Call for Special Session Proposals

We call for proposals of special sessions that will be held within the SISAP 2026 conference. Special sessions are mini-venues that introduce new directions related to the SISAP topics of interest, but not explicitly listed. Special sessions are typically organized as a moderated panel, where the authors of special-session papers will discuss their topic with the panelists. It is expected that special session chairs and panelists will attend the conference. Special session papers will supplement the regular research papers and be included in the LNCS proceedings of SISAP 2026.

Special Session Papers and Review Process

Each special session should include four to five papers. Special session submissions may include vision/position papers, which will be evaluated based on the quality of the arguments and ideas proposed in the papers. To ensure high quality, all papers submitted to special sessions will be peer-reviewed through a standard review process, including papers solicited by the special session chairs. If a special session has many high-quality submissions, some of the submissions may potentially be moved to regular conference sessions.

The review process will be coordinated with the regular technical program review process. The organizers of each special session must provide two reviews per submitted paper, and the regular program committee will provide another two reviews. Final decision on acceptance/rejection will be proposed by the special session chairs and approved by the SISAP 2026 program committee chairs. If special session chairs submit work to their own session, the review process for those papers must be managed by the SISAP 2026 program committee chairs exclusively.

Special session papers must follow the same guidelines as regular research papers with respect to restrictions on formatting and length, and will follow a double-blind reviewing procedure.

Special Session Proposal Submission Instructions

Special session proposals must be submitted by email to [email protected] and meet the deadline. Proposals will be evaluated by SISAP 2026 chairs and program committee chairs, based on the proposal quality and its motivation.

Please include the following information in your proposal:

• Title (and preferably an acronym) of the proposed special session.
• Description of the session format, e.g., panel, technical talks, or poster session.
• Name, affiliation, brief biography, and contact information for each of the organizers.
• A session abstract including significance justification and a brief overview of the state-of-the-art of the proposed special session topic.
• List of solicited papers, if known at the time of the session proposal submission. We expect a tentative title, author list, and a short abstract for each such paper.
• Proposal for arrangement of the reviews from session organizers, e.g., a list of reviewers for the special session.
• Plans for advertising the special session, e.g., targeted distribution lists, projects, or communities.