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NeurIPS 2026 Volunteering and Financial Assistance

The Neural Information Processing Systems Foundation is proud to provide targeted financial support to individuals for whom attendance would cause a financial burden.  

Updates

  • 7 Sep: the Financial Assistance Grant and Volunteer applications are open

 

Financial Assistance

Eligibility: The NeurIPS 2026 Financial Assistance program supports participation across all NeurIPS 2026 tracks and programs. Priority may be given to students and junior postdoctoral researchers who are primary contributors to accepted NeurIPS work. Applications are evaluated holistically based on accessibility needs, financial hardship, first-time attendance, service to NeurIPS, and other contributions to the community.

What financial assistance awardees receive: Depending on the assigned location and available inventory, an award may include complimentary in-person or virtual registration and prepaid accommodation in Atlanta, Sydney, or Paris. Flights, trains, local transportation, meals, per diem, and independently purchased expenses are not reimbursed.

How to apply:

  • Check to see if you are eligible (see our FAQ),
  • Fill out the Financial Assistance Application.
  • ❗Make sure you fill out all required parts of the Financial Assistance application. Incomplete applications may be rejected.

Things to consider before applying:

  • ⚠️ Financial Assistance only covers registration and accommodation fees.
  • Registration is not required to apply. However, applicants who require a visa invitation letter must register for NeurIPS before requesting one and should begin the visa process as early as possible. If you previously registered and get an award, your registration fee will be refunded.
  • Travel and related expenses are not covered. Flights, trains, local transportation, meals, per diem, and other independently purchased expenses remain the recipient’s responsibility. NeurIPS WILL NOT be able to reimburse any directly purchased travel or accommodation.
  • ⚠️ YOUR LOCATION SELECTIONS ARE FINAL AFTER THE APPLICATION DEADLINE. Select only locations that you can realistically attend after considering visas, travel costs, travel time, accessibility, expenses that are not covered by the award, and personal constraints. An award cannot be moved to another in-person location.
  • Awards are personal and non-transferable. They cannot be transferred to a co-author or privately exchanged or “swapped” with another recipient.
  • Submit only one application per person. You may edit your application as many times as needed before the deadline; only the latest version saved will be considered.
  • Monitor your inbox and spam folder after notifications are released. Award and hotel offers may have short acceptance deadlines (approximately 48 hours). If you cannot use an award, notify the organizers immediately so that it can be reallocated.

Dates:

  • Application opens: 7 Sep
  • Application deadline: 6 Oct 23:59 AoE
  • Notification: by 14 Oct 23:59 AoE

Questions❓:

  • Before getting in touch, please read the FAQs below.
  • If you have read the FAQ below and still have financial assistance questions, contact the NeurIPS 2026 Next Generation & Accessibility Chairs via the Contact NeurIPS page.

 

Volunteering

  • ⚠️ We are only accepting volunteer applications for Sydney and Atlanta.
  • Volunteer applications for Paris will open later. We will post the application link and information at that time.

What volunteers do:

  • Volunteers are assigned two shifts, each approximately 4 hours long, at the conference venue.

What volunteers receive:

  • For Sydney and Atlanta, volunteers must purchase their NeurIPS registration before the conference. We will allow accepted volunteera to register even if the conference is sold
  • The registration will be refunded after you complete your shifts.
  • We refund both "Conference Sessions & Tutorials" and "Workshops & Competitions”.
  • Volunteers DO NOT receive complimentary hotel accommodation.

How to apply:

Dates:

  • Application opens: 7 Sep
  • Application deadline: 6 Oct 23:59 AoE
  • Notification: by 20 Oct 23:59 AoE

Questions❓:

  • If you have read the FAQ below and still have questions about volunteering, contact the NeurIPS 2026 Volunteer Chairs via the Contact NeurIPS page.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The FAQs are divided into the following categories, if you’d like to go to one of them directly.

Application

How do I know that the Financial Assistance form has been submitted?

We do not send confirmation emails when the Financial Assistance application form is submitted. After you submit the application, a green box stating "Thanks. Your information has been submitted." at the top of the application form confirms the form has been submitted.

I forgot some information or want to update my application. Can I modify it after submission?

You can update your pplication until the application deadline. Please ensure that your latest submission is complete, accurate, and the version you want us to evaluate. Do not submit an empty or partially completed application, as it will replace your earlier submission for review.

Where can I find my OpenReview profile ID?

Your OpenReview profile ID is the identifier associated with your OpenReview profile, for example, ~First_Last1. The application requires an OpenReview profile ID, and a paper submission number alone is not a substitute for the profile ID.

Where can I find the paper number/ID for an accepted conference paper?

The paper number/ID for an accepted NeurIPS conference paper is the 4- to 5-digit submission number (#) visible in your OpenReview Author Console.

Should I register for the conference before being notified about financial assistance?

