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Join Us at NeurIPS 2026: Financial Assistance and Volunteer Applications Are Now Open

NeurIPS is at its best when people from across our community can participate fully, presenting their work, exchanging ideas, finding collaborators, and helping make the conference possible.

We are excited to announce that applications for NeurIPS 2026 Financial Assistance and conference volunteering are now open.

NeurIPS 2026 will bring our community together across Sydney, Atlanta, and Paris, alongside opportunities for virtual participation. We recognize that the cost of attending an international conference can be a significant barrier. Through Financial Assistance and volunteer opportunities, the Neural Information Processing Systems Foundation aims to make it possible for more members of our community to participate.

What is new for 2026?

The NeurIPS program now includes many different forms of research, scholarship, creativity, service, and community participation. This year, we have updated the Financial Assistance application to better reflect that breadth.

Applicants may report all relevant NeurIPS 2026 contributions they would like the committee to consider, including contributions to the:

  • Main Track
  • Evaluations & Datasets Track
  • Position Paper Track
  • Creative AI Track
  • Reproducibility/MLRC Track
  • Education Track
  • Other official NeurIPS 2026 programs

Each program has its own contribution and presentation formats, and an eligible contribution does not need to be a conventional conference paper.

The application also asks applicants to identify and rank only the conference locations they could realistically attend. This will help us match available support with applicants who can use it, while reducing the need for late changes.

Financial Assistance

Financial Assistance is intended for members of the NeurIPS community for whom participating in the conference would create a meaningful financial burden.

Decisions may consider financial need, career stage, first-time in-person attendance, verified NeurIPS contributions and service, prior assistance used, location-specific travel burden, and the overall applicant pool. We particularly encourage applications from students, junior postdoctoral researchers, first-time attendees, and others who would be unable or unlikely to participate without support.

Available assistance may include:

  • Complimentary in-person conference registration
  • Complimentary virtual registration
  • Prepaid accommodation in Sydney, Atlanta, or Paris

Accommodation is subject to availability and will be arranged directly for selected recipients. Financial Assistance does not cover flights, trains, local transportation, meals, per diem, independently booked accommodation, or other expenses purchased by the applicant.

Before selecting a location, applicants should carefully consider travel authorization requirements, travel time, transportation costs, accessibility or personal constraints, and expenses not covered by an award. In-person awards are location-specific and cannot be transferred from one conference location to another. Recipients should also promptly notify the organizers if they can no longer attend or use any part of their award so that the support can be reallocated. 

Apply for Financial Assistance 

Volunteering

Volunteers play an important role in creating a welcoming, accessible, and well-organized conference experience. Volunteering is also an opportunity to meet other members of the community, gain behind-the-scenes conference experience, and contribute directly to making NeurIPS 2026 a success.

Volunteer applications are available for Sydney and Atlanta. Volunteers are normally assigned two shifts of approximately four hours each at the conference venue, and volunteer support does not include accommodation or travel expenses.

Applications for Paris will open in late September with a separate volunteering campaign. Please follow official NeurIPS Paris communications for details on how to apply for those volunteer opportunities. The application link and additional details will be posted on the main NeurIPS website when available.

For Sydney and Atlanta, volunteers must purchase their NeurIPS registration before the conference and will be refunded after completing their shifts at the conference. 

Applicants may apply for both Financial Assistance and volunteering. The two applications are separate, and any obligations associated with an award or volunteer assignment will be communicated directly to selected applicants.

Apply to Volunteer

Key dates

• Applications open: 7 September 2026

• Application deadline: 6 October 2026, Anywhere on Earth

• Financial Assistance decisions: 14 October 2026, Anywhere on Earth

• Volunteer decisions: 20 October 2026, Anywhere on Earth 

Please read the complete NeurIPS 2026 Financial Assistance and Volunteering FAQ before applying. The FAQ includes additional information about eligibility, available support, contribution reporting, accommodation, registration, location selection, accessibility-related follow-up, and what happens after an award is accepted.

We warmly encourage eligible members of our community to apply and to share this announcement with students, researchers, and contributors who may benefit from these opportunities.

We look forward to welcoming you to NeurIPS 2026, in Sydney, Atlanta, Paris, and online, and to building an engaging and accessible conference together.

NeurIPS 2026 Next Generation & Accessibility Chairs
Apoorva Beedu, Ehsan Adeli, Ismini Lourentzou, Nicolas Papadakis, and Vineeth N. Balasubramanian

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