IEEE BigData

2026 IEEE International Conference on Big Data

Call for New Faculty Highlights

The IEEE International Conference on Big Data 2026 invites applications for the New Faculty Highlights program.

This program aims to recognize and showcase outstanding new faculty and early independent researchers whose work is shaping the future of big data research, systems, analytics, and applications. IEEE BigData brings together researchers and practitioners across data science, AI/ML, data mining, data management, scalable systems, foundation models, scientific data discovery, benchmarks, and data-intensive applications. The New Faculty Highlights program is designed to highlight emerging leaders who connect data, methods, systems, and real-world impact.

The program will be held as part of the main conference program at IEEE BigData 2026.

Program Format

The New Faculty Highlights session is expected to include:

  • One keynote talk by a distinguished community member/program leader;
  • Short spotlight talks by selected new faculty participants;
  • An interactive poster and networking session.

Approximately 6-8 participants will be selected. The session is expected to run for approximately 2-3 hours. Final details on talk length, poster format, and schedule will be announced later.

Program Goals

The program is intended to:

  • provide visibility for promising new faculty and early independent researchers;
  • showcase emerging research directions in big data and data-intensive discovery;
  • foster interaction between new faculty, senior researchers, and the broader IEEE BigData community;
  • encourage discussion on research positioning, future directions, funding opportunities, proposal development, and career growth;
  • strengthen IEEE BigData as a community for the next generation of leaders in data-centric, scalable, and impactful research.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are typically assistant professors or equivalent early-career independent researchers within the first 3-5 years of their initial independent appointment. Applicants may come from academia, industry research labs, government labs, or other research organizations, provided they have an independent research role and a clear connection to big data research or practice.

We welcome applications from computer science, data science, statistics, engineering, information science, and domain sciences, including but not limited to healthcare, materials, transportation, urban/civil systems, climate, environment, and scientific discovery.

Applicants should demonstrate a clear connection to the IEEE BigData community through big data research, scalable systems, data analytics, AI/ML for data-intensive problems, data management, benchmarks, scientific data discovery, or impactful data-driven applications.

Scope

Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:

  • big data systems, infrastructure, and management;
  • data mining, machine learning, and AI for big data;
  • foundation models and data-centric AI;
  • scalable analytics and data-intensive computing;
  • trustworthy, responsible, and robust big data methods;
  • benchmarks, datasets, evaluation, and reproducibility;
  • big data for science, engineering, health, society, and industry;
  • domain-driven data-intensive research with clear methodological, computational, or community relevance to BigData.

Submission Materials

Applicants should submit the following materials.

1. Research Vision Statement

Maximum 2 pages.

The statement should address the following points:

  • Research focus and BigData relevance: What is your core research problem, and why is it important to the BigData community?
  • Key contributions and emerging direction: What are your most important contributions so far, and how do they form a coherent independent research agenda?
  • Vision for the next 3-5 years: What major research direction do you plan to pursue, and what new capabilities, insights, systems, datasets, benchmarks, or applications could it enable?
  • Community and broader impact: How does your work connect to the broader IEEE BigData community across data, methods, systems, applications, or societal/scientific impact?

Applicants may also briefly discuss research positioning, collaboration opportunities, funding trajectory, or career-development goals where relevant.

2. Short CV

Maximum 2 pages.

The CV should include current position, affiliation, education, selected publications, selected honors, funding if applicable, and relevant service or community contributions.

3. Representative Publications

Applicants may list up to 3 representative publications most relevant to their research vision. Full papers do not need to be uploaded unless requested by the submission system.

4. Basic Information

Applicants should provide:

  • name;
  • affiliation;
  • current position/title;
  • year of initial independent appointment;
  • research keywords;
  • webpage;
  • contact email.

Poster Requirement

Selected participants will be invited to present a poster during the interactive poster/networking session. The poster should provide an overview of the participant's research vision, key contributions, and future directions. It does not need to correspond to a single paper. Detailed poster size and format instructions will be provided after acceptance.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be reviewed based on:

  • Research promise and distinctiveness;
  • Relevance to the IEEE BigData community;
  • Coherence of the applicant's independent research vision;
  • Potential for future impact across data, methods, systems, applications, or scientific/societal domains;
  • Fit with the goals and format of the New Faculty Highlights program.

Selection will emphasize research vision, future potential, and community relevance rather than publication count alone.

Important Dates

  • Application deadline: October 24, 2026 (AoE)
  • Notification: November 7, 2026
  • Participant confirmation: November 14, 2026
  • Conference dates: December 14-17, 2026
  • Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Application Submission

New Faculty Highlights is an application-based, non-proceedings program. No camera-ready paper is required.

Submit your application through CyberChair

Participation

Selected participants are expected to register for IEEE BigData 2026 and attend in person.

Organizers

New Faculty Highlights Co-Chairs