The rapid development of Behavioural and Social Computing (BESC) has created increasing demand for emerging scholars who can drive interdisciplinary innovation across artificial intelligence, computational social science, social computing, human-centered AI, and data-driven decision systems.

To recognize and support outstanding early-career researchers with strong potential for future leadership in the BESC community, we propose the establishment of the BESC Rising Star Award.

The award aims to identify promising researchers worldwide whose work demonstrates originality, interdisciplinary significance, and long-term research potential aligned with the vision of the International Conference on Behavioural and Social Computing community.

Unlike traditional paper-based awards, the BESC Rising Star Award focuses on the overall research trajectory, innovation capability, and future impact of early-career researchers rather than a single publication.

The BESC 2026 Rising Star Award aims to:

  • Recognize outstanding early-career researchers globally
  • Promote innovative and interdisciplinary research in BESC-related areas
  • Encourage emerging leaders in academia and industry
  • Strengthen international collaboration and visibility of the BESC community
  • Build a sustainable pipeline of future leaders for the BESC conference series

Timeline

  • Call for Applications Opens: May 2026
  • Application Deadline: July 2026
  • Review Period: July - August 2026
  • Notification of Awardees: September 2026
  • Rising Star Session at BESC 2026: Conference Period

Eligibility

Applicants must satisfy the following conditions:

  • Applicants must have received their PhD degree within the past five (5) years at the time of application deadline
  • Researchers from academia, industry, and research institutes worldwide are eligible
  • There is no requirement to have an accepted paper at BESC 2026 during the application stage
  • Selected awardees must attend and participate in BESC 2026 in person or online (depending on conference policy)

The committee may consider career interruptions and non-linear career paths where appropriate.

Application Materials

Applicants will be required to submit the following materials:

  • Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages)
    • Education background;
    • Current affiliation and position;
    • Representative publications;
    • Awards, grants, and professional activities.
  • Research Statement (maximum 1 page)
    • Main research contributions;
    • Research vision and future directions;
    • Relevance to BESC-related research areas;
    • Potential future impact on the community.
  • Selected Publications (up to 3 papers)
    • Applicants may submit representative publications relevant to BESC themes.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated holistically based on the following criteria:

  • Research innovation, impact, and future potential — 40%
  • Interdisciplinary relevance to BESC — 25%
  • Participation in the BESC community — 20%
  • Academic/community leadership potential — 15%

The evaluation will emphasize:

  • originality rather than publication count alone;
  • future trajectory rather than seniority;
  • interdisciplinary and societal relevance aligned with BESC themes.

Selection Process

The BESC 2026 Rising Star Award Committee will consist of senior researchers from diverse research areas and geographic regions related to BESC. To ensure fairness and transparency:

  • committee members must declare conflicts of interest
  • members with conflicts must abstain from evaluation and discussion of related applicants

The selection process will consist of two stages.

  • Stage 1 - Initial Screening: The Rising Star Award Committee will review all submitted applications and shortlist candidates based on the evaluation criteria.
  • Stage 2 - Final Selection: Shortlisted candidates may be invited for
    • an online interview; or
    • a Rising Star presentation session at BESC 2026.

Award Recognition

Each Rising Star Awardee will receive:

  • an official BESC 2026 Rising Star Award certificate;
  • recognition on the BESC 2026 website and conference materials;
  • invitation to participate in the BESC Rising Star Session;
  • public recognition during the conference award ceremony.

Additional support or sponsorship awards may be introduced subject to conference resources and sponsorship availability.

Submission

Please submit your application via emails to Prof. Lin Li (cathylilin[at]whut.edu.cn) and Prof. Kaize Shi (kaize.shi[at]unisq.edu.au).