Submit Your Proposal
The Call for Lightning Talks, BoFs and Community Hub is now open! Read the guidelines to get your submission ready.
TNC is all about meeting in person, so we don’t accept remote contributions.
All submitted proposals are reviewed by the TNC Programme Committee and then discussed by the Committee in detail at an annual review meeting. The decision is fully in the hands of the Committee and decisions are not made by GÉANT staff members. Rejection rates for TNC are high.
We fully appreciate that it is disappointing when your proposal is not accepted but the Programme Committee strives for a balanced, diverse and representative programme every year. All decisions of the Programme Committee are final and non-negotiable.
More on our FAQ page.
Submission opens:
4 February
Submission closes:
10 March
Lightning Talks focus on one key point. This can be an idea, a successful project, a cautionary story, a collaboration invitation, a quick tip or demonstration. It is an opportunity for ideas to get the attention they deserve, within a maximum of five minutes. The clock will be ticking, so get prepared!
Proposal abstracts should include:
Presentation title,
Presentation description,
Presenter’s name and affiliation
Please note that Lightning Talks cannot be presented remotely.
Lightning Talk speakers are entitled to a discounted Speakers Pass.
All Lightning Talk submissions will be reviewed by the TNC26 Programme Committee and all submitters will be notified by the end of March 2026.
Submission opens:
4 February
Submission closes:
10 March
BoFs (Bird of a Feather meetings) are considered meetings up to 40 pax, and will be scheduled during conference hours (Tuesday 9 June – Thursday 11 June).
The date will be allocated by the TNC26 organisers and cannot be disputed.
All submitters will be notified in March 2026.
BoFs may not last longer than 90 minutes.
Venue, catering and basic AV equipment (screen and projector) will be arranged at no further charge.
No VC equipment available.
Remote side meetings will not be accepted. If your meeting is required to be hybrid, we advise you to plan your meeting outside the TNC week.
The meeting’s organiser and presenters will have to be physically present at the TNC26 venue.
Submission opens:
4 February
Submission closes:
10 March
The Community Hub is an informal space designed to be dynamic and interactive, where participants can exchange expertise and connect with global colleagues.
It offers two formats:
Step into the world of screens and live demonstrations. Plugged-in sessions spotlight tools, projects and innovations shaping research and education networks, backed by engaging presentations. Ideal for showcasing technical solutions or sharing highly visual material.
Step away from screens and into human connection. Unplugged sessions rely on direct engagement, storytelling or collaborative exercises instead of presentation slides. They can take the form of regional meet-ups, group discussions, or idea exchanges aimed at sparking creativity and conversation.
Length for both sessions: 30-45 minutes.
AV setup: screen + microphone.
No VC equipment available.
Remote sessions will not be accepted. Facilitators must be physically present at the TNC26 venue.
Please note Community Hub speakers cannot be given a discounted Speakers Pass.
All submitters will be notified about the outcome of their submission by the end of March 2026.
Submission opens:
16 October
Submission closes:
27 November
‘Side meetings’– open and accessible to all – are half day meetings that bring the community together to discuss a topic of mutual interest. They are typically multi-presenter meetings for a deep-dive into the relevant area. With maximum capacity for 100 participants, side meetings will take place on Monday 8 June or Friday 12 June.
The allocation of the date will be done by the TNC26 organisers. Only half day slots (9.00 –12.30 or 14.00 –17.30) are offered, no full day slots. The times of these slots cannot be modified after allocation.
Catering at the venue.
AV equipment: screen + projector.
No VC equipment available.
Remote side meetings will not be accepted. If your meeting is required to be hybrid, we advise you to plan your meeting outside the TNC week. The side meeting’s organiser and presenters will have to be physically present at the TNC26 venue.
Side meeting participants will have to purchase a ticket for access the side meeting alongside the main TNC26 registration fee.
