Hi everyone! I’m a 21-year-old recent graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and I’m raising funds to attend and present my research at COGNITIVE 2026 - The Eighteenth International Conference on Advanced Cognitive Technologies and Applications, taking place April 19–23, 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal.
My paper has been accepted for publication, and I’ve also been invited to join the conference’s Technical Program Committee. For someone at the very start of their research career (and as an international student building a future in this field), this is a rare opportunity to establish credibility, meet collaborators, and open doors to future research roles and funding.
Why I’m fundraising:
Right now, I don’t have a lab grant or funding source to cover the upfront costs. UIUC has considered reimbursing me up to $400, but reimbursement only happens after the trip - meaning I still need to gather the full amount to go, and $400 covers only a small fraction of the total cost.
What the funds will be used for (estimated, pre-tax):
- Conference registration: $889
- Flight + basic travel costs: ~$700 (give or take)
- Accommodation: ~$200 for a low-cost hostel (about a week)
- Food + local transit: ~$25–$30/day (roughly $175–$210 for a week)
- Schengen Visa costs: ~$150
- Estimated total: roughly $2,000 - $2,100
(Any amount above that will go directly toward research expenses like future submissions, compute/software costs, or additional travel required for research.)
Why staying about a week matters:
I’m planning to arrive a couple days early and stay a couple days after the conference to maximise networking: meeting researchers, attending side conversations, and following up with people who could become mentors, collaborators, or future co-authors. Those extra days can make the difference between “I attended” and “I built lasting research connections.”
Accountability & updates:
I’ll share:
- Proof of registration
- Updates from the conference
- A short post-conference summary of what I learned and who I connected with
And I’ll be transparent about how funds are spent.
If you’re able to help, I’m grateful for any amount - truly. And if you can’t donate, sharing this page helps a lot more than you might think. Thank you for supporting my research journey. I won’t forget it, and I intend to pay it forward as I grow in this field.
-- Naavya
Organizer
