This time, the NeurIPS competition particularly emphasizes "positive social impact." Finally, a top conference is seriously including AI for good in its call for submissions, with ethical review + single-blind review. Being accepted can also get into PMLR, and the schedule is reasonable.

NeurIPS 2026 is calling for competition track proposals, emphasizing clear scientific questions, positive social impact (especially using AI to help vulnerable groups), and focus on evaluation of large language models/agents. Proposals must adhere to ethical standards, be within 8 pages, update the LaTeX template, submit via OpenReview, and undergo single-blind review. Those accepted will present at an in-person workshop, with analysis reports eligible for submission to the 2027 Evaluation and Dataset Track or inclusion in PMLR. Key dates: proposal deadline May 15, acceptance June 15, workshop December 11-12; recommended start in June, with a latest end in October.