Research
The National FinTech Center is pleased to announce a highly competitive research grant initiative to encourage research and academic writing in blockchain and related topics.
The grants will be given to completed, high-quality, publishable papers that expand the body of knowledge of the theoretical and technical aspects of blockchain, digital assets, and FinTech. This research could explore their impact on different sectors, including banking, logistics, government, etc.
THE REVIEW PROCESS
The first round of reviews will be double-blind reviews by the FinTech Center review board. The selected papers will be submitted to Ripple’s UBRI Connect team for review and possible inclusion in the UBRI Connect conference. If the paper is chosen by Ripple’s UBRI Team, the primary author will be invited to present the paper in person at the UBRI Connect annual conference in June 2025 in Singapore. The National FinTech Center will pay all travel expenses for the main (primary) author. Details will be forthcoming.
The awardees must be full-time, tenured, or tenure-track faculty at an HBCU.
The FinTech Center offers competitive grants that cover the full cost of attending the UBRI Connect Conference in Singapore in June 2025.
The Center accepts research in a wide variety of disciplines including, but not