Areas of interest

IEEE SaTML expands upon the theoretical and practical understandings of vulnerabilities inherent to machine learning (ML), explores the robustness of learning algorithms and systems, and aids in developing a unified, coherent scientific community aiming to establish trustworthy machine learning. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

• Novel attacks on machine learning
• Novel defenses for machine learning
• Secure and safe machine learning in practice
• Verification of algorithms and systems
• Machine learning system security
• Privacy in machine learning
• Forensic analysis of machine learning
• Fairness and interpretability
• Trustworthy data curation

Important date

• Paper submission deadline: Friday, September 27, 2024 (extended)
• Early reject notification: Thursday, October 31, 2024
• Interactive discussion & revision phase: November 21 – December 5, 2024
• Decision notification: Thursday, December 12, 2024
• Conference dates: April 9–11, 2025

All deadlines are set to 11:59 PM AoE (Anywhere on Earth), which corresponds to UTC-12 time zone.

Submission categories

We solicit research papers, systematization of knowledge papers, and position papers:

• Research Papers: These papers should present new work, evidence, or ideas related to secure and trustworthy machine learning. Submission must be up to 12 pages of body text, with unlimited additional space for references and appendices. Research papers must be well-argued and worthy of publication and​ ​citation,​ ​on​ ​one of the​ ​topics listed​ ​above.​

• Systematization of Knowledge (SoK) Papers: These papers should either consolidate and clarify ideas in a major research area within secure and trustworthy machine learning or provide compelling evidence to support or challenge long-held beliefs in such areas. Submissions must be up to 12 pages of body text. SoK papers must include “SoK:” at the beginning of their title.

• Position Papers: These papers should cover broader issues and visions related to secure and trustworthy machine learning, including open challenges, technical perspectives, educational aspects, societal impact, or notable research results. Submissions must be very well-argued and consist of 5 to 12 pages of body text. Position papers must include “Position:” at the beginning of their title.

Submission information

All submissions must be received by 11:59 PM AoE (UTC-12) on the day of the deadline. The submission site is available here:

• Submission site: https://hotcrp.satml.org

Submitted papers must not substantially overlap with papers that have been published or accepted for publication, or that are simultaneously in submission to a journal, conference, or workshop with published proceedings. However, authors may choose to give talks about their work, post a preprint of the paper online, and disclose security vulnerabilities to vendors.

Double-blind review: SaTML follows a double-blind reviewing process. Submitted papers must (a) omit any reference to the authors’ names or their institutions, and (b) cite the authors’ own related work in the third person. It is important, however, to ensure that efforts to maintain anonymity do not compromise the quality of the submission or complicate the review process. Essential background references, for example, should not be omitted or anonymized. Please see this double-blind FAQ for the answers to many common concerns about double-blind reviewing.

Previous reviews: For papers that were previously submitted to, and rejected from, another conference, authors are required to append to their submission PDF the (anonymized, but otherwise unedited) prior reviews along with a description of how those reviews were addressed in the current version of the paper. Authors are only required to include reviews from the last time the paper was submitted. Authors who try to circumvent this rule (e.g., by changing the title of the paper without significantly changing the contents) may have their papers rejected without further consideration, at the discretion of the PC chairs.

Large-language models: We encourage authors to use any suitable tools, including Large Language Models (LLMs), for preparing high-quality papers and research. However, authors must adhere to two key criteria: First, the methodology must be thoroughly described, and if LLMs are integral to this methodology, their use should be explicitly detailed. Second, authors are responsible for the entire content of their paper, including all text and figures. While any tool may be used for writing, it is crucial that all content is accurate and original, ensuring transparency and maintaining the integrity of the research process (Adapted from the NeurIPS 2024 Call for Papers).

Submission format: Submissions must be a PDF file in two-column IEEE proceedings style. That is, authors must use \documentclass[conference]{IEEEtran} when preparing their paper. The number of allowed pages for a submission depends on the submission category, see above.

Authors need to closely follow the rules provided in this document and precisely adhere to the format guidelines. Failure to comply with these rules is grounds for rejection.

Reviewing process

All submissions to the conference will be evaluated based on their merits, particularly their relevance to the conference’s areas of interest, novelty, quality of execution, and presentation.

To decrease the load of reviewing on PC members, SaTML implements a two-round reviewing process. Each paper is initially assigned two reviews. If the PC chairs conclude that there is no path for acceptance at SaTML upon considering these initial reviews, the paper is early-rejected. This means that the paper is not assigned additional reviews and the authors are notified that their paper will not be included in the conference.

Author discussion phase

SaTML will have a discussion period during which authors can exchange messages with reviewers, respond to their questions, and address their comments through direct changes to the paper. To facilitate this, we will use an anonymous communication feature to enable interaction between authors and reviewers. Authors should primarily focus on correcting factual errors in the reviews and answering specific questions posed by the reviewers. New research results may also be discussed if they help clarify open questions. More instructions will be sent to the authors at the beginning of the discussion phase.

Submission decisions

For each submission, one of the following decisions will be made:

• Accept: Papers in this category will be accepted for publication in the proceedings and presentation at the conference, possibly after making minor changes with the oversight of a shepherd (Minor Revision). Within one month of acceptance, all accepted papers must submit a camera-ready copy incorporating reviewer feedback. The papers will immediately be published, open access, in the Computer Society’s Digital Library, and they may be cited as “To appear in the IEEE Conference on Secure and Trustworthy Machine Learning, 2025”.

• Major Revision: A limited number of papers will be invited to submit a major revision; such papers will receive a detailed summary of expectations for revision, in addition to standard reviewer comments. Authors will have a limited time window to submit a revision after the notification is sent. The authors should clearly explain in a well-marked appendix how the revisions address the comments of the reviewers. The revised paper will then be re-evaluated, and either accepted or rejected. We will assign the same set of reviewers. Authors can choose to withdraw their paper and not submit a revision.

• Reject: Papers in this category are declined for inclusion in the conference.

Best paper award

Outstanding paper(s) will be selected by the Program Committee, with input from the Steering Committee, for the best paper award. The award will be announced at the conference. Best paper awards are intended to highlight papers which significantly challenge the state of the art in research areas relevant to SaTML.

Attendance for accepted papers

At least one author of accepted papers must present their work at the conference, and their papers will appear in the conference’s formal IEEE proceedings. In the event of difficulty obtaining visas for travel or other exceptional circumstances, exceptions may be made and will be discussed on a case-by-case basis.

If you have any questions, please email us at pcchairs@satml.org