Student Research CompetitionSPLASH/ISSTA 2026

Accepted Papers

Call for the Student Research Competition

“The SRC, Tools, and Posters tracks are jointly organized for SPLASH/ISSTA 2026. All three tracks share the same deadlines.”

The ACM Student Research Competition (SRC) offers a unique opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to present their research to a panel of judges and conference attendees at SPLASH/ISSTA 2026. The SRC provides visibility and exposes up-and-coming researchers to computer science research and the research community. This competition also gives students an opportunity to discuss their research with experts in their field, get feedback, and sharpen their communication and networking skills.

To participate in the competition, a student must submit a 2-page description of their original research project. The submitted project descriptions are peer-reviewed. Each student whose description is selected by a panel of reviewers is invited to attend the SRC competition at SPLASH/ISSTA 2026 and present their work.

Winners of the SPLASH/ISSTA competition are invited to participate in the ACM Student Research Competition Grand Finals. Submit your work and take part in the ACM Student Research Competition at SPLASH/ISSTA 2026!

Participation Requirements

In order to participate in the SRC, you must:

• Have graduate or undergraduate student status (i.e., be enrolled in a university or college) at the time of submission. Typically, one student author per submission.
• Be a current ACM student member.
• Each submission may be sent to only one SRC (either SPLASH or ISSTA) in 2026
• If selected, register for the conference and attend.

Submission Guidelines

A submitted research abstract must not exceed 2 pages, including all text, appendices, and figures. Additional pages are permitted only for references (and no other text).

The submission must be written in English and must be submitted as a PDF file that follows the ACM SIGPLAN acmart style. See SIGPLAN Author Resources. Please use the provided double-column LaTeX or Word templates.

You must submit your SRC research abstract electronically via submission link here.

Competition Format

If your abstract is accepted, there are two additional rounds of SRC competition that are held during SPLASH/ISSTA 2026.

First Round: Poster Session

The first round is the Poster Session. If you are selected to participate in the competition, you will be invited to present a poster that will be used as a visual helping you to explain your work. This is your opportunity to present your research to conference attendees and SRC judges.

The judges will review the posters and speak to participants about their research. The judges will evaluate the posters based on:

• Quality of the oral and visual presentation
• Significance of the contribution
• Research methods
• Broader knowledge of the research area

Following that evaluation, the judges will select students to advance to the second round of the competition.

Second Round: Research Talk

If you are selected for this stage, you will give a 10-minute talk about your research before a panel of judges in a special session at SPLASH/ISSTA 2026.

You should prepare in advance a presentation and a talk describing your work. The talks will be evaluated by a panel of judges according to the same criteria as the poster session:

• Quality of the oral and visual presentation
• Significance of the contribution
• Research methods
• Broader knowledge of the research area

More information about the competition and selection criteria can be found at the official ACM SRC website: ACM Student Research Competition.

Prizes and SRC Grand Finals

The top three winners in each category (undergraduate and graduate) will be recognized during the conference. First-place undergraduate and graduate student winners from all SRCs held during the year (including SPLASH/ISSTA) advance to the SRC Grand Finals.

A separate panel of judges will evaluate all SRC Grand Final participants via the Web. Three undergraduate and three graduate students will be chosen as the SRC Grand Finals winners.