Time to Respond to Reviewer Feedback and Boost Your Paper’s Chances”

The NeurIPS (Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems) 2025 season is in full swing—and now, it’s one of the most crucial moments for all submitting authors. As of July 24, 2025 (AoE), the Author Rebuttal Period has officially begun. If you’ve submitted a paper to NeurIPS this year, now is your chance to respond to reviewer comments and strengthen your case before the final decisions are made.

Whether your reviews came back glowing, mixed, or critical—how you handle your rebuttal can significantly influence the fate of your submission.

What Is the Author Rebuttal Period?

The Author Rebuttal Period is a short window of time where authors get the opportunity to respond to the reviews of their submitted papers. It’s not just about defending your work—it’s about engaging with reviewers in a constructive and professional way.

In this phase, you can:

This process helps the reviewers reassess their scores and refine their judgments before the Area Chair makes a final recommendation.

Important Dates to Remember

Keep in mind that AoE (Anywhere on Earth) time zone means the deadline is the latest in the world. So technically, the rebuttal window is open until the end of July 31 in the very last time zone—giving you maximum time to submit.

Why the Rebuttal Phase Really Matters

Many authors underestimate the power of a well-written rebuttal. But in reality, this short document can make or break your submission. Here’s why it matters:

Remember, your paper is competing with thousands of others. A thoughtful rebuttal gives it a fighting chance.

How to Write a Strong Rebuttal

Here are some key tips for crafting a powerful and respectful rebuttal:

1. Stay Calm and Objective

Even if the reviews feel unfair, resist the urge to argue emotionally. Instead, respond with clarity, logic, and kindness.

2. Be Concise and Direct

NeurIPS rebuttals usually have a strict word limit (often 1000 words). Prioritize your responses and stay focused.

3. Group Comments if Possible

If multiple reviewers mention the same concern, you can address it collectively to save space and show patterns.

4. Use Evidence Where Appropriate

Support your clarification with figures, brief equations, or results—if allowed. Don’t introduce entirely new experiments, but reference results already in the paper.

5. Don’t Just Defend—Acknowledge Valid Points

If a reviewer pointed out something you agree needs improvement, acknowledge it openly. This builds trust.

A Sample Rebuttal Structure

Here’s a basic outline you can follow for your response. You don’t have to follow this format strictly, but it gives a clear and professional tone that reviewers appreciate.

Thank you for the helpful and constructive reviews. Below, we respond to each major point raised.

**Reviewer R1:**
- Concern: X was not clearly explained.
  → Response: We agree and clarify that X is defined on Page 3, Equation (4)...

**Reviewer R2:**
- Concern: The baseline comparisons may not be strong enough.
  → Response: Thank you for this feedback. We followed benchmarks used in similar work (A et al., 2022). We also included ABC as a reference in Table 2.

...

Thank you again for your time and thoughtful evaluation.

What Happens After the Rebuttal?

Once the rebuttal window closes:

Authors will be notified of their acceptance status in September.

If your paper is accepted, congrats—you’ll be part of one of the most prestigious AI conferences in the world. If it’s rejected, don’t be discouraged. Many great papers are refined through rejection and come back stronger in the next submission round.

What’s New in NeurIPS 2025?

While the core process of NeurIPS remains stable, 2025 introduced some evolving features:

Make sure to read the official reviewer guidelines to stay aligned with expectations.

Summary:

The rebuttal period at NeurIPS 2025 is more than a formality—it’s your final opportunity to take control of your submission. Even a borderline paper can be accepted if the rebuttal addresses reviewer concerns convincingly.

So take the time, collaborate with co-authors, and submit a clear, respectful, and focused rebuttal. Every word counts, and so does your tone.

If you found this guide helpful, share it with your research peers—because rebuttals don’t have to be stressful when you know what you’re doing.