The 2008 International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT)was held at the Sheraton Center in Toronto, Canada, from July 6th to the 11th. NSF support for ISIT covered the travel expenses of junior participants from the U.S., such as graduate students, research associates, and new assistant professors. These participants are individuals whose papers had been selected for presentation at the symposium, but who lacked funds and would not be able to attend without travel support. The IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory has always been the primary meeting place of the leading researchers in the field. It has a strong tradition of participation by junior researchers that has helped it maintain its reputation as a leading forum for new ideas. This is where researchers get an increased awareness of the relationships between theory and practice and the impact of different kinds of work. It is also where the more application-oriented workers gain realization of the importance of the conceptual structure of the field. Typical attendance at these symposia averages about 700 registrants from more than 20 countries. On average each submitted paper is scrutinized by 2 to 3 reviewers, which results in the acceptance of roughly 500 papers out of 1000 papers that are submitted on average each year.
