Frequently Asked Questions :: IEEE Conference 2025

Below are answers to common questions about the IEEE IES Generative AI Hackathon 2025.

Can I participate individually?
Yes, you can. Teams can have 1–5 members. We strongly encourage collaboration, but solo participants are welcome.
Do I have to pay any registration fee?
No, participation in the hackathon is free. Just sign up during the registration period (Feb 1–15, 2025).
Is IEEE membership mandatory?
No, IEEE membership is not mandatory to compete in the hackathon. However, if you are selected to the top 6, at least one person from the team has to take IEEE membership to process the travel grant reimbursements.
How are mentors assigned?
Mentors are assigned based on the subject area of your proposal. We match you with experts who can best guide your project.

What if I don’t have a fully thought out project? This is totally fine. Our mentors will guide you from ideation to implementation during the project. Only having idea is enough.
What if I don’t have a dataset yet?
We recommend exploring IEEE Dataport or other open repositories. Feel free to collect your own data if feasible.
Do I need a fully working prototype?
The final deliverable is a research paper. While a prototype or simulation is ideal to validate your results, you will be judged primarily on technical depth, originality, and the quality of research.
Can I use open-source libraries or pre-trained models?
Yes, as long as you cite them properly and comply with licensing. Transparency is key in academic research.

What happens if I miss a milestone?
Missing a milestone may reduce your chances of being shortlisted for the final presentation. Timely submissions are crucial for receiving feedback and continuing to the next phase.
How are winners selected?
A panel of IEEE IES experts evaluates papers on:

Can my team receive multiple travel grants if we have more than one accepted paper?
Travel grants are awarded per team not per paper. If you submit multiple excellent papers, congratulations—but only one travel grant will be allocated per team.