All side meeting submissions will be reviewed by the TNC26 organisers. All submitters will be notified about the outcome by the beginning of February 2026.
Submission opens:
16 October
Submission closes:
27 November
As part of the submission process, submitters will answer a short set of questions and upload a PDF containing the full proposal. Proposals should be approx. 600 words (one A4 page).
Submitters are encouraged to clearly explain why the TNC audience would be interested in the proposal, why it is relevant to TNC and what they hope the audience will take away from the presentation. Please, do not just give a project overview.
All speakers must be mentioned by name and affiliation when submitting the proposal.
Proposals must include:
Presenter’s name and affiliation
Authors’ names and affiliations (if different from the presenter)
Presentation and audience description
A short abstract
Single Presentation speakers are entitled to a discounted Speakers Pass.
Every submission will be reviewed by the TNC26 Programme Committee. All submitters will be notified about the outcome of their submission at the beginning of February 2026.
TNC26 Venue
The Helsinki Music Hall (Helsingin Musiikkitalo in Finnish), is a concert hall and a music centre. The building is home to Sibelius Music Academy and two symphony orchestras, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. The new Music Hall, opened in August 2011, is the first ever venue in Finland’s capital city specifically designed and intended for the performing of symphonic music.
All of Musiikkitalo’s halls provide wheelchair-accessible seating. In the Concert Hall, however, stairs must be used to reach non-accessible seats. There are accessible restrooms on all floors of Musiikkitalo.
TNC26 Side Meetings will instead take place at the Finland Hall, which is next door to the Helsinki Music Hall.
Don’t miss the deadlines!
Opening Call for Proposals (Single Presentations and Side meetings)
Submission deadline for Single Presentations and Side meetings (midnight CET)
Opening Call for Lightning Talks, BoFs, and Community Hub (midnight CET)
Submission deadline for Lightning Talks, BoFs, and Community Hub (midnight CET)
Final day for Early Bird registration (midnight CET)
Regular Fee registrations open (midnight CET)
Thanks for inviting us in Helsinki!
CSC – IT Center for Science builds digital solutions for data management, scientific computing, and education that help researchers, learners, and companies understand the world. CSC supports society’s digitalization and, on its part, promote the green transition with its customers, owners, and partners.
CSC manages and operates Funet, a high-speed, cost effective academic and research network for Finnish higher education institutions, research organizations and other Funet members. Over 440 000 Funet community users use daily Funet services such as solutions for campus and wireless networking, cybersecurity and video technology. One of the world’s oldest NRENs, Funet (founded 1983) connects to other European NRENs and worldwide research networks through NORDUnet and GÉANT.
The Call for Lightning Talks, BoFs and Community Hub is now open!
Do you want to share a bright idea on the TNC26 stage or maybe bring together participants in an informal and dynamic environment for a session without screens?
Then the Call for Lightning Talks, BoFs and Community Hub is what you are looking for! It is now open and you have time until 10 March to submit your proposal.
Read the guidelines to learn more about how to submit.
Get ready to be part of TNC26 in Helsinki!
Early bird registration for TNC26 is officially open. Register to attend the event in Helsinki at a reduced rate until 24 March 2026 (midnight CET). Don’t forget that in order to attend the Monday and/or Friday side meeting(s), it is mandatory to purchase a ‘Side Meeting Pass’. This Pass can be purchased alongside the Regular Pass as well as the Speaker Pass.
TNC26 theme revealed!
The Finnish word sisu is untranslatable, but overall it can be explained as a concept encompassing inner strength, tenacity, determination, and courage, particularly in the face of adversity.
In a changing world, the TNC26 theme seems very fitting: our community needs to embrace the idea of sisu to ensure our future as a community. With this action-orientated mindset, we need the courage to make difficult decisions about our response to world events, to ensure a sustainable future for our activities and to maintain the strong ecosystem we have built.
Sisu is an all-purpose philosophy of life and as such it underpins all aspects of the NREN community.