⚠️ If you need a visa, you should register for NeurIPS and apply for your visa as soon as possible. Only registered participants can receive a Visa Invitation Letter. We cannot make exceptions to this policy. If you apply for your visa by the deadline specified in our cancellation policy, we offer an extended cancellation deadline described here. More information about visas can be found here.

If you do register and later receive a complimentary registration, a refund will be applied to the method of payment used to pay for your registration.

Can I submit my financial assistance application before registering for the conference? Does my registration status affect my eligibility?

Yes, you may submit the financial assistance application before conference registration. No, your registration status does not affect eligibility for the financial assistance grant. Please note that you have to be logged into a NeurIPS.cc account to submit the application. There is only one application per account, and you can edit your application up until the deadline.

Why am I asked to select all locations I would be willing to attend?

NeurIPS 2026 will take place in Atlanta, Sydney, and Paris, and the availability and type of Financial Assistance may differ by location. Selecting all locations that you would realistically be willing and able to attend helps the committee allocate limited support.

You are not required to select all three locations. Do not select a location that you could not realistically attend after considering visa or travel authorization requirements, financial restrictions, and other factors. Please explain the reasons for not being able to travel to a location in your application.

Your location selections are final after the application deadline. Select only locations that you can realistically attend after considering visas, travel costs, travel time, accessibility, expenses that are not covered by the award, and personal constraints. An award cannot be moved to another in-person location.

What if I cannot realistically attend one or more locations?

You can separately indicate whether each location is realistically feasible for you. If a location is not feasible, explain why. The committee will use both your ranking and your feasibility responses when considering an award location.

What should I consider when deciding whether a location is realistically feasible?

Consider visa or travel authorization requirements, expected travel time, estimated transportation costs, personal or accessibility constraints, and any expenses that would remain uncovered by the Financial Assistance award.

Eligibility

Will I be funded if ...

  • ... I am not a student or junior postdoc?
  • ... I am not an author of an accepted paper?
  • ... my contribution is in a workshop or another NeurIPS track?
  • ... this is not my first time attending NeurIPS?
  • ... I don't fit the priority eligibility criteria?

Possibly. The number of funded persons is limited, and funding decisions consider multiple factors, including your conference participation, contribution, career stage, first-time attendance, and the overall applicant pool. The 2026 program will try to support participants across all tracks.

Meeting the priority eligibility criteria does not guarantee funding, and applicants who do not meet all of those criteria may still receive funding. We cannot provide funding decisions or guarantees before the notification date.

If you believe you qualify according to the Eligibility criteria above, we encourage you to apply.

I am a non-traditional student or academic researcher who does not fit into the "student or junior postdoc" categories listed in the Financial Assistance application. Am I eligible for the award?

Select the status category that most closely matches your situation, provide your current position title or primary role as a “Job Title”, and provide a justification for your eligibility as a response to "List any other information or questions that you would like to share with the Next Gen Chairs and/or organizers." We will evaluate such instances on a case-by-case basis.

Which NeurIPS 2026 tracks and programs are supported?

The 2026 Financial Assistance program is intended to support participation across all NeurIPS 2026 tracks and programs. Applicants should accurately identify their contributions in the application so that the committee can verify them where possible.

Does my paper qualify as an "accepted conference paper" if it is ...

... accepted to the NeurIPS 2026 main conference track?

... accepted to the NeurIPS 2026 Evaluations & Datasets Track?

... accepted to the NeurIPS 2026 Position Paper Track?

… accepted to the NeurIPS 2026 Creative AI Track?

… accepted to the NeurIPS 2026 Reproducibility Track?

Yes.

What counts as a "first author" of a conference or workshop paper?

For Financial Assistance prioritization, a primary contributing author may be the first-listed author, an author formally designated as having contributed equally (co-first author), or a lead author on a paper whose authors are listed alphabetically. Applicants should select the applicable category in the application. This classification is used only for Financial Assistance evaluation and does not change the paper’s official authorship.

Do I need to volunteer to receive financial assistance?

No. You do not need to volunteer to receive a Financial Assistance award. You can apply for both the grant and to be a volunteer, but you will not be selected for both.

I applied, or I intend to apply, for a financial assistance program run by an affinity group or workshop at NeurIPS 2026. Can I still apply to one of the NeurIPS 2026 Financial Assistance Programs?

Yes. We will review all applications with respect to our support goals, and aim to support as many people in need as we can, given our funding constraints. In addition, we are in coordination with other NeurIPS funding programs, including the ones from affinity groups, to avoid double-funding the same costs and to support as many people as possible.

 

Financial Assistance Format

What format does the financial assistance take?

Financial Assistance may include complimentary registration (see Registration section below), up to seven nights of prepaid hotel accommodation (see Hotel Accommodation section below), or both. Awardees will receive only the component(s) requested in their application and approved in their award. Requesting only one component will not negatively affect eligibility.

Will NeurIPS provide travel support?

