As part of the broader ACM Student Research Competition, the format has remained largely unchanged, continuing to “provide a forum for undergraduate and graduate students to share their research results, exchange ideas, and improve their communication skills, while competing for prizes”, where the winners of the SIGCHI SRC will be invited to the Grant Finals across all ACM venues.
Looking Forward
Attracting a wide variety of exciting research from across the world, the competition begins with the evaluation of all submissions by our global team of reviewers. We extend our sincere thanks to all who have volunteered their time.
This year, we will invite a maximum of five graduate and five undergraduate students to CHI 2026 in Barcelona to present their work.
The competition at CHI consists of two parts:
- Poster Presentation – taking place on Monday of CHI 2026
- Oral Presentation – held on the following Wednesday
Submissions accepted to CHI are evaluated based on the clarity and quality of the visual and oral presentation, the rigor of research methods, and the significance of the contribution during the Poster Presentation round. In the Oral Presentation round, judges consider the depth of knowledge within the research area, contribution to the field, and presentation quality. The winners of the competition are traditionally announced during the closing ceremony and receive a certificate and prize money.
Looking Back
The ACM Student Research Competition (SRC) has been a core part of CHI’s program since its introduction in 2007. In its inaugural year, the track was chaired by Kori Inkpen and Rob Miller (CHI 2007 SRC). Researchers and practitioners across the spectrum of HCI were part of the contest and benefited from being part of the Student Research Competition:
Wendy Moncur, now Professor at the University of Strathclyde, won the very first competition with her entry “Providing Affective Information to Family and Friends Based on Social Networks” in the graduate category (ACM Digital Library).
Satyendra Nainwal, the winner of the undergraduate category—now Head of Product for TikTok’s Global Seller Growth team—won with “An Interface to Aid Rural Health Workers in the Preliminary Diagnosis of Cataract at the Slit Lamp Using LOCS III” (ACM Digital Library).
Five of the students who won the SIGCHI Student Research Competition have excelled in the final rounds of the ACM SRC:
SRC 2009: Ye Kyaw Thu, Waseda University
3rd, Graduate Competition
SRC 2012: Hyungsin Kim, Georgia Institute of Technology
1st, Graduate Competition
Exploring Technological Opportunities for Cognitive Impairment Screening
SRC 2013: Heather Underwood, University of Colorado, Boulder
1st, Graduate Competition
PartoPen: Enhancing the Partograph with Digital Pen Technology
SRC 2014: Bernd Huber, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
1st, Undergraduate Competition
Foot Position as Indicator of Spatial Interest at Public Displays
SRC 2023: Irene Zanardi, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland
3rd, Gradudate Competition
Design and Assessment of Hoomie, a Small Multisensory Space for Autistic Children in Primary Schools
For CHI 2026, we are excited to support the newest iteration of the CHI Student Research Competition and encourage all students to submit their best work—aiming for the opportunity to represent CHI across the ACM conference spectrum.
Max V. Birk, Jacki O’Neill, and Paloma Díaz
Co-Chairs CHI 2026 Student Research Competition