Date: August 3–6, 2026
Location: Online (Virtual)
Type: Workshop
Website: sandia.gov/machine-and-deep-learning-workshop
What Is the Sandia ML/DL Workshop 2026?
The Sandia National Laboratories Machine Learning/Deep Learning Workshop 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of this respected virtual gathering. Organized by Sandia National Laboratories, the event has grown into a key fixture for the applied machine learning community, particularly for those working at the intersection of AI and national security, scientific computing, and high-consequence engineering. Since its inception, the workshop has provided a no-cost, accessible platform for researchers, practitioners, and students to share cutting-edge work in machine learning and deep learning.
This year’s workshop, running from August 3 to August 6, 2026, continues the tradition of being entirely virtual and free to attend. The 10th anniversary edition is expected to reflect on a decade of progress in ML/DL while looking ahead to emerging challenges and opportunities. Sandia National Laboratories brings a unique perspective to the event, emphasizing rigorous, reproducible research and applications where reliability and security are paramount.
The workshop’s virtual format removes geographic and financial barriers, making it one of the more inclusive events in the AI calendar. Over the years, it has become a vital venue for cross-disciplinary exchange, attracting participants from academia, government labs, and industry who share an interest in advancing the state of the art in machine learning and deep learning.
Why It Matters for AI Professionals
For AI professionals, the Sandia ML/DL Workshop 2026 offers a rare opportunity to engage with work that prioritizes robustness, safety, and scientific rigor. Unlike many commercial conferences, this workshop focuses on applications where model failure is not an option—such as nuclear security, energy systems, and defense. Attendees gain exposure to methodologies and best practices that are directly transferable to high-stakes AI deployments in any sector.
The workshop also serves as a networking hub for the ML/DL research community. Because it is free and virtual, it attracts a diverse audience, from early-career researchers to senior scientists at national labs. For professionals looking to stay ahead of trends in trustworthy AI, adversarial robustness, and scalable deep learning, this event provides concentrated, high-quality content without the typical cost barrier.
What to Expect
The Sandia ML/DL Workshop 2026 is structured around three core components that have defined the event for a decade:
- Tutorials: Hands-on sessions covering foundational and advanced topics in machine learning and deep learning. Past tutorials have included topics like PyTorch for scientific computing, uncertainty quantification, and graph neural networks. Specific tutorial topics for 2026 are to be announced.
- Hackathon: A collaborative coding challenge that typically focuses on a problem relevant to Sandia’s mission areas. Participants work in teams to develop solutions, with prizes and recognition for top performers. The 2026 hackathon theme is to be confirmed.
- Technical Sessions: Peer-reviewed paper presentations and invited talks covering original research in ML/DL. Sessions span areas such as computer vision, natural language processing, reinforcement learning, and domain-specific applications in science and engineering.
Notable speakers and detailed session schedules are typically announced closer to the event date. Given the 10th anniversary, a special retrospective or keynote session is likely, though specific details have not yet been released.
Who Should Attend
The Sandia ML/DL Workshop 2026 is designed for a broad audience within the AI ecosystem. It is particularly relevant for:
- Machine learning researchers and engineers interested in applied, high-stakes AI problems.
- Data scientists and analysts working in government, defense, or scientific computing.
- Graduate students and postdocs seeking exposure to cutting-edge research and potential collaborators.
- Technical leaders and program managers looking to understand the latest capabilities in trustworthy and robust AI.
- Professionals from adjacent fields (e.g., cybersecurity, physics, engineering) who want to integrate ML/DL into their work.
The workshop is open to all, regardless of affiliation, and no prior security clearance is required to attend.
How to Register
Registration for the Sandia ML/DL Workshop 2026 is free of charge, consistent with the event’s mission to provide open access to the research community. Interested participants should visit the official workshop website for registration details and updates. The link to register will be posted on the event page as the date approaches.
To secure your spot and receive timely announcements, visit: https://www.sandia.gov/machine-and-deep-learning-workshop. Note that while the event is free, early registration is recommended as virtual capacity may be limited for certain sessions or the hackathon.
