To attendees who are eligible to vote in the U.S.: the midterm elections are on Tuesday, November 3, the first day of the main conference. Please vote before you leave for Detroit: vote early in person, or return your mail ballot to an official drop box or your local election office instead of mailing it. See Election Day: Tuesday, November 3 for details.
To attendees who are eligible to vote in the U.S.: the 2026 midterm elections are on Tuesday, November 3, the first day of the main conference. Please vote before you travel to Detroit. The two most reliable ways to do that this year:
Vote early in person. Most states offer early voting in the days before the election (in Michigan, Saturday, October 24 through Sunday, November 1). Find locations and hours through your state or local election office.
Already have a mail ballot? Drop it off. Returning it to an official drop box, your local election office, or (in many states) an early voting site avoids postal delays entirely. Election officials, including Michigan’s Secretary of State, are encouraging voters to do this.
If you do need to mail your ballot, mail it by Tuesday, October 27. Most states, including Michigan, count a mail ballot only if it arrives by Election Day, and the U.S. Postal Service recommends mailing at least a week ahead. Postmarks can also lag the day you mail, so if your state counts ballots postmarked by Election Day, ask for a hand-cancelled postmark at a post office counter. Either way, track your ballot on your state’s election website so you can fix any problems before you leave.
As of October 20, the Supreme Court has blocked new federal Postal Service rules for mail ballots from taking effect for this election. Litigation is ongoing and rules can change close to Election Day, which is one more reason to vote early or drop off your ballot rather than rely on the mail. See Election Day: Tuesday, November 3 on the attending page for full details, including returning a mail ballot, state-by-state notes, and sources.
UIST 2026 Papers: From Submission to Final Decisions
Final paper decisions are out. 1,316 external reviewers and 158 committee members wrote 3,271 reviews and 1,120 meta reviews. The rebuttal changed scores for most papers above 2.5, and the PC meetings changed AC recommendations for 15.2% of papers.
We have now distributed final paper decisions to authors who submitted their papers to UIST 2026. This post summarizes what happened to those papers during the review process and answers a frequently asked question: how much do the different stages of the review process matter?
First, to summarize from our last post, the UIST 2026 papers track received 1,259 complete submissions. This was a record high, a 33% increase from UIST 2025. 1,175 of these papers moved past the desk rejection stage to our full review process. Papers that made it to this stage received 4 reviews: two from committee members (ACs) and two from external reviewers. Each reviewer assigned the paper a score from 1.0 (lowest) to 5.0 (highest). The mean of these scores is called the "Overall Score".
The work behind the reviews
Moving 1,175 papers through our full review process represents an extraordinary amount of work by the UIST community. The rest of this post includes data only from papers that received a full external review, and it represents a subset of those papers, with a small number excluded due to the Paper Chair’s conflicts when downloading paper data.
1,316 external reviewers and 158 committee members contributed a total of 3,271 full reviews, and those committee members contributed 1,120 meta reviews.
This work is unevenly distributed: most external reviewers contributed only one review, and fewer than 10% contributed four or more. UIST committee members often strive to match expertise to the paper such that one reviewer may have expertise that is tailor-fit to a particular paper. Moving forward, there may still be an opportunity to distribute the reviewing load a bit more among qualified reviewers.
Together, the program committee members and external reviewers contributed a total of 2.62 million words across all of these reviews, and 2.93 million words if we include all fields such as post-rebuttal and post-PC meeting updates. Over half of these words were contributed by external reviewers who wrote substantial reviews that ranged from 143 words for the shortest review to 4,566 words for the longest review.
Beyond the reviews themselves, reviewers and committee members contributed a total of 5,197 discussion comments throughout the entire process. 2,381 (or 45.8%) of discussion comments were added after the rebuttal. In total, papers received a mean of 4.80 (SD = 3.35) discussion comments, but papers along the decision boundary in initial reviews (2.5–3.5) received the highest number of comments, with a mean of 6.18 (SD = 3.41) comments. Finally, a subset of papers were discussed at one of three program committee (PC) meetings.
So, do the rebuttal and PC meeting actually matter?
In short, yes. The rebuttal shifted paper scores, and the PC determined paper recommendations.
