[Hol-info] Final Call for Papers: Tests and Proofs (TAP) -- Now a Track at FM 2026

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**CALL FOR PAPERS**

**Special Track on Tests and Proofs (TAP 2026)**

*at the*

**27th International Symposium on Formal Methods (FM 2026)**

**May 18-22, 2026 --- Tokyo, Japan**

**Website:** <https://conf.researchr.org/track/fm-2026/>

**Abstract Submission**: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
**Full Paper Submission:** Tuesday, 2 December 2025

### **New TAP Track at FM 2026: A Premier Venue for Tests and Proofs**

Since 2007, the [Test and Proof (TAP)
conference](https://tapconference.github.io/2024/) has long been a
leading venue for research on the intersection of software testing and
formal verification. Now, TAP is joining the 27th International
Symposium on Formal Methods (FM 2026) as a new special track. This
integration places the ground-breaking work of the Test and Proofs
community at the heart of the world's premier conference on formal
methods.

This new track provides a dedicated forum for researchers,
practitioners, and tool developers to present and discuss the latest
advances in the synergistic combination of traditionally distinct areas
of dynamic analysis, e.g., testing, and static analysis, e.g., proving.
By joining FM, the TAP track offers authors a wider, more diverse
audience and the prestige of publication in the main, open-access FM
2026 proceedings, published by Springer in the LNCS series. We invite
you to be part of this exciting new chapter for the tests and proofs
community!

**Track Highlight: FM 2026 Keynote by Professor Cristian Cadar**

We are thrilled to announce that TAP Track at FM 2026 will feature a
keynote address by **Professor Cristian Cadar** of Imperial College
London. Professor Cadar is a world-renowned authority on software
reliability, security, and verification, and is particularly celebrated
for his pioneering contributions to symbolic and dynamic execution
(e.g., KLEE). His selection as a main symposium keynote speaker is a
powerful testament to the increasing importance of the core topics of
the TAP track to the broader computer science community.

### **Scope and Topics of Interest**

The TAP track solicits high-quality, original research on the interplay
between dynamic techniques such as testing, runtime verification
etc.testing and formal verification such as proving, model checking,
abstract interpretation, etc. . The track aims to foster new
collaborations and advance the state of the art in creating reliable and
secure software and systems. Topics of interest include, but are not
limited to, the following areas:

**Foundations for Combining Testing and Verification**

-   Formalisms and theories that unify testing and proof\
-   Semantic foundations for combined static and dynamic analysis\
-   Proof theory for test-case generation and specification conformance\
-   Type systems with a testing and proving focus\
-   Formal models of test-based and proof-based development

**Synergistic Techniques and Tools**

-   Combination of model checking, theorem proving, and runtime
    verification
-   Synergies between symbolic execution, fuzzing, and formal analysis
-   Test-case generation from formal specifications (e.g., using B, Z,
    TLA+, VDM)
-   Using test execution results to guide or automate proof discovery
-   Static analysis for test-suite reduction, prioritization, and
    optimization
-   Verification-based and property-based testing
-   Formal methods for testing AI/ML-based systems
-   AI/ML techniques for enhancing formal verification and testing
-   Derivation of specifications and contracts from tests
-   Combination of static and dynamic analysis for security
    vulnerability detection

**Applications and Empirical Evaluation**

-   Case studies and experience reports applying combined test-and-proof
    techniques to industrial systems (e.g., in security, cyber-physical
    systems, autonomous systems, blockchain, or IoT)
-   Empirical comparisons of different verification, testing, and
    combined techniques
-   Tool demonstration papers for new and innovative tools that support
    tests and proofs
-   Application of TAP techniques to challenge problems and benchmarks

### **Submission Categories and Guidelines**

The TAP track papers can be submitted in all paper categories supported
by the FM 2026 Research Track and submissions to the TAP track will be
reviewed following the policies and quality criteria of the FM Research
Track.

The TAP track solicits papers in the following categories:

-   **Regular Papers (max 15 pages, excluding references and
    appendices):** For mature, original research contributions.
-   **Long Tool Papers (max 15 pages, excluding references and
    appendices):** For presenting mature tools, their theoretical
    foundations, and empirical evaluations.
-   **Case Study Papers (max 15 pages, excluding references and
    appendices):** For in-depth reports on the application of TAP
    techniques to significant, real-world problems.
-   **Short Papers (max 6 pages, excluding references and appendices):**
    For presenting novel but not yet fully mature ideas, or for tool
    demonstration papers that focus on a tool's features and usage.

Papers should be original work, not published or submitted elsewhere, in
Springer [LNCS format](https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-guidelines),
and written in English.

Submit your papers at https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=fm2026

Reviewing is single-blind. Each paper will be evaluated by at least
three members of the Program Committee. Papers will be accepted or
rejected in the category in which they were submitted and will not be
moved between categories

Authors of accepted papers are strongly encouraged to submit their
supporting artifacts to the FM 2026 Artifact Evaluation track.

### **Important Dates**

All deadlines are **Anywhere on Earth (AoE, UTC-12h)**. The deadlines
for the TAP track are aligned with the FM 2026 Research Track.

  Milestone                   Date
  --------------------------- -------------------------------
  **Abstract Submission**     **Tuesday, 25 November 2025**
  **Full Paper Submission**   **Tuesday, 2 December 2025**
  **Author Notification**     **Friday, 6 February 2026**
  **Camera-Ready Version**    **Monday, 2 March 2026**
  **FM 2026 Conference**      **May 18-22, 2026**

### **Publication**

All accepted papers for the TAP track will be published as part of the
main FM 2026 conference proceedings. The proceedings will be published
by Springer in their **open-access Lecture Notes in Computer Science
(LNCS)** series. At least one author of an accepted paper must register
for the conference and present the work.

### **Track Organization**

**Track Chairs:**

- Marie-Christine Jakobs, Ludwig-Maximilan University, Munich, Germany
- Achim D. Brucker, University of Exeter, UK

For inquiries, please contact the track chairs.

-- 
Prof. Achim Brucker | Chair in Cybersecurity & Head of Group | University of Exeter
           https://www.brucker.ch | https://logicalhacking.com/blog
                         @adbrucker | @logicalhacking