SICSA SBSSE 2026 Challenge Track Workshop
12 March – 3 April 2026
Edinburgh Napier University (Hybrid)
Dates
- 12 March 2026, 10:00-17:00 GMT (in-person)
- 23 March 2026, 10:00-12:30 GMT (online)
- 27 March 2026, 10:00-14:15 GMT (in-person)
- 3 April 2026, 10:00-13:00 GMT optional session (online)
Location
In-person meetings will take place at Merchiston Campus, 10 Colinton Road; Edinburgh Napier University; Edinburgh EH10 5DT
About
This workshop series is a hands-on, team-forming sprint.
You will meet potential collaborators, shape a concrete research idea and leave with a realistic plan and division of labour toward a Challenge-Track submission for SSBSE 2026.
The SSBSE 2026 Challenge Track explores how Search-Based Software Engineering (SBSE) can optimize agentic AI systems (LLM-powered agents with tools, memory, planning, and autonomy) for real software engineering tasks. You can read more about the challenge and its three themes at: https://conf.researchr.org/track/ssbse-2026/ssbse-2026-ssbse-challenge.
Who can participate?
The workshops are free and open to all. We particularly encourage academics and their PGR students to attend, alongside industry practitioners and anyone interested in SBSE techniques for agentic AI systems, especially undergraduate students interested in conducting research at the intersection of AI and Software Engineering.
No prior experience with specific agent frameworks or search based method is required. The workshop aims to find complementary expertise to provide solutions. We will provide short technical briefings and a Discord channel for the workshop to provide timely technical and scientific support for the participants.
Funding to support travel for staff and students at Scottish universities is available. Please see registration tab for more details.
Note: If your group reaches a promising, submission-worthy outcome, we’ll provide follow-up support during and after the workshop to help you polish and finalise the Challenge Track submission.
Benefits of participation
SSBSE 2026 Challenge winners will be awarded with a signed certificate and a prize of 700 USD.
For PhD students, the workshop offers a fast route from idea to a publishable 6-page challenge paper, with mentoring and technical support.
For supervisors, the workshop offers a low-overhead way to seed and finalise a student project with a clear dataset, evaluation protocol, and expanding your research to SBSE framing.
Work on new and timely benchmarks and themes: agent configuration search, memory selection and compression, multi-objective trade-offs, security, safety and continuous adaptation.
Organisers
This series is organised by Prof Ashkan Sami from Edinburgh Napier University with funding and support from SICSA. Please email SICSA with any queries.
The workshops are free and open to all. We particularly encourage academics and their PGR students to attend, alongside industry practitioners and anyone interested in SBSE techniques for agentic AI systems, especially undergraduate students interested in conducting research at the intersection of AI and Software Engineering.
Travel expenses
For staff and students based at Scottish universities outside of Edinburgh, SICSA will reimburse travel expenses for a standard day-return bus or train ticket to enable you attend in-person sessions. Travel funding is available to the first 15 registrations that request travel support on the registration form. Expenses will only be covered for participants that attend the in-person events and receipts must be submitted with all travel claims.
Thursday, 12 March 2026
Venue – Room E31, Merchiston Campus, 10 Colinton Road; Edinburgh Napier University
09:30 – 10:00
10:00 – 11:30
Coffee & Networking
Morning Session
Welcome & introductions, Challenge Track overview, Technical briefings
11:30 – 13:00
Group discussions
13:00 – 13:45
Lunch
13:45 – 15:00
Project planning
15:00 – 15:30
Coffee break
15:30 – 16:00
Team formation
Form teams, assign roles and shape the work.
16:00 – 17:00
Detailed planning
Monday, 23 March 2026
Venue – Online
10:00 – 12:00
11:00 – 12:00
Progress reports
Technical support (breakouts)
12:00 – 12:30
Forward planning
12:30 – 14:15
Lunch break
14:15 – 16:30
Team working (optional)
Friday, 27 March 2026
Venue – Room G23, Merchiston Campus, 10 Colinton Road; Edinburgh Napier University
10:00 – 11:00
11:00 – 12:00
Progress reports
Technical support (breakouts)
12:00 – 12:30
Forward planning
12:30 – 14:15
Lunch break
14:15 – 16:30
Team working (optional)
Friday, 3 April 2026
Venue – Online (Optional session)
10:00 – 11:00
11:00 – 13:00
Progress reports
Technical support & Group working (breakouts)
