Top Picks in Hardware and Embedded Security
Co-located with the 2026 International Conference On Computer Aided Design (ICCAD 2026)
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Submission Instructions:
Eligibility: Any paper (conference or journal) in the broad area of hardware and embedded security that was published during the six-year period: 1/1/2020–12/31/2025.
One PDF file that contains the following items in an order,
• The version of the paper that appeared in the conference proceedings and/or journal. If the paper originally appeared in a conference but was expanded to a journal, submit the journal version but let us know of the original conference paper.
• A two-page self-nomination letter. The first page should summarize the key ideas/contributions to the paper. The second page should argue “for the potential of the work to have a long-term impact, clearly articulating why and how it will influence other researchers and/or industry.” The submission should follow the IEEE TCAD format.
Important: Please concatenate and submit all documents as one PDF file. And acknowledge that at least one of the authors of the paper will attend the workshop to present the work (if the paper is selected).
Timeline:
| September 7, 2026 | Top picks submission deadline |
| September 28, 2026 | Shortlist of papers invited to the Top Picks Workshop |
| November 2026 (TBA) | In-person presentation @ Top Picks Workshop (mandatory for consideration to be a Top Pick); Co-located with ICCAD’26 |
| November 2026 (TBA) | Announce Top picks; Invite to submit papers to the special issue |
| December 2026 (TBA) | Deadline to submit to the special issue |
Submission link:
Submission link: TBA
Reasons for Upfront Rejection:
- Papers that are not peer-reviewed.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper.
- Papers that appear outside the period of 1/1/2020–12/31/2025.
- Submissions that do not adhere to the submission guidelines and format.
Top Picks in Hardware and Embedded Security’26 PC Co-Chairs:
Shuwen Deng and Gang Qu