Apply for ACM womENcourage 2026 – Participation Scholarships for Women in Computing

Application Deadline: Not specified (check Important Dates on the website)

About the Scholarships

Participation Scholarships to a number of students who participate in the hackathon or present posters at womENcourage are proudly announced by ACM-W Europe Celebration of Women in Computing: womENcourage and their supporters. To students who do not participate actively but have shown exceptional interest in the relevant fields, a small number of participation scholarships will be offered.

To encourage women in the field of computing, the purpose of our Participation Scholarship is:

• Through learning from others and asking for help when necessary, careers should be accelerated
• On how best to manage work-life balance, conversation should be held with others
• To build on networks of expertise, peers should be met

For taking part in ACM womENcourage 2026, this scholarship award is a note of appreciation. To students who actively participate in the conference through poster presentations and/or volunteering, the scholarships will be awarded. To first-year students who have an exceptional interest, taking into account that they may not be able yet to contribute fully but are willing to volunteer, some scholarships will also be awarded.

Important Note: After the event, upon confirmation of participation and involvement in the conference activities, the scholarships will be reimbursed.

Types of Scholarships

Two types of scholarships are offered:

• Regular Student: Open to students currently studying in a university or equivalent educational institute in Europe. By requiring that your email account be associated with a university student account, this eligibility is confirmed.
• Volunteer Student: To student volunteers, this will be open.

At most, 30% of the scholarship budget will be reserved for student volunteers in the Organizing Committee.

Eligibility Criteria

The following criteria must be met by applicants:

• In full-time education, undergraduate or postgraduate students in good academic standing or, in exceptional circumstances, early career educators or researchers
• In a European university or equivalent educational institute, currently studying
• Computing or directly related should be the field of study
• In the previous year (2025), a womENcourage grant or participation scholarship must not have been received. If you did not receive a scholarship in the previous year but did in any other year, you may apply again this year
• An accepted poster may be possessed, but it is not essential
• In the event of multiple authorships, for the participation scholarship, each (student) author can apply separately

Note: Apply, part-time students may. To apply, all genders are encouraged.

How to Apply for a Scholarship

To ensure a complete understanding of the application requirements and process, we advise you to read all the provided information carefully before accessing the HotCRP application platform.

To be done by the applicant before the deadline:

• Through the HotCRP application platform, applications must be made. Considered, email applications will not be.
• The student’s university email account (e.g., student.name@university.com) must be the email address provided
• A curriculum vitae of no more than two pages in PDF format must be provided
• Indicating the relevance of womENcourage to her career, an abstract must be provided. When filling in the form, think carefully about why you would like to attend the event
• Your supervisor(s) should be asked if they can fill in the recommendation form. If they are unavailable, consider selecting another recommender. From your current university, the recommender must be an academic (e.g., a lecturer/professor/dean). An applicant for a scholarship cannot be the recommender, nor can it be another student. Without a recommendation letter from your university, your application cannot be considered

To be done by the applicant’s supervisor or lecturer:

• A recommendation letter must be prepared by the applicant’s supervisor or lecturer. Without this letter, the applicant will not be considered for the scholarship, and the application will be deemed invalid.

Requirements if Awarded the Scholarship

The following must be done by applicants:

• On all of the dates of the womENcourage event, attendance is required
• As appropriate for advertisement purposes, the usage of their tagged and untagged images from the event must be authorized
• When invited to assist with the event, responsiveness is essential. Where health or other reasons preclude them from carrying out tasks except, failure to carry out volunteer work can result in loss of the scholarship
• Up to 3 hours of on-site support (such as registration or logistics) on an as-needed basis must be provided
• An attendance form must be signed, and national identification with a photograph (e.g., passport or driver’s license) must be presented
• Before traveling, their visas and other travel arrangements have been organized must be ensured by the applicant
• For ACM-W Europe Newsletter, a blog post must be written by scholarship winners (after the event, details will be sent)
• In a group photo, participation is required (on the conference registration day, the release form will be signed)

Note: Within the given time frame (usually two weeks) from the date of notification, the scholarship must be accepted by the participant. To the next eligible participant, the scholarship will be reallocated if it is not accepted.

Selection Criteria

Typically, each application will be reviewed by at least three reviewers. To ensure fairness, by a reviewer from the institution or any affiliation with the applicant, an application will not be reviewed. The following criteria will be considered by reviewers:

• Is your statement presented in the abstract relevant to and tailored for the womENcourage celebration? On the aims and objectives of the womENcourage participation scholarships, does it focus? Why you wish to attend this event should be considered.
• An event supporting women in computing or similar, have you participated in or organised?
• To present at the conference, do you have a poster accepted?
• To attend the Hackathon at the event, will you apply?
• In the application form, were all fields filled in? That each field has the correct information should be ensured. Does the applicant’s name on the scholarship match the one on the poster/paper application? With the details of your bank account, does the name match precisely?

Diversity: As many applicants as possible from various academic levels, universities, and countries to help encourage diversity, we hope to sponsor. To apply, applicants of all genders are encouraged.

Other Funding Sources

If you do not receive the scholarship, many other sources of funding exist:

• ACM-W Scholarships: By June 15, 2026, applications must be submitted directly to ACM. For details of the application procedure, refer to the ACM-W website.
• Google Travel and Conference Grants: On the Google Edu website, opportunities should be checked.

Contact Information

For any further questions, please contact our Scholarship Chairs at: womencourage2026_scholarships@acm.org

Why These Scholarships Matter

In computing fields across Europe, particularly in leadership positions, research roles, and technical careers, women remain underrepresented. Critical opportunities for women in computing are provided by conferences like womENcourage to present their research and receive feedback, network with peers and senior researchers, learn about career opportunities and paths, find mentors and role models, and build confidence and a sense of belonging in the field. A significant barrier for students, however, can be the cost of travel, accommodation, and registration. By providing financial support to attend the event, with a particular focus on those who actively contribute through poster presentations, hackathon participation, or volunteering, the womENcourage Participation Scholarships remove these barriers. For women and underrepresented genders studying computing in European universities, a pathway to participate in one of the region’s premier celebrations of women in computing is offered by these scholarships.

For More Information: Visit the Official ACM womENcourage Scholarship Page