ITASEC26 - CALL FOR RESEARCH PITCH

Overview

Researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and PhD students actively working in Cybersecurity and or related areas are invited to participate in the ITASEC26 Research Pitch which will be held as part of the  2nd Joint National Conference on Cybersecurity (ITASEC26). The ITASEC26 Research Pitch session offers an opportunity for young researchers to introduce themselves and their research ideas to the cybersecurity community, including representatives from academia, industry, government, and research institutions. The three winners of the previous edition, ITASEC25 Research Pitch, are not eligible to participate.

Proposed contributions will be evaluated by the selection committee taking into account the originality and significance of the research idea as well as the effectiveness of the presentation. 

Authors of selected pitches will be offered a two-day training session on public speaking to prepare their pitch and will be required to attend and deliver a two-minute oral presentation of their pitch during a plenary session at ITASEC26 in Cagliari.

The presented pitches will be evaluated by a jury composed of experts from academia, institutional entities, and industry. Prizes will be awarded to the top three pitches taking into account impact, feasibility, novelty, and presentation.

Submission Guidelines

Submissions must be in English and consist of a homemade video (up to 3 minutes) of a research pitch presenting your research idea underlying its impact, feasibility and novelty. 

Submission form: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=itasec26

You must select the ITASEC26 Research Pitch track, insert the author’s name and pitch title, and in the abstract field include a link to the video (please ensure that the access permissions enable external users to download the file).

 

Competition Steps and Format

  1. Submission (by Nov 9, 2025 Nov 16, 2025: Submit a short video that highlights your research pitch ideas. It will be reviewed and shortlisted candidates will move on to the next step.
  2. Training Program (early Jan 2026, Genova): An in-person training session for all accepted contributions.
  3. Research Pitch Session (Feb 10, 2026, Cagliari): The finalists will deliver a live presentation of their pitch to all registered participants in the conference. The jury will select the 3 winners.
  4. Award Ceremony (Feb 11, 2026, Cagliari): The winners will be publicly announced in a plenary session and awards given to the winners.

Opportunities

  • In person 2-day training activities for all accepted contributions
  • Presentation of the pitch at ITASEC26
  • Three winners will be awarded prizes

Important Dates

  • Submission Deadline: Nov 9, 2025 Nov 16, 2025
  • Notification of Acceptance: Dec 1, 2025
  • Training Program: early Jan, 2026

 SERICS Research Pitch Chairs