AITO-ECOOP Student Research Competition

We are excited to announce the launch of the new AITO-ECOOP Student Research Competition.

The AITO-ECOOP SRC is a new forum for students to present their original research, exchange ideas, and improve their communication skills while competing for prizes. This event provides a unique opportunity for students to get direct feedback from a panel of distinguished judges and engage with the wider AITO and ECOOP communities.

Goals of the Competition

The Student Research Competition has the following goals:

• Share Research: To give students the opportunity to share their research ideas and results at a premier international forum.
• Interact & Network: To give students the opportunity to meet with and interact with conference attendees to share ideas, gain new insights, and understand possible practical applications.
• Improve Skills: To give students an opportunity to sharpen their communication skills, including visual, organizational, and oral presentation.
• Receive Feedback: To provide detailed feedback to students about their research and presentation from a panel of distinguished judges.
• Recognize Excellence: To recognize and reward outstanding student research.

Prizes and Awards

We are grateful to AITO (Association Internationale pour les Technologies Objets) for generously sponsoring this competition. AITO will provide the monetary awards for the top three ranked students:

• 1st Place: €500
• 2nd Place: €300
• 3rd Place: €200

All students who participate in the competition will also receive a certificate of participation.

Competition Format & Eligibility

A key feature of the AITO-ECOOP-SRC is its inclusive format.

• Single Category: There will be only one competition category.
• All Students Welcome: All students who submit their work are eligible to participate, regardless of their level (e.g., undergraduate, master’s, or PhD). All participants will compete in this single track for the top prizes.

Other Events for Students

Note that next to the AITO-ECOOP-SRC, several other tracks will be focussing on students at ECOOP 2026, in particular the Student Volunteer program (which offers travel and attendance support grants from ECOOP and AITO) and the ECOOP Academy, please check out these opportunities to maximise your ECOOP 2026 experience!

Accepted Papers

Call for Contributions

Call for Contributions: How to Participate

To participate in the competition, students must submit a research abstract electronically through the official submission webpage.

Submission Page: https://ecoop26aitosrc.hotcrp.com/

Submission Details

Content

Submissions must be related to the main topics of interest for the ECOOP conference. Please consult the main ECOOP Call for Papers for a detailed list of topics.

The abstract should clearly describe the following:

• The research problem and its motivation
• Background and related work
• The proposed approach and its uniqueness
• Results and contributions

Formatting Guidelines

• Length: The abstract must not exceed 2 pages (including all figures, tables, and appendices, excluding reference).
• File Format: All submissions must be in PDF format.
• Template: Submissions must strictly conform to the ACM Proceedings Template.

Review Process

• The review process will be single-blind. Therefore, authors must indicate their names and affiliations on the submission.
• Submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines (e.g., topic, page limits, formatting) will be desk-rejected without review.

Selection and Competition Process

A panel of experts will review all submissions. Selected students will be invited to participate in the competition, which will be held in person at the ECOOP conference.

Competition Format

The AITO-ECOOP-SRC will consist of three distinct stages:

1. The Abstract Submission

The first step is the submission of an abstract describing your research, as detailed in the “Call for Contributions.” A committee of experts will review all submitted abstracts and select the students who will be invited to participate in the competition at ECOOP.

2. First Round: The Poster Session

If you are selected, you will be invited to the first round of the competition, which will take place at the ECOOP conference in Brussels, Belgium.

In this round, you will present a poster describing your work to conference attendees and leading experts, including the SRC judging committee. The judges will review the posters and discuss the research with each participant. Your evaluation will be based on:

• The novelty and significance of your research.
• The quality of your presentation, including the poster and the discussion.

Following this evaluation, the judges will select a group of finalists to advance to the final round of the competition.

3. Second Round: The Presentation Session

If you are selected as a finalist, you will give a short presentation of your research in a special session at the ECOOP conference. This presentation will be delivered to a panel of judges.

After each presentation, there will be a brief question-and-answer session. Your final evaluation will be based on:

• Your knowledge of your research area.
• The overall contribution of your research.
• The quality of your oral and visual presentation.

The judges will select the top three winners from this final group. These winners will be announced at the conference and will receive the cash prizes sponsored by AITO.