============================================ Interspeech 2025 17 - 21 August, Rotterdam, The Netherlands https://www.interspeech2025.org/ ============================================ Call for Challenge Proposals https://www.interspeech2025.org/call-for-challenges ============================================

Important Dates =============== Proposals of challenges due: 21 October 2024 Notification of pre-selection for challenges: 31 October 2024 Challenge paper deadline (same as regular papers) : 12 February 2025 Final list of challenges: 14 May 2025

Submissions for challenge proposals are invited for Interspeech2025 https://interspeech2025.org/.

Challenge proposals should cover interdisciplinary topics and/or important new emerging areas in speech communication. Submissions related to the special focus of the conference's theme, Fair and Inclusive Speech Science and Technology, are particularly welcome. Proposals should describe why the topic is relevant to the conference regular topics, and if applicable, to the conference's theme. Note that the deadline for challenge proposal submission is earlier than regular special sessions, namely on October 21 2024. This is to give the challenge organizers time to disseminate the call and give participants enough time to participate and submit their papers before the regular paper deadline.

A Challenge proposal must contain the following information: * Challenge title * Challenge organizers (including contact information and a brief biography for each organizer) * Brief introduction of the challenge * Significance of the challenge * Rules for participation * Criteria for judging the submissions to the competition * Data sets to be used and, if applicable, planned baseline systems * Relevant dates (e.g., submission deadline, data available, and winner announcement)

Proposals will be evaluated by the organizing committee in consultation with the ISCA Technical Committee for relevance and significance to the conference.

Papers for approved Challenges must be submitted according to the same schedule and procedure as used for regular papers. Papers will undergo the same review process by anonymous and independent reviewers. Challenge organizers may suggest reviewers.

Note that the ISCA board has decided that challenges can run for a maximum of three years in total. If this rule makes your proposal ineligible, we encourage you to organize your event as an Interspeech Satellite Workshop instead.

Proposals as well as any questions should be submitted to the Special Session Chairs: Rob van Son (Netherlands Cancer Institute, the Netherlands) and Heysem Kaya (Utrecht University, the Netherlands) at specialsessions@interspeech2025.org.