Scientific portals and gateways are important components of many large-scale scientific computing and Grid projects. They are characterized by Web-based user interfaces and services that securely access Grid resource, data, application, and collaboration services for communities of scientists. As a result, the science application user is shielded from the complex details and infrastructure needed to operate an application on the Grid.

Gateways and Cyberinfrastructure are being heavily influenced by the so-called Web 2.0 trends in Internet computing. Ajax, JSON, folksonomies, social networking, mash-ups, REST, RSS/Atom feeds, and other developments run parallel to much that has occurred in the Gateway community. New developments such as the competing Google-led Open Social and Facebook APIs for socially networked applications, OpenID for security, and cloud computing offerings from Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and others will have a dramatic impact on the expectations that scientific users will have from Grids. These approaches provide important enhancements to the ways gateways interact with information services, provide rich user interactivity, and build social networks. Examining the impact of these technologies will be the main focus of the workshop, but papers on all aspects of science gateway development are encouraged. Topics of interest include the following:

* Integration of Web 2.0 technologies with science gateways;
* Gateways to cloud computing services;
* Applications of virtual world technologies to science and education gateways;
* Social networks for scientific communities;
* Grid portals and gateways deployments, including User Portals, Application Portals, Science Gateways, Education Portals, User interface/usability studies;
* Design and architecture of Grid portals, portal containers, and gateways;
* Tools and frameworks that make developing Grid Portals and gateways easier;
* Portal security models and solutions;
* Middleware solutions in support of scientific portals and Gateways including Web Services, workflow and mashup composers and engines, and similar capabilities;
* Non-browser gateways: desktops and mobile computing gateways; and
* Summary and survey papers.

Important Dates

* Papers Due: September 15, 2008
* Acceptance Notification: October 1, 2008
* Workshop: November 16, 2008