First, we wanted to take a look at how scores changed across three snapshots: before rebuttal, after rebuttal but before the PC meeting, and after the PC meeting. This initial analysis would suggest that the overall scores barely change throughout our process. In fact, the mean score stays between 2.55 and 2.58 and the median score stays at 2.5 across all three snapshots.
However, when we plot changes for individual papers, at a glance, many papers had scores that changed substantially between the initial snapshot (before rebuttal) and the final snapshot (after the PC meeting). Changes appear to be concentrated in papers with scores above 2.5.
Thus, we also examined score changes based on the overall scores before rebuttal. It turned out that scores changed for the majority of papers with pre-rebuttal scores higher than 2.51.
Before rebuttal
Score changed
Score increased
Score decreased
Accepted
≤ 2.00
4.3%
2.1%
2.1%
0%
2.01–2.50
21.3%
9.4%
11.9%
1.8%
2.51–3.00
64.1%
26.5%
37.6%
19.5%
3.01–3.50
71.2%
54.6%
16.6%
77.9%
> 3.50
54%
50.8%
3.2%
98.4%
All
36.9%
20.5%
16.4%
21.4%
The majority of these changes occurred between the rebuttal and the PC meeting (33.9%) rather than during the PC meeting itself (6.4%, with a slight overlap between both stages). A reason for this is that, primarily, contested papers are nominated for discussion at the PC meeting stage, where deliberations happen directly among committee members rather than with external reviewers. Because of this, changes during the meeting naturally manifested in AC recommendations rather than numerical scores. In fact, 15.2% of all papers had either a 1AC or 2AC recommendation changed during the PC meeting, most often resolving "Discuss" into a decisive "Accept" or "Reject", showing that the meeting played a meaningful role in shaping final decisions.
It is hard to capture exactly what happened during the PC meeting, as decisions not only happened during synchronous discussions with the committee, but also through 1:1 discussions between 1AC and 2AC at break times. In the US PC meeting, about 81 papers (about 15% of papers allocated in the US split) were discussed at the PC meeting for at least a minute. These papers were discussed for a median time of 7.6 minutes (IQR 4.5–13.3 min). Shorter discussions occasionally involved identifying another committee member with expertise to add as "3AC", or describing a decision on a paper with split reviews. Longer discussions often involved papers right at the decision boundary where committee members weighed the strengths and weaknesses of the paper given standards and tastes of the UIST community. This pattern was similar across the other splits (Seoul and Copenhagen). As a result, PC meetings serve to not only make decisions on specific papers but also educate committee members on the values of our community through these discussions.
Thank you again to the authors for their submissions, and to our entire community for these reviewing efforts. An increasingly distinguishing asset of UIST is our high-quality peer review process, and we are grateful for the community that makes this possible.
Travel Scholarship Applications Open
Applications are open for the UIST 2026 Travel Scholarship, which covers up to $1,000 toward travel, accommodation, meals, and registration for students and early-career researchers who would otherwise be unable to attend in person. Apply by September 15; results are announced September 22. See Travel Scholarships for the full eligibility criteria and what to submit.
UIST 2026 is offering Travel Scholarships to support students and early-career researchers who would otherwise be unable to attend the conference in person due to financial constraints. We are especially committed to increasing participation from people who are from historically underrepresented or marginalized groups in STEM, are based in regions or institutions with limited access to travel funding, or are attending UIST or an international HCI conference for the first time.
The scholarship covers up to $1,000. Depending on the awardee’s needs and ACM conditions, the funding can go toward flights or other travel expenses, accommodation and meals, and registration as needed. Recipients must register for the conference—this can be done after award notifications go out—and must attend in person and sign an attendance form at the registration desk. Reimbursement is processed after the conference by the ACM.
To apply, submit a CV/résumé and a one-page document covering your background, whether you have attended UIST or other HCI conferences before, why you want to attend UIST 2026, your financial need, and an approximate breakdown of your anticipated travel expenses. Materials are reviewed in confidence and shared only with the UIST 2026 Community and General Chairs.
