Guidelines for Preparing an Invited Session Proposal

Invited sessions at the 2026 Conference on Decision and Control are intended to bring together 6 or more contributions around a coherent, well defined theme related to the theory or practice of systems and control. The following guidelines outline the recommended structure, content, and submission expectations for a complete invited session proposal.

 Overview and Requirements

An invited session proposal should:

  • Include at least 6 papers or contributions.
  • Present a clear and coherent thematic focus that aligns with CDC’s broad scope in systems and control.
  • Demonstrate the relevance, timeliness, and technical merit of the proposed session.
  • Provide complete information on organizers, session description, and paper authors/titles/abstracts.
  • Be submitted in a single consolidated pdf document.

There is no officially mandated format, but following a standard structure improves clarity and review efficiency.

Recommended Structure of an Invited Session Proposal

Below is the suggested format and key elements to include.

1. Session Title

Choose a concise, descriptive title that clearly reflects the unifying theme of the session.
Examples:

  • Advances in Distributed Control of Networked Systems
  • Nonlinear Estimation and Learning for Autonomous Systems

2. Organizers Information

Provide complete details for all session organizers.

Required information:

  • Full Name
  • Affiliation
  • Email Address
  • Short Bio (2–4 sentences; research focus and relevant experience)
  • Role or expertise related to the session theme
  • (Optional) Organizer homepage or scholar profile link

3. Session Description

A 1–2 paragraph overview describing:

  • The central theme of the session
  • The technical or scientific significance
  • How the contributions collectively address a coherent topic
  • Please specify if this is a session for concurrent submission to L-CSS.

4. Motivation and Relevance

Explain why the proposed session is timely and valuable. Address aspects such as:

  • Recent developments or breakthroughs in the area
  • Connections to major application domains (e.g., robotics, autonomy, energy systems, cybersecurity, machine learning in control)
  • Why the topic is important for the CDC community and how CDC 2026 attendees will benefit from this session

5. Titles, Contributing Authors, and Abstracts of Proposed Contributions

This is a mandatory element. Provide the title, authors information, and abstracts for each paper.

For each contribution, include:

  • Paper Title
  • Authors and Affiliations
  • Corresponding Author Email
  • Abstract summarizing:
    • Problem statement
    • Methods or theoretical contributions
    • Expected results or insights
    • Fit to the session theme

Ensure that all proposed papers clearly support the coherence of the session theme.

Minimum requirement: 6 papers.
(You may include more if appropriate.)

6. Conclusion

Summarize the importance and cohesiveness of the session and reaffirm its relevance to CDC 2026. This is typically a short closing paragraph.

At the end of each Invited session there will be one more slot intended to give the opportunity for a general discussion on the session papers with the chairs and authors. Please refer to the Technical Program for more details.