The 55^th Annual Reliability & Maintainability Symposium (RAMS) will be held in Fort Worth, Texas in 2009. In the history of this Symposium, reliability, maintainability, and safety have never been more crucial in product design, development, and manufacturing. Reliability and risk management expertise are becoming integral components in product design even before construction begins. In space exploration, the post space shuttle vehicles, Mars research, and the planning for human space flight missions to the moon and beyond are all bringing new challenges not only in science and engineering but also with how project teams are managed. In defense-related activities, challenges in the global mission to combat terrorism and other threats require rapid, adaptive, and robust response actions where reliability is paramount. In the manufacturing and processing industries, “reliability is king.” Typically industrial plants or refineries have access to the same technology, equipment, and the same markets. Aside from regional differences, the company that has the highest reliability and safety performance also can be most highly competitive. In many cases, product reliability is the foundation for additional revenue opportunities. Companies that design reliability into their systems and services can offer competitive warranties, extended warranties, and service guarantees. These extra sales services help keep their customers close, provide more data for new product development, and offer profitability components in addition to traditional sales and support. On the development side, the Symposium provides a forum for new theoretical insights that can help all industries achieve advancements in the science and engineering of reliability, maintainability, and safety.

These activities are happening right now. Sponsored by ten professional societies, RAMS is the premier forum for sharing your experience, knowledge, and roadmaps to success. We invite you to share your theoretical and practical research, success stories, lessons learned, R & M knowledge, and R & M discoveries at the 2009 RAMS in Fort Worth. Tell us how you are meeting increasing performance demands and product requirements by using reliability and safety as a competitive advantage. Make your contribution to the advancement of the R&M discipline and join this rich exchange of ideas and solutions. We want you to contribute your unique experience to this synergistic Symposium. Plan to submit your paper or tutorial now.

Papers are the medium to advance the state-of-the-art and will be published in the Proceedings and have a ½ hour summary presentation (including a discussion period) at the Symposium. Tutorials provide fundamental exposure to topics ranging from introductory through intermediate to advanced. They are presented in two-hour in-depth sessions at the Symposium. Examples of the most recent written papers and tutorials are available in the 2008 Proceedings and the 2008 Tutorial Notes. Your submittal should address topics related to Reliability, Maintainability, Quality and System Safety and that are relevant to our Symposium theme such as:

If you wish to present a paper or tutorial, now is the time to contact us. All papers must be new, neither published nor presented at a national meeting prior to the Symposium. Papers presented at local meetings are acceptable. Tutorials must address key issue areas in Reliability, Maintainability, Quality and/or Safety. Abstracts for papers or tutorials are preferred. However, full tutorial submissions are acceptable.

You must submit each of the following items electronically by April 21, 2008. Abstracts and Full Tutorials must be submitted in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) or Microsoft Word. All submittals become the property of the Symposium. Although there is no limit to the number of submissions by an author, RAMS reserves the right to limit the number of papers accepted by an author.

1. Papers:
   An Abstract of Paper, must be informative, with no more than 1000 words, and structured as follows:
   
   • Title, and problems or questions addressed.
   • Work to be described; and whether done yet or not.
   • Results and/or conclusions anticipated/reached.
   - and -
   All submissions should indicate applicable category(s) from the list above and must not identify the author(s) in the body of the abstract.

2. Tutorials:
   A Full Tutorial, must list title, purpose, topic addressed, and audience-level (basic, intermediate, advanced); and show all data and presentation visuals.
   - or -
   An Abstract of Tutorial must be informative, with no more than 1000 words, and structured as follows:
   
   • Title, and subject matter to be addressed.
   • Material to be presented.
   • Audience Level (Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced)

3. Author information for each author (max authors: 4 for papers, 2 for tutorials):
   • Full formal name.
   • Preferred mailing address; specify whether work or home (many people prefer to use their home address).
   • Company name (even if in mailing address).
   • Communication data (as available): Work phone & fax, Internet (E-mail), and home phone.
   • Brief PROFESSIONAL biography.
   If there is more than 1 author, then identify the
   • Correspondence Author (for communications).
   • Presenting Author (gives the paper/tutorial at the Symposium).

4. A brief Paper or Tutorial summary (no more than 75 words) that would entice attendees to attend a session with your Paper or Tutorial.

Submissions must be made on-line at http://www.rams.org/CallForPapers between February 10, 2008 and April 21, 2008. You will receive an e-mail acknowledgement so it is important that you supply a valid email address.

Procedure for Papers - Blind review (reviewers do not know the authors' identity) by the Program Committee. Selection is based on innovativeness, technical merit, clarity, and relevance to the Symposium theme. For more information contact the Program Chair, Dr. Richard Cassady, at cassady@uark.edu.

The Paper's Correspondence Author will be notified of preliminary acceptance in mid-June 2008. If accepted then:
1. The complete drafts of both the paper (6 page maximum using the RAMS-provided template) and presentation visuals (20 maximum) must be received by July 31, 2008 for review.
2. Comments from this review will be mailed to the Correspondence Author by September 1, 2008.

If the completed draft is accepted, the following items must be submitted electronically by October 2, 2008.
1. The final, formatted paper (6 pages in Microsoft Word).
2. The finished presentation visuals (20 slides maximum in Microsoft PowerPoint).
3. The completed Copyright Form for the Proceedings. A signed, original copy must also be sent.

Note: The Presenting Author of the paper is eligible for a reduced-fee registration but will be required to register for the Symposium in advance when the final, formatted version of the paper is submitted.

Procedure for Tutorials -Review (reviewers know the authors' identity) is by the Tutorials Committee. Selection is based on technical content, clarity, and accuracy -- along with anticipated interest by attendees, relevance to the Symposium, and your ability to follow instructions. For more information, contact the Tutorials Coordinator, Dr. Caroline Lubert, at lubertcp@jmu.edu.

The Tutorial's Correspondence Author will be notified of preliminary acceptance in mid-June 2008. If accepted then:

1. The complete drafts of both the both the tutorial and its presentation visuals must be received by July 31, 2008 for review.
2. Comments from this review will be mailed to the Correspondence Author by September 1, 2008.

If the completed draft of the paper/tutorial is accepted, the following items must be submitted electronically by October 2, 2008.
1. The final, formatted tutorial (in Microsoft Word format).
2. The set of finished presentation visuals (Microsoft PowerPoint).
3. The completed Copyright Form for the Tutorial Notes. A signed, original copy must also be sent.

Note: The Presenting Author of the tutorial is eligible for a gratis registration but will be required to register for the Symposium in advance when the final version of the tutorial is submitted.