NSF Student Travel Award — IISE Annual Conference & Expo 2026

The National Science Foundation is helping cover your travel and lodging costs so you can experience the premier event in industrial and systems engineering — even if your department's travel budget can't.

The details: The 2026 IISE Annual Conference & Expo takes place May 16-19 in Arlington, Texas. This award is designed to remove financial barriers for U.S.-based undergraduate and graduate students across all ISE disciplines.

Are you eligible? You must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at a U.S. university. Award recipients are expected to attend the conference and participate in technical sessions and activities coordinated by the organizing committee.

What you'll need to apply:

  • A statement (300 words max) describing your financial need and how attending the conference supports your academic and professional goals.
  • A letter of support from a faculty member at your institution.
  • A completed and signed Signature Form (details below).

How priority is determined: If applications exceed available funding, preference goes to students who are presenting at the conference, competing in the Best Track Paper, Best Student Paper, or Student Poster competitions, or who have submitted a full paper for the conference proceedings.

How to apply:

  1. Download the IISE 2026 Student Travel Award Application.pdf Signature Form.
  2. Complete and sign it with a faculty member. Save as a PDF (2 MB max).
  3. Rename the file to: Travel2026_YourLastName_YourFirstName.pdf
  4. Click on the button below to submit your application.

Apply for NSF Travel Award

Deadline: April 30, 2026 — Don't wait. Get your faculty letter lined up now and apply before spots fill up.

Questions? Contact the Travel Award Organizing Committee at iise2026travelaward@gmail.com.

Organizing Committee:

  • Ashif Iquebal, School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, Arizona State University
  • Reem Khir, School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University
  • Chao Wang, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Iowa
  • Yisha Xiang, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Houston
  • Denny Yu, School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University
SHARE