Application deadline: September 15, 2026. Results will be announced on September 22, 2026. Apply via the application form, and see the Travel Scholarships section of the Attending page for the full details. Questions can go to the UIST Community Chairs at community2026@uist.org.
Workshops Announced
Eleven workshops have been accepted for UIST 2026! All are held on Monday, November 2 — five full-day, plus six half-day workshops split between morning and afternoon sessions — covering topics from flavor archives and agentic reimplementation to accessibility, haptics, and writing assistants. Browse the full lineup for times and add a workshop to your registration. No separate paper submission is required to take part.
We are excited to announce the eleven workshops that will take place at UIST 2026 on Monday, November 2:
Full-day workshops run 9:00 AM–5:00 PM; half-day workshops run either in the morning (9:00 AM–12:15 PM) or the afternoon (1:45–5:00 PM). All are at the conference venue except one full-day workshop, held off-site at the University of Michigan Detroit Center in Midtown Detroit, a short QLine ride north of the venue. See the workshops page for each room.
Joining a workshop does not require a separate paper submission. UIST workshops work differently from those at many other HCI venues: organizers cannot require a position paper or any similar longer submission, and there is no expectation that you submit your own previously published work in order to take part. Where space is limited, a workshop may ask you to apply by answering a few open-ended questions with short answers, and that is the extent of what is asked of participants.
Workshop attendance requires a Full Conference + Workshop or Workshop Only registration—see the Attending page for details. If you have already registered, you can still add a workshop afterward by modifying your registration on the CVENT registration site. Spaces will be limited, so we encourage you to sign up early to secure your spot.
Registration Now Open
Registration for UIST 2026 is now open! Join us November 2–5 in Detroit at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. Register by September 4 to lock in early-bird rates.
UIST 2026 takes place November 2–5, 2026 at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, MI. Workshops and the Doctoral Symposium will be held on Monday, November 2, with the main conference running November 3–5.
Full Conference registration deadlines:
Early bird: by September 4, 2026
Regular: by October 2, 2026
Late / on-site: from November 2, 2026
Early-bird rates start at $500 for student members and $900 for ACM/SIGCHI members. See the Attending page for the full fee schedule, including Full Conference + Workshop and workshop-only options.
A block of rooms is available at the conference hotel—the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, connected directly to the venue—at a special UIST 2026 rate. Rooms are first-come, first-served, so we encourage you to book early.
We look forward to seeing you in Detroit!
Keynote Speakers Announced
UIST 2026 will feature two keynotes: Pattie Maes and Ben Shneiderman revisit their landmark 1997 debate in “Direct Manipulation vs. Interface Agents: The Debate Continues,” and Mark Ackerman will deliver a keynote (title to be announced).
We are excited to announce the keynote speakers for UIST 2026!
Pattie Maes (MIT Media Lab) and Ben Shneiderman (University of Maryland) will revisit their landmark 1997 debate in Direct Manipulation vs. Interface Agents: The Debate Continues. Nearly three decades after they first argued whether people are better served by interfaces they directly control or by software agents that act on their behalf, the two will continue the conversation for the age of AI agents.
Mark Ackerman, George Herbert Mead Collegiate Professor Emeritus of Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Michigan, will also deliver a keynote; his talk title will be announced soon.
Student Volunteer Lottery: Now Open
The UIST 2026 Student Volunteer (SV) lottery application is now open! SVs receive free conference registration and get to work closely with the organizing committee and the UIST community. Apply by August 1, 2026.
The UIST 2026 Student Volunteer (SV) program is now accepting applications! Being an SV is a chance to attend the premier forum for innovations in human-computer interfaces, build lasting connections with fellow volunteers and the organizing committee, and engage with the broader UIST community.
See the full Student Volunteer call for eligibility, duties, and details. We look forward to seeing you at UIST 2026 in Detroit!
Note: students who are accepted as Student Volunteers will receive free conference registration (and will be reimbursed if they have already registered). However, Student Volunteers are responsible for their own travel and lodging.
UIST 2026 Papers: Pre-Rebuttal Review Summary
There was a 33% increase in UIST paper submissions. The overall mean score is 2.46 and the median is 2.5. Papers with an overall score of 3.0 or higher are in the top 23% of submissions.
