The class provides insights about:
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Class Format
This is a seminar course. Each class will consist of presentations and discussions. Students will be required to do a class project for the course. A significant portion of the grade will be based on projects and class/research contributions, including paper presentations, contributions to paper reviews, and paper discussions.
Project
Misc
How papers and proposals are reviewed (example reviews are shown below)
Comments:
This paper proposes VLMS, a novel post-quantum searchable encryption scheme supporting multi-keyword ranked retrieval and result verification. The work is technically sound, well-motivated, and demonstrates a practical efficiency-accuracy trade-off. The manuscript is strong and requires only minor revisions to improve clarity and consistency before publication.
Strengths:
Novelty: The work offers a clear contribution to the post-quantum searchable encryption landscape.
Technical Soundness: The proposed scheme effectively addresses complex challenges (multi-keyword ranking, verification) within a post-quantum framework.
Evaluation: The experimental evaluation is comprehensive, providing convincing evidence of the scheme's practical potential and favorable performance trade-offs.
Recommended Revisions: I recommend the authors address the following minor points:
Rigor of Security Proof: The derivation of Equation 7 in the security proof is too concise. The authors should expand this section to include the intermediate steps, thereby strengthening the proof's rigor.
Threat Model Consistency: The threat model is described as "honest-but-curious," but the scheme's inclusion of a verification mechanism suggests it also guards against a malicious server that tampers with results. This apparent contradiction should be reconciled, and the threat model section refined accordingly.
Clarity of Notation: The manuscript's notation is quite dense. Despite the inclusion of a symbol table, it remains challenging to follow. The authors are encouraged to streamline and standardize the notation throughout the paper to enhance readability.
Typos and Clarity: The paper contains several typographical errors (e.g., "with an an increasing number..." in the abstract; "Resistence to quantum attack" on p. 12) and minor unclear phrasing. The entire manuscript should be carefully proofread to correct these errors.
Additional Questions:
Which category describes this manuscript?: Research/Technology
How relevant is this manuscript to the readers of this periodical? Please explain your rating under Public Comments below.: Very Relevant
Please explain how this manuscript advances this field of research and/or contributes something new to the literature.: Novelty: The work offers a clear contribution to the post-quantum searchable encryption landscape.
Technical Soundness: The proposed scheme effectively addresses complex challenges (multi-keyword ranking, verification) within a post-quantum framework.
Evaluation: The proposed scheme effectively addresses complex challenges (multi-keyword ranking, verification) within a post-quantum framework
Is the manuscript technically sound? Please explain your answer under Public Comments below.: Appears to be - but didn't check completely
Are the title, abstract, and keywords appropriate? Please explain under Public Comments below.: Yes
Does the manuscript contain sufficient and appropriate references? Please explain under Public Comments below.: References are sufficient and appropriate
If you are suggesting additional references they must be entered in the text box provided. All suggestions must include full bibliographic information plus a DOI. If you are not suggesting any references, please type NA.: NA
Does the introduction state the objectives of the manuscript in terms that encourage the reader to read on? Please explain your answer under Public Comments below.: Could be improved
How would you rate the organization of the manuscript? Is it focused? Is the length appropriate for the topic? Please explain under Public Comments below.: Could be improved
Please rate the readability of the manuscript. Explain your rating under Public Comments below.: Readable - but requires some effort to understand
Should the supplemental material be included? (Click on the Supplementary Files icon to view files): Does not apply, no supplementary files included
If yes to above, should it be accepted: NA
Please rate the manuscript. Explain your choice: Excellent
Please rate the manuscript. Explain your choice: Excellent
https://seedfund.nsf.gov/resources/review/merit-review/
The two merit review criteria are listed below. Both criteria are to be given full consideration during the review and decision-making processes; each criterion is necessary but neither, by itself, is sufficient. Therefore, proposers must fully address both criteria. (Chapter II.D.2.d(i) contains additional information for use by proposers in development of the Project Description section of the proposal.) Reviewers are strongly encouraged to review the criteria, including Chapter II.D.2.d(i), prior to the review of a proposal. When evaluating NSF proposals, reviewers will be asked to consider what the proposers want to do, why they want to do it, how they plan to do it, how they will know if they succeed, and what benefits could accrue if the project is successful. These issues apply both to the technical aspects of the proposal and the way in which the project may make broader contributions. To that end, reviewers will be asked to evaluate all proposals against two criteria:
Intellectual Merit: The Intellectual Merit criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge; and
Broader Impacts: The Broader Impacts criterion encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.
The following elements should be considered in the review for both criteria:
What is the potential for the proposed activity to:
Advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); and
Benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)?
To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts?
Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success?
How well qualified is the individual, team, or organization to conduct the proposed activities?
Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home organization or through collaborations) to carry out the proposed activities?
Situational Knowledge
Machine Learning
Adversarial Machine Learning
Entity Resolution
Entity Resolution Explanations
Situation Awareness, Video and Text Processing
Data Management For Video Streams
Attacks and Privacy in Distributed Systems
Talks
Spring 2026 Student Project Presentations
Science of Artificial Intelligence and Learning for Open-world Novelty (SAIL-ON)
GOther resources
CERIAS