Speak at posit::conf(2026)!

posit::conf(2026) is coming September 14-16 to Houston, TX. We are continuing with the format of one day of workshops followed by two days of talks.

We are looking for talks about:

• How you’ve used R or Python to solve a challenging problem.
• Projects and teams where R and Python live together in harmony.
• Your favorite R or Python package and how it makes life easier or unlocks new capabilities.
• Your techniques for teaching data science to help reach new domains and new audiences.
• Your broad reflections on data science, packages, code, and/or community.
• Anything else you think the Posit community would love to hear about!

Talks are 20 minutes long and will be delivered in-person on September 15 or 16. Since we know we won’t be able to accept all the wonderful talks that you submit, we typically create one or two sessions of lightning talks. These 5-minute talks are drawn from the main pool of talk proposals, i.e., there is no separate application process.

An additional short program of remote 20 minute talks will be streamed on September 14. This is a great opportunity to present at conf for those who are unable to attend and this programming opens a new learning track for virtual attendees and anyone not attending an in-person workshop. The application form asks if you are proposing an in-person or remote talk.

In-person speakers receive complimentary registration for the conference and needs-based travel assistance. All speakers will receive professional speaker coaching. This means your past speaking experience isn’t as important as the quality of your ideas: if you have an interesting topic, we encourage you to apply, regardless of your background, experience, or job title. Speakers in previous years have found the coaching to be fun and worthwhile; it’s a great opportunity to polish your speaking skills while getting to know the other speakers.

To submit a talk, you’ll need to create a 60-second video that introduces you and your proposed topic. In the video, you should tell us who you are, why your topic is important, and what the attendees will take away from it. Reviewers use this video to get a sense of your voice, perspective, and how you communicate ideas. Using AI tools is fine, but we encourage you to use them in ways that support—rather than replace—your own thinking and delivery.

If you’re interested, please submit a proposal at https://pos.it/conf-talk-2026. You can learn more about the selection process in our blog post from 2023, which also includes a few examples of submissions that did particularly well. If you haven’t made a video like this before, be sure to check out the tips and tricks that Rachael Dempsey shared on LinkedIn.

Submission closes at midnight on February 6 anywhere on Earth, and we’ll communicate decisions by late March.

Apply Now!