The UIST 2026 papers track received a record number of submissions this year: 1,259 complete submissions, a 33% increase from UIST 2025. 84 (6.7%) of these papers were rejected prior to full reviews as they were determined to meet "Desk Reject" criteria (27 papers) or "Assisted Desk Reject" criteria (57 papers) (see the CFP for the criteria).
In total, 1,175 papers received 4 reviews: two from committee members (ACs) and two from external reviewers. Each reviewer assigned the paper a score from 1.0 (lowest) to 5.0 (highest). The mean of these scores is called the "Overall Score". For the purpose of analysis, all papers that were Desk Rejects or Assisted Desk Rejects were assigned an Overall Score of 1.0.
The plot below shows the Overall Score across all complete submissions.
Fig 1. A histogram of Overall Scores for all paper submissions.
The mean of Overall Scores across all complete submissions is currently 2.46 (SD = 0.66) and the median is 2.5. If your paper has an Overall Score of 3.0 or higher, your paper is in the top 23.03% of complete submissions, close to the UIST 2025 acceptance rate of 22.22%. If your paper has an Overall Score of 3.5 or above, your paper is in the top 7.86% of submissions.
Authors should avoid interpreting these statistics as acceptance thresholds or acceptance probabilities, as the Overall Scores are not used directly to determine acceptance or rejection decisions. Instead, acceptance and rejection recommendations are made by Program Committee members considering the content of the submission and rebuttal (if provided), the content of the reviews, discussion among the reviewers, and discussion among Program Committee members at the PC meeting. The PC meeting this year will be held in person for the first time since 2019, in three different locations (Seoul, Ann Arbor, and Copenhagen).
Please see the review announcement email for guidance on deciding whether to prepare a rebuttal, and see the UIST 2026 author guide for more information on the review process.
We wish you the best in preparing your rebuttal and the next phase of the review process.
Student Innovation Contest: Call for Proposals
The UIST 2026 Student Innovation Contest is now open for proposals! In partnership with EmotiBit, selected student teams will receive hardware kits to push the boundaries of prototyping with biosignals. Proposals are due June 15, 2026.
The UIST Student Innovation Contest (SIC) invites student teams to create compelling interactive systems using novel hardware and software kits. This year, UIST SIC is partnering with EmotiBit to provide selected teams with biosignal sensing kits. Whether in health and wellness, retail, sports, art and music, entertainment, education, or entirely new domains—the possibilities are wide open!
Up to 10 teams will be selected and will showcase their final demos in person at UIST 2026 in Detroit, competing for Jury Awards and the People's Choice Award. All teams get to keep the hardware kits.
Key dates:
Proposal deadline: June 15, 2026
Acceptance notification: June 22, 2026
Final demo: In-person at UIST 2026, November 2–5, 2026
See the full Call for Participation for eligibility, submission format, and more details. Join the UIST SIC and turn your ideas into reality!
Page Limit Reintroduced for UIST 2026 Papers
This year we have decided to reintroduce a fixed page limit for papers. The limit is 10 pages for standard length papers and 5 pages for short papers in the two-column format (excluding references and appendices). Papers that exceed the limit will be desk rejected.
Dear prospective UIST 2026 authors,
The best UIST papers have always been dense with ideas, not pages, and we're bringing back the limit to keep it that way. The success of our conference has also meant a steady increase in submissions, and a page limit will help ensure a manageable workload for our reviewers and program committee members.
We recognize that many members of our community do work that is better communicated through images than through text. One alternative would be to provide a word limit rather than a page limit. However, words are difficult to count for both authors and reviewers, while page count can be seen at a glance. To accommodate visually heavy contributions, we are flexible about the length of the appendix within the submitted PDF, where extra supporting images, figures, code snippets, and other supporting material can be placed. However, do note that the main paper body should be fully readable without referring to the appendix. We also encourage authors to explicitly reference the accompanying video from the paper. The videos have always been essential to many UIST contributions.
If your paper is accepted, the reviewers will likely request some changes. To make space for this, you will be allowed to increase the paper by 10% for the final version (1 page for standard length papers, half a page for short papers).
We hope you will embrace this change and distill your excellent research into focused gems.
