The ninth Midwest Programming Languages Summit (MWPLS'26) will take place on Friday, November 6th, 2026, hosted by the University of Iowa, in Iowa City.
The Midwest Programming Languages Summit is an informal workshop that is intended to foster the exchange of ideas and to promote collaboration among faculty and students in the Greater Midwest area. Anyone interested in programming languages and compilers—including applications to areas such as systems, software engineering, and human-computer interaction—is invited to attend. Our aim is to have a broad selection of talks and posters about ongoing research and any other topics that may be of interest to the programming languages community. Student participation is especially of interest; travel awards facilitated by a grant from the National Science Foundation are available to encourage such participation. The summit will have no formal proceedings, but abstracts and slides will be distributed on the web after the event.
This year's event is organized by J. Garrett Morris and the Iowa Functional Programming Group.
The most important dates and deadlines are:
| October 9 | Deadline for talk and poster proposals and to apply for travel funding. |
| October 16 | Notification for talk and poster acceptances and grant awards. |
| October 26 | Deadline to register to attend |
| November 6 | Meeting date |
The main venue for MWPLS'26 is the Old Capitol Museum at the University of Iowa. Registration and breaks will take place in the atrium, and talks will take place in the Senate chamber. Lunch and the poster session will take place in the Iowa Memorial Union, a short walk away. Dinner will be informal, but local students will organize expeditions to local food and drink institutions. More details will be provided at the summit.
| 8:00–9:00 | Registration and breakfast |
| Old Capitol Atrium | |
| 9:00–9:05 | Welcome and opening remarks |
| Old Capitol Senate Chamber | |
| 9:05–10:20 | Session 1 of contributed talks |
| Old Capitol Senate Chamber | |
| 10:20–10:50 | Coffee break |
| Old Capitol Atrium | |
| 10:50–12:05 | Session 2 of contributed talks |
| Old Capitol Senate Chamber | |
| 12:05–14:30 | Lunch and poster session |
| Iowa Memorial Union | |
| 14:30–15:45 | Session 3 of contributed talks |
| Old Capitol Senate Chamber | |
| 15:45–16:15 | Coffee break |
| Old Capitol Atrium | |
| 16:15–17:30 | Session 4 of contributed talks |
| Old Capitol Senate Chamber | |
| 17:30–17:35 | Closing remarks |
| Old Capitol Senate Chamber |
The main venue for the summit is Old Capitol Museum, the original capitol of the Iowa Territory, at the center of University of Iowa campus. The lunch and poster sessions will be held in the Iowa Memorial Union.
Iowa City has a variety of accommodation options. Among those closest to campus are the Hilton Garden Inn and the Graduate by Hilton, both in downtown Iowa City.
Iowa City is about 300 miles from Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City, and is located on Interstate 80. The nearest airport to Iowa City is the Central Iowa Airport, which is about 25 miles from campus. Various ground transportation options are available.
Travel support is underwritten by the National Science Foundation. Applications for travel grants will open when the event becomes closer.
MWPLS is supported by the National Science Foundation, by the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and by the Perry A. and Helen Judy Bond Fund for Interdisciplinary Interaction at the University of Iowa.