Applied Research Competition
Description
This "Best Paper Award" assesses the top scholarly security research from the previous year. The focus of this competition is on research that has a practical impact. With eligibility limited to already published papers or camera-ready papers, CSAW has a reputation for drawing some of the best security research worldwide.
Not running this year in: India.
Applied Research Competition 2026
Timeline
Items
Paper Submission Deadline
EST
Finalist Notification
EST
Finals Starts
EST
Finals End
EST
Region
Resources
Paper Submission Link
Team Contact Email
Applied Research Competition 2026
Links
Timeline
Items
Submission Deadline
AoE
Submit your paper by the end of day, Anytime on Earth (AoE).
Reviews complete
Program committee reviews conclude.
Finalists notified
All authors, finalists and non-finalists, receive their decision by email.
Travel confirmed
Transportation to and from NYU and accommodation throughout the competition are confirmed for the ten invited student presenters.
In-person presentations
EST
Ten student authors present before a panel of industry judges and academics at NYU Brooklyn.
Best Paper Awards
EST
Best Paper Awards for technical and social impact are announced at the closing ceremony.
Region
Note
Center for Cybersecurity
370 Jay Street, 10th Floor
Brooklyn, NY
Wed, Nov 11: Arrive in NYC.
Thu, Nov 12: Attend NYU events, talks, and career fair; poster setup at 4 PM.
Fri, Nov 13: Poster setup before 9 AM; session begins at 9 AM; judges arrive at 12 PM; judging runs until 3 PM; take down posters at 5 PM.
Sat, Nov 14: Best Paper Awards announced at the 9 AM closing ceremony.
Only in-person presentations are allowed. Bring a 36 × 24 inch landscape, not portrait, printed poster; use graphics and avoid too many words. Judges evaluate technical impact and social impact. No computer, demos, or slides are needed.
370 Jay Street, 10th Floor
Brooklyn, NY
Wed, Nov 11: Arrive in NYC.
Thu, Nov 12: Attend NYU events, talks, and career fair; poster setup at 4 PM.
Fri, Nov 13: Poster setup before 9 AM; session begins at 9 AM; judges arrive at 12 PM; judging runs until 3 PM; take down posters at 5 PM.
Sat, Nov 14: Best Paper Awards announced at the 9 AM closing ceremony.
Only in-person presentations are allowed. Bring a 36 × 24 inch landscape, not portrait, printed poster; use graphics and avoid too many words. Judges evaluate technical impact and social impact. No computer, demos, or slides are needed.
Eligibility
- The paper concerns the design, application, implementation, or exploitation of security technologies.
- The research is already used in practice or has clear potential to be used in practice.
- The paper was published or camera-ready between September 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026 at IEEE Security & Privacy 2026, USENIX Security 2026, SOUPS 2026, ACM CCS 2025, NDSS 2026, IMC 2025, CSCW 2025, PETS 2026, IMWUT/UbiComp 2025, or ACM CHI 2026. Work published elsewhere may also be submitted when it meets the remaining criteria, though the listed venues may receive preference in the event of a tie.
- At least one author is a student enrolled at a university in Canada, Mexico, or the United States as of November 1, 2026, and is available to present the work in person at NYU on November 13, 2026.
Judging Criteria
Practitioners, academics, and industry experts assess the real-world impact of eligible submissions:
- Technical Impact
- Social Impact
Submission Guidelines
Submit one PDF of the published or camera-ready paper, retaining the original publication venue template. Review is single-blind: reviewers can see author names; authors do not see reviewer names.
Resources
Submission Form
Region
Organizers & Judges