This award will provide support for junior participants to attend the two-week thematic program "Algebraic Combinatorics and Applications" held at the Center for Mathematics at Notre Dame from June 29 to July 10, 2026. The first week consists of two summer schools held in parallel: one for undergraduate students, and another for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Attendees will participate in mini-courses by well-established researchers, including both lectures and problem sessions where they will have the opportunity to start new collaborations. It will also feature mentorship and social events. The second week consists of an international research conference presenting some of the latest advances in algebraic combinatorics, some of which are inspired by AI. The field of algebraic combinatorics applies combinatorial techniques to concretely understand and illuminate phenomena in abstract algebra. It is a rapidly developing field with broad applications. The thematic program will feature some of the most exciting and cutting-edge developments, including positive geometries, cluster algebras, webs, Coxeter groups, and Schubert calculus, with applications to theoretical physics, integrable systems, and representation theory. The event's website is at https://sites.nd.edu/cmnd2026-thematic-program/ This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.