U.S. Navy photo in header by Lance Cpl. Seferino Gamez. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

NAML 2026 Call for Participation is now open!

The 10th Annual Workshop on Naval Applications of Machine Learning (NAML 2026) will be held in San Diego, California, March 2-5, 2026. NAML is a forum for interdisciplinary experts from government, industry, and academia to discuss results of ongoing research on theory and applications of machine learning to address some of the most challenging problems faced by our naval forces. 

Abstract Submission 

Submit a short (3000 characters or less) abstract for your presentation at https://go.mil/naml2026. Abstracts submissions must be unclassified and may contain up to Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). DO NOT submit classified information to the submission form. It is the responsibility of the presenting author and their organization to obtain the necessary approvals for public release or controlled distribution of their presentation materials. Abstract submissions that read like a sales pitch or an overt promotion of a company, product, or service will not be considered for participation in the workshop—if you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please see below for more information. 

We invite abstract submissions for the following presentation types: 

• Short talks: 20-minute talk or demonstration with Q&A 

• Lightning talks: 2-5 minute talk with networking Q&A 

• Posters: publicly-releasable only with networking Q&A 

• Other content: such as panels or special sessions 

The abstract submission deadline is November 26, 2025.  Acceptance notifications will be sent to authors by mid-January 2026. Registration to attend the workshop will be open soon. 

Venue

The first and second days of the workshop will be held at the Hyatt Regency in La Jolla and are open to all participants. The third and fourth days of the workshop will be held at NIWC Pacific and will only be open to appropriately cleared attendees who have a CAC or similar government ID, or are able to obtain a DBIDS. 

Fees

There is no fee to submit an abstract for consideration. There will be a registration fee (TBD) to attend NAML 2026. The registration fee will be waived for government civilian employees and military personnel. 

Sponsorship Opportunities

Please contact Randy Velliquette (rvelliquette@deloitte.com) with AFCEA San Diego for more information on sponsorship opportunities for NAML 2026.  

If you have any questions or comments, please send us an email at naml@us.navy.mil.

The NAML workshop is an annual event hosted jointly by AFCEA San Diego and the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC Pacific). 

It is an opportunity for researchers from Navy research and development centers and our partner organizations to exchange technical ideas and to come together as a team. The goals of NAML are:

• To spread awareness of current machine learning research relevant to Naval applications

• To connect machine learning researchers with experts in military requirements

• To build and strengthen collaborations within the defense research community

If you're on the Navy's Flank Speed environment, please join our team using join code mmyz6c4

"What we do as a Navy is a human business. Don’t pass up an opportunity to come together as a team. Don’t pass up leadership opportunities, and don’t outsource them to a PowerPoint. If you have an opportunity to come together as a team, to increase belonging, do it." 

Admiral John M. Richardson, 31st Chief of Naval Operations