NeurIPS 2025 Author Rebuttal Period Kicks Off Today — July 24 AoE

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:
- Clarify misunderstandings or factual errors in the reviews.
- Address reviewer concerns and questions.
- Provide missing context or correct technical inaccuracies.
- Highlight strengths that reviewers may have overlooked.
This process helps the reviewers reassess their scores and refine their judgments before the Area Chair makes a final recommendation.
Important Dates to Remember
- Rebuttal Start Date: July 24, 2025 (Anywhere on Earth)
- Rebuttal End Date: Likely July 31, 2025 (AoE) (please confirm on official site)
- Notification of Acceptance: Typically mid to late September
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:
- It’s your last chance to explain your ideas. Sometimes, reviewers may misinterpret a method or miss a key result. You can clarify it now.
- It shows professionalism. A polite, well-reasoned rebuttal demonstrates that you value peer feedback and can engage in scholarly dialogue.
- It can improve your score. Reviewers are human—they’re open to revising scores if your response is strong and respectful.
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:
- Reviewers re-evaluate their scores and discuss their feedback with other reviewers and the Area Chair.
- Scores may go up, down, or remain the same depending on how your rebuttal influences them.
- The final decision is then made based on these discussions and the Area Chair’s assessment.
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:
- Hybrid Review Processes: A mix of human and LLM-assisted reviewing continues.
- Open Peer Discussion Forums: A growing number of authors and reviewers use tools like OpenReview and Reddit to discuss papers.
- Increased Focus on Reproducibility: NeurIPS now places stronger emphasis on code sharing and empirical validation.
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.