About ICAS
The Interface Conference on Applied Statistics (ICAS) is a forum for the presentation and discussion of theoretical and applied papers related to the use of probability and statistics in solving problems of National importance. The conference provides an invaluable opportunity for interaction among academic, industry, and government scientists. It also serves a nurturing role in the elevation of statistical competence among researchers in other disciplines who find themselves statistical practitioners because of the compelling benefits statistical science brings to research, development, and testing.
The conference is structured as follows. General sessions offer invited presentations on emerging topics in statistics. Special sessions focus attention on National problem areas in which the role of statistical science can be more fully explored. Contributed sessions include papers ranging from new methodology to interesting statistical application. In the clinical sessions, a distinct feature of the conference, presenters can seek guidance from a panel of experts for problems that have not been completely or satisfactorily solved. National problem context is strongly encouraged as the motivation or as a potential application for all work presented, but the focus is to be statistics.
Two other important events take place at the conference. A tutorial on a statistical topic believed to be important in National application precedes each conference. The Army Wilks Award is given periodically at this conference to an individual who has made substantive contributions in the area of national defense to commemorate the service of Sam Wilks.
ICAS, originally ACAS, was established in 1995 by six sponsoring activities within the national defense community. In the ensuing years, the organization has broadened its mission to include context areas of National importance and has attracted more industry, academia, and other government agencies. In 2013, ICAS was established to reflect the broadening role. The present direction represents a natural progression from being a conference under Army direction (1995-2004) to one under the direction of the Interface (2005-2012) to one that continues under the Interface but with an expanded role in the statistical community. In name this is suggested by the replacement of Army with Interface. ICAS is the successor to the Conference on the Design of Experiments in Army Research, Development, and Testing, a historic series of meetings that formally concluded in 1994 after 40 years of service to the Army.