No. The Financial Assistance program does not provide travel support such as flights, train tickets, local transportation, meals, or per diem. Applicants should consider how they would cover expenses that are not included in an award.

Will NeurIPS reimburse expenses that I pay myself?

No. Except for refunding a previously purchased NeurIPS registration when registration support is awarded, the program does not reimburse other independently purchased expenses. Financial Assistance is provided through the approved award components and is not a reimbursement program. Please do not assume that independently purchased travel or hotel expenses can be reimbursed.

Does the Financial Assistance program cover virtual participation?

Yes, virtual-only registration is covered. The application forms allow you to decline to apply for a hotel stay and to specify that you are applying for the virtual registration.

 

Registration

Does complimentary registration cover all NeurIPS events?

Yes, complimentary in-person registration includes both workshop and conference registration. A virtual pass covers all aspects of the virtual conference.

Can I receive registration support if I already registered?

Yes. If you register and later receive a complimentary registration, a refund will be applied to the method of payment used to pay for your registration. Because registration availability may be limited, we recommend registering early rather than waiting for award decisions. Moreover, the registration cancellation deadline is in November. If you apply for your visa by the deadline specified in our cancellation policy, we also offer an extended cancellation deadline.

 

Hotel Accommodation

Which days of the conference would the hotel accommodation cover?

Our hotel coordinator will reach out to you separately to confirm your hotel reservation, including dates. Any reservation outside of the below dates will be at your expense.

  • Accommodation for Sydney is set for an arrival of Dec 6th and departure of Dec 13th
  • Accommodation for Atlanta is set for an arrival of Dec 9th and departure of Dec 14th
  • Accommodation for Paris is set for an arrival of Dec 8th and departure of Dec 14th

In which hotel would accommodation be provided?

Hotel awardees will be placed in an approved NeurIPS 2026 affiliate conference hotel. Our hotel coordinator will reach out to you separately to confirm your hotel reservation, including location. The NextGen Chairs cannot determine the exact location of your accommodation ahead of time, as there are multiple hotels.

For how many nights would the hotel accommodation be covered?

You will receive up to 7 hotel nights. You will be able to purchase additional nights at the conference rate at your own expense. You are also free to select fewer nights.

If I receive Financial Assistance, when will I find out which hotel has been assigned to me?

After the final list of awardees is confirmed, our hotel partners will email each recipient directly—typically within 24 - 48 hours—with their hotel assignment and a link to accept the reservation.

Please monitor your inbox and spam folder closely. You will have a limited time to accept the hotel assignment by the deadline stated in the email. If you do not accept it in time, the hotel award may be forfeited and offered to another applicant.

Can complimentary hotel rooms be shared?

We are unable to coordinate or confirm that room shares for grant recipients are permitted. The ultimate determination is up to the hotel in which you are booked.

Should I book a hotel room before I receive a Financial Assistance decision?

If you receive Financial Assistance for a hotel stay, the NeurIPS hotel coordinator will arrange the hotel stay on your behalf. Please note that NeurIPS is not able to provide monetary reimbursement for any expenses, so it would not be able to reimburse you for a hotel stay that you have paid for. Of course, you may choose to make your own refundable-without-penalty reservation at your own risk, but it would be separate from the Financial Assistance program, and NeurIPS would not be involved in this process.

 

Location assignment, visas, and changes

Can I change locations after receiving an award?

No. Financial Assistance awards are personal, non-transferable, and location-specific. Once an award has been issued, it cannot be:

  • moved to another in-person location;
  • transferred to a co-author or any other person; or
  • privately exchanged or “swapped” with another award recipient, even if both recipients agree.

If you cannot use your assigned award, you must notify the organizers and release it. The organizers will determine whether and how the released support is reallocated. Assignment to an alternative in-person location is not possible.

What happens if I cannot obtain a visa or travel authorization for the location I was awarded?

Awardees should notify the organizers immediately if they can no longer use an award. Depending on the final policy and available capacity, support may be converted to virtual registration or reallocated. Reassignment to another in-person location is not possible, so please make sure you carefully consider visa restrictions and other factors when selecting a location in your application.

 

Accepting or declining financial assistance

Since applying, my circumstances have changed, and I will no longer attend NeurIPS. Can I transfer my registration or hotel support to one of my co-authors?

No. Financial Assistance is not transferable. If you are no longer attending or cannot use any part of your award, inform the Next Generation & Accessibility team immediately so that the support can be redistributed to one of the many deserving applicants we were unable to fund. Please note that no-shows after receiving funding will negatively impact your eligibility for future NeurIPS funding.

What if I accept an award but later do not use it?

The 2026 program will track whether awarded support is actually used, declined, or forfeited without notifying us. Promptly releasing an award that you cannot use allows the committee to support another applicant. Unexplained no-shows or failure to release unused support will negatively impact your eligibility for future NeurIPS funding. If you do not use a reserved hotel room and fail to cancel it by the stated deadline, you will also be responsible for the hotel’s one-night no-show fee.