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PTC Emerging Scholar Program

PTC’26 Submission Deadline
25 July 2025
Notification Date for Applications
12 September 2025

Apply now

The PTC Emerging Scholar Program, formerly known as the PTC Young Scholar Program, seeks to recognize exceptional, up-and-coming scholars in the field of information and communications technologies.

Applications are currently being accepted for the 2026 PTC Emerging Scholar Program. Scholars must be currently enrolled in a Ph.D. degree program or Ph.D. completion date should be within the last five (5) years. Individuals from emerging economies are encouraged to apply.

Selected applicants will be invited to present their research at PTC’s Annual Conference, PTC’26 in Honolulu, Hawaii, from 18 to 21 January 2026.

Why apply?

  • Opportunity to present and showcase your research to leading ICT-industry executives from around the world at the PTC Annual Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii.
  • Engage in discussions with esteemed academic faculty in identifying practical research applications.
  • Gain insights into current industry issues and new trends.
  • Network with industry professionals, members of international organizations, NGOs, government officials, and academics from over 80 nations.

Scholars in telecom and ICT fields across the globe represent prestigious universities and institutions such as University of Auckland, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Hawaii, Manoa, City University of Hong Kong, India Institute of Management, Northumbria University, and The Pennsylvania State University.

Eligibility

The PTC Emerging Scholar Program is open to scholars currently enrolled in a Ph.D. degree program or Ph.D. completion date should be within the last five (5) years.

Previous PTC Young Scholar Program award recipients are not eligible to apply/submit in subsequent award cycles.

Benefits

Emerging Scholar Program recipients will receive the following:

  • One-year PTC membership
  • Full registration to the PTC Annual Conference
  • Roundtrip economy airfare*
  • Five-night stay at Hilton Hawaiian Village® Waikiki Beach Resort during the conference
  • USD 250 stipend (a one-time stipend for the duration of the conference)
  • Reimbursement of travel visa fees**

* Travel itinerary must be pre-approved by the PTC Secretariat before making any reservations.

**Fees only refer to the amount charged by the respective country’s U.S. Embassy to obtain a travel visa. A receipt must be provided for reimbursement. Transportation fees to the embassy are not included.

Rules & Guidelines

The following must be obliged by all Emerging Scholar Program recipients. Please note that only single-authored research papers are accepted for the PTC Annual Conference.

  • Make your own flight arrangements within reasonable parameters and obtain your travel visa (if needed) in a timely manner.*
  • Stay for the entire duration of the PTC Annual Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii.
  • Attend conference-related activities and events deemed necessary by the PTC Research Committee.
  • Allow PTC to post your paper and presentation slides to the online conference program.**
  • Permit PTC to use your image and likeness, be it photo or video, on the PTC website, social media, and other materials used to promote the Emerging Scholar Program and Annual Conference.
  • Promote the conference as a whole, and your participation pre-, during, and post-conference on social media and other marketing platforms, e.g., university/institution website, newsletter, or professional societies’ platform.
  • Serve as an “ambassador” for PTC and the Emerging Scholar Program in the future.

* Prior approval must be obtained from PTC before booking your flight.
** Emerging Scholar paper submissions will be included in the PTC conference proceedings, which are available online. These proceedings are not indexed, and you may publish your paper elsewhere following the PTC Annual Conference.

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Conference
Proceedings

PTC’25 Conference Proceedings

PTC’24 Conference Proceedings

PTC Emerging Scholars

Iago Bojczuk
University of Cambridge

Muhammad Khan
University of London

Ingrida Milkaite
Ghent University

Juan Ortiz-Freuler
Annenberg School of Communication (USC)

Tiago Sousa Prado
Michigan State University

Wayne Wei Wang
University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Ahmed Alrawi
Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State

Henrique Buglia
University College London (UCL)

Lars Gjesvik
NUPI

Bulelani Jili
Harvard University

Ali Nikkhah
University of California-Irvine

Meicen Sun
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Information Sciences

Anna Oriishi
Keio University

Prasanth Prahladan
University of Colorado Boulder

George N. Ramirez
Sustainable Subsea Networks

Monica Nila Sari
Keio University

Carl Vander Maelen
Ghent University (Belgium) – Faculty of Law

Ryan Wang
Penn State University

Erezi R. Ogbo
University of Southern California

Raymond Onuoha
University of Cape Town

Godofredo Ramizo Jr.
University of Oxford

Nataliya Wright
Harvard Business School

Friso Bostoen
KU Leuven

Joshua Omoju
Northumbria University

Rachel Peng
The Pennsylvania State University

Puxin Zhang
Southwest Jiaotong University

Oliver Zierke
University of Passau