to contact the IBW Steering Committee through email ( ibw_committee@mail.cbi.pku.edu.cn) for their initial interests and questions about organizing the meeting. The proposing team may want to attend the IBW2008 meeting at Kunming, Yunnan from June 7 ¨C 9, 2008 ( http://www.yunda.org/science/activity/ibw2008/index.php), and interact directly with members of the IBW Steering Committee.