ROSCon Global 2026 Logo + Diversity Scholarships
The robotics conference expands to nine regional events and offers scholarships covering registration, hotel, and travel.
The Open Source Robotics Foundation (OSRF) and the ROSCon Global 2026 organizing committee, led by Katherine Scott, have announced the official branding and scholarship program for their flagship robotics conference. ROSCon Global 2026 will be held in Toronto, Canada from September 22-24, 2026, and marks a significant rebranding from previous years. The addition of 'Global' to the conference name is a strategic move to differentiate the main event from at least nine confirmed regional ROSCons planned for 2026 in Korea, Japan, China, India, Germany, France, Croatia, the UK, and Spain. This expansion reflects the worldwide growth of the Robot Operating System (ROS) community. The committee also announced that the official call for proposals and sponsor prospectus will be released in the coming weeks.
A central pillar of the 2026 announcement is the launch of the ROSCon Global Diversity Scholarship, designed to increase accessibility and representation. Funded by program sponsors, each scholarship covers a full conference registration, four nights of hotel accommodation, and a travel stipend, aiming to reduce financial barriers for attendees from traditionally underrepresented groups in robotics. Eligible applicants include women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, racial/ethnic minorities, and individuals from developing nations. The application deadline is March 22, 2026, with notifications by April 17. Notably, the application guidelines explicitly discourage the use of large language models (LLMs) to generate application text, emphasizing the importance of authentic, personal submissions. Scholarship chairs Karina Puente and Alan Sanchez will oversee the process.
- Conference rebranded as 'ROSCon Global' for 2026 Toronto event (Sept 22-24) to distinguish from nine regional events worldwide.
- Diversity Scholarship provides full registration, 4-night hotel stay, and travel stipend for underrepresented groups; apps due March 22, 2026.
- Application guidelines specifically discourage using LLMs like GPT-4 or Claude for submissions, requesting 'own words' from applicants.
Why It Matters
This initiative directly funds diverse participation in a key robotics conference, potentially shaping the future of open-source robotics development and community.