2026 White Paper Competition

sponsored by

The image is the Google logo, featuring the word "Google" in colorful letters.

This year, innovative thinkers, researchers, and industry professionals are invited to showcase their insights. Submit your work for a chance to present your winning paper on the conference stage!

Submissions have closed.

We are looking for novel, data-driven insights that can inform professional practice in a wide range of organizations. Past papers have explored topics such as skill identification, employee perks, and behavior change in the workplace—but the possibilities are endless. White papers should explain the basis of your insights and the analysis that informed them. Such a format includes but is not limited to academic-style papers.

The winning team will receive a $3,000 cash prize (subject to applicable taxes) and will be invited to present their work live on stage at the 2026 Wharton People Analytics Conference in Philadelphia on October 9, 2026. The winning team will be reimbursed for transportation and hotel accommodations to attend the conference, up to a maximum of $1,000 per team.

Important Dates

  • September 4, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET: White Paper Submission Deadline
  • September 25, 2026: White Paper Competition Winner Notification
  • October 9, 2026: White Paper Competition Winner Presents at the 2026 Wharton People Analytics Conference

Judging Criteria

  • Grounded in empirical research and rich data
  • Novel, bespoke, and thought-provoking
  • Actionable and practical
  • Broadly applicable
  • Clear and accessible
  • Includes data visualization insights

Selecting and Celebrating the Winners

  • The winners are announced to the broader analytics community,  and promoted via all of our social media outlets. 
  • The winning paper’s presentation at the conference will be shared on our YouTube playlist, and remain posted prominently on our website for the following year.
  • The winning team will present live on stage at the 2026 Wharton People Analytics Conference in Philadelphia, October 9th, 2026.

— 2026 Judges —

Peter Cappelli
George W. Taylor Professor
Professor of Management
Director, Center for Human Resources
The Wharton School

Abeer Dubey
Director, People Analytics, Google

Piyush Mathur
CEO & Co-Founder
SkillsBridge.AI

Tiantian Yang
Assistant Professor of Management
Assistant Professor of Sociology
The Wharton School

— Questions? —

Contact ai-analytics@wharton.upenn.edu to speak with our Competition Team.