• Communication systems and networks: information, coding, and communication theory; communication and network security; wireless, sensor and other communication networks; energy-efficient communication; application-driven networks; communication in networked control systems; cross-layer network design and performance analysis; web science and social networks

• Control systems and methodologies: robotics and robotic network control, control theory, optimization theory, biologically inspired control

• Neuroscience and biology-based technology: auditory system neural signal processing, brain development and plasticity, sensorimotor integration, neuromechanical systems, locomotion and motor control, spinal regeneration, speech recognition, production and enhancement, neuromorphic-based control of robotics systems, neuromorphic VLSI design, computational neuroscience, biological cell-based sensor systems, signal processing in biological systems

• Micro and nano devices and systems: MEMS sensors and actuators; nanofabrication materials, processes and devices; labs-on-a-chip; small-scale energy generation, storage and harvesting; medical devices and treatments

• Robotics: Medical robotics; miniature robotics; collaborative, cooperative, networked robotics; robotics for extreme environments; unmanned vehicles

• Design, operations and supply chain management: operations research, product realization, supply chain and revenue management, product design

• Systems engineering methodologies: systems engineering and integration, analysis and control of stochastic systems, Markov decision processes, discrete event and hybrid systems, network optimization and management

• Computing, speech, artificial intelligence: automated planning, game theory, speech recognition, human-computer interaction, data visualization; rule-based expert systems and logic programs