ICAPS 2026 Doctoral Consortium & LaunchPad Workshop

The ICAPS 2026 Doctoral Consortium (DC) and LaunchPad Workshop are co-located events at the 36th International Conference on Automated Planning and Scheduling (ICAPS 2026). Both events are designed to support students interested in research in automated planning and scheduling, at different stages of their careers:

  • Doctoral Consortium (DC): for PhD students.
  • LaunchPad Workshop: for undergraduate and Master’s students.

Together, both the DC and the LaunchPad Workshop aim to:

  • Provide constructive feedback on ongoing and planned research.
  • Offer guidance on academic and non-academic career paths.
  • Help students connect with mentors and integrate into the ICAPS community.

Who Should Attend?

Doctoral Consortium (DC)

The DC is intended for PhD students at any stage whose research is related to topics of ICAPS. We particularly encourage applications from students who have already defined a thesis topic and research direction, and still have enough time in their program to benefit from mentoring and incorporate feedback.

LaunchPad Workshop

The LaunchPad Workshop is intended for undergraduate and Master’s students who are curious about AI planning and scheduling, considering a research career, or preparing for graduate studies. No prior publications are required; strong motivation and interest in research are key.

Both events are open to all registered student attendees of ICAPS 2026; participation in DC & LaunchPad will be part of the conference registration process.

Key Dates and Deadlines

Exact dates and times will be announced on the ICAPS 2026 website. All deadlines will use UTC-12 as the reference timezone (a deadline has not passed as long as it is still the stated date anywhere in the world). Planned deadlines include:

  • DC Mentoring Program application deadline: March 2, 2026
  • DC Mentoring Program notification: March 27, 2026
  • LaunchPad Workshop application deadline: March 2, 2026
  • LaunchPad Workshop notification: March 27, 2026
  • DC & LaunchPad day at ICAPS 2026: June 27, 2026

Organizing Committee (ICAPS 2026 DC & LaunchPad)

  • Malte Helmert – malte[dot]helmert[at]unibas[dot]ch
  • Jane Kiam – jane[dot]kiam[at]unibw[dot]de
  • Ivan Serina – ivan[dot]serina[at]unibs[dot]it

Doctoral Consortium (DC)

The goal of the Doctoral Consortium is to:

  • Provide PhD students with a forum to present their research plans and results and receive feedback from experienced researchers.
  • Foster a supportive community of young researchers within ICAPS.
  • Offer advice on academic, industrial, and alternative career paths.
  • Encourage participation of students from diverse backgrounds and institutions.

DC Mentoring Program

As part of the DC, ICAPS 2026 will offer a Mentoring Program. Each accepted mentee will be paired with a senior researcher who will:

  • Discuss the student’s research topic and progress.
  • Provide feedback on research plans and career decisions.
  • Help students connect with the broader planning and scheduling community.

We particularly encourage applications from students who have made some progress on their dissertation and have at least one year remaining, so that mentoring can meaningfully influence their work.

Students do not need to be accepted into the Mentoring Program to attend the DC, but participation in the program is strongly encouraged.

Application Procedure for the DC Mentoring Program

To apply for the DC Mentoring Program, students will be asked to submit a single PDF file containing:

  • A dissertation abstract (up to 4 pages) summarizing the research problem, motivation, approach, results so far, and a tentative research plan and timeline.
  • A Curriculum Vitae (CV), including current affiliation, advisor’s name, year in the PhD program, previous degrees, and relevant publications or experience.
  • An enrollment letter from the PhD advisor, program director, or school administration confirming enrollment in a PhD program.
  • Optional material, such as an exemplary publication and a list of potential mentors.

Please prepare the dissertation abstract using the AAAI/ICAPS paper format (AAAI author kit). All documents must be submitted in PDF format. Applications are not anonymous; include your name and affiliation. See below for the submission link.

For more complete information about the application procedure, please refer to the Doctoral Consortium call.

Review and Selection (DC Mentoring Program)

If the number of applications exceeds our capacity, selection will be based on:

  • Clarity and quality of the dissertation abstract.
  • Suitability of the topic for ICAPS.
  • The student’s stage in the PhD program, aiming for a balanced cohort.
  • Institutional and geographic diversity, to support a broad and inclusive community.

Student Support (DC)

We are exploring options to offer partial support for travel and/or registration fees for some DC participants. If such funding becomes available, the DC chairs will directly contact selected students with further details.

LaunchPad Workshop

What is LaunchPad?

LaunchPad is a workshop designed for undergraduate and Master’s students who are curious about AI planning and scheduling and want to explore research in this area. Participants will:

  • Learn how to get involved in research and prepare for graduate school.
  • Discover potential advisors, research groups, and graduate programs.
  • Discuss their research ideas or early results and receive constructive feedback.
  • Build lasting professional networks with mentors, PhD students, and peers.

Format

The LaunchPad Workshop will be a full-day, in-person event co-located with the DC at ICAPS 2026. The program is planned to include:

  • A welcome session introducing AI planning and scheduling and the ICAPS community.
  • Invited talks by researchers sharing their experience in starting and sustaining a research career.
  • Open discussion with panelists.
  • Joint activities with the Doctoral Consortium, such as attending selected DC presentations, a joint poster session, and informal discussions.
  • Mentoring interactions, where each LaunchPad participant is matched with a mentor.
  • Social events, such as a joint DC & LaunchPad dinner, to encourage informal networking.

Application Procedure for LaunchPad

To be considered for the LaunchPad Workshop, applicants will be asked to submit a single PDF file containing:

  • Personal Statement (up to 2 pages) describing background, motivation for pursuing research in automated planning and scheduling, longer-term goals, and what they hope to gain from the workshop.
  • Research Statement (up to 2 pages) describing a problem or research direction of interest, its importance and feasibility, any preliminary work, and related work.
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV) including university, country, current study program, and (optionally) prior publications or research projects.
  • Optional advisor letter indicating whether a faculty member can help support travel and lodging.

Please prepare the personal statement and research statement using the AAAI/ICAPS paper format. All materials must be submitted in PDF format. Applications are not anonymous; include your name and affiliation. See below for the submission link.

For more complete information about the application procedure, please refer to the Launchpad call.

Review and Selection (LaunchPad)

If we receive more applications than we can accommodate, selection will consider:

  • Clarity, originality, and feasibility of the proposed research topic.
  • The student’s motivation for engaging in research and in the ICAPS community.
  • The student’s expected graduation date, to ensure LaunchPad is well-timed.
  • Diversity of institutions, countries, and research interests.

Student Support (LaunchPad)

We are actively looking for funding to provide partial support for travel and/or registration fees for some LaunchPad participants. If such funding becomes available, the LaunchPad chairs will contact selected students directly.

Joint Mentoring and Networking

The DC and LaunchPad events are designed to complement each other. LaunchPad participants will have opportunities to attend selected DC sessions and see how PhD research is presented and discussed. Considering the number of participants, DC and LaunchPad will share joint activities and social events, including meetings with mentors, to foster interaction across different career stages.

Submission form

All applications for the Doctoral Consortium (DC) Mentoring Program and the LaunchPad Workshop must be submitted through the online application form:

Application form