Programming Languages Mentoring Workshop 2026PLMW @ PLDI 2026

The Programming Language Mentoring Workshop (PLMW) aims to broaden the exposure of late-stage undergraduate students and early-stage graduate students to research and career opportunities in programming languages. The workshop includes mentoring sessions that cover effective habits for navigating research careers, technical sessions that cover core subfields of programming languages research, and social sessions that create opportunities for students to interact with researchers in the field. Applications from underrepresented groups in computing are especially welcome.

PLMW @ PLDI 2026 will be co-located with the conference on Programming Language Design and Implementation. It is a 1 day event and will be held on June 16. The workshop program will cover important topics such as:

• How to excel in graduate school and after graduate school.
• Overviews of key research areas at PLDI.

Student Attendees: Please visit the Applications and Scholarships for details on how to apply for attendance scholarships.

Conference Office Hours with Shriram Krishnamurthi. Interested in discussing research, graduate school, careers, or other topics in PL and computer science? Shriram will be holding informal office hours during the conference. Students and junior researchers are encouraged to sign up and learn more here: link

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Applications and Scholarships

PLMW @ PLDI 2026 will offer a limited number of scholarships to students who wish to participate but cannot cover the costs from other sources. Every scholarship will cover the PLDI registration fee and, for those attending in person, the cost of accommodation shared with another student, and reasonable trip expenses.

PLMW @ PLDI 2026 specifically welcomes applications from junior students in computing.

Application form link: Google Form

Application deadline: April 5, 2026

Notification: April 20, 2026

Note#1: Even students that do not need a scholarship to attend PLMW are encouraged to apply through the form above (while indicating in the form that they do not need financial support) since attendance to PLMW may be limited by the capacity of the room where the workshop will take place.

Note#2. Applicants seeking funding are highly encouraged to apply for a student volunteer.

PLMW is driven by two core values: diversity of the PL community and well-being of its members.

We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion strengthen the PL community both on an academic and on a personal level. We recognize that members of underrepresented and marginalized groups—including but not limited to women, people of color, and people with disabilities—face unique challenges in their research careers. We are committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive, diverse environment that provides space for all to thrive and breathe. We are also committed to listening to your voices, admitting our mistakes, and working to address systemic issues that exist within the research community.

PLMW values the physical and mental well-being of all members of the PL community. We condemn all kinds of harassment, including sexual harassment. We are committed to talking openly about health and well-being issues that disproportionately affect the academic community, and to fighting the stigma of mental health issues.

PLMW organizers see its role in promoting these values as a three-part mission:

• Expose junior students to the PL research community: We want to provide the students with a genuine picture of what a research career in PL is like and with networking opportunities within the field. We want to establish mentoring relationships between junior and senior community members, connecting people from different areas, backgrounds, and geographic locations. In doing so, we place particular emphasis on students who lack exposure to PL research at their home institutions.

• Help students acquire skills necessary to successfully navigate a research career. These include technical and non-technical skills, such as reading research literature, technical communication, relationships with advisors, and coping with stressors of graduate school.

• Foster diversity and inclusion in the PL community by reaching out to, and mentoring, students from underrepresented groups.

We would like to bring our attendees’ attention to a few SIGPLAN initiatives beyond PLMW that share our values and goals. SIGPLAN CARES is a group of distinguished, senior researchers, available as a confidential resource for anyone who faces discrimination or harassment. SIGPLAN-M is an international long-term mentoring program for programming languages researchers.

The Programming Language Mentoring Workshop (PLMW) aims to introduce newcomers (mainly junior PhD students, along with some masters and undergraduate students) to the field of programming language research.

Since PLMW’s target audience is typically too early-career to have access to research funding, your company’s contribution will be used to directly pay for their travel, accommodation, and registration costs.

Sponsorship levels:

Silver: $3,000

We will display your company logo on the website and during coffee breaks.

Gold: $5,000

All the above plus a dedicated table at the workshop to talk to students.

Platinum: $7,000

All of the above plus a dedicated mentoring breakfast or lunch.

Benefits:

We will display the company logo (and other advertising links of the company as requested) on the sponsors page of PLMW. Additionally, we will arrange a space at the workshop where you can display publicity material, distribute handouts, talk to potential recruits, or demo software.

We will share all slides and relevant materials after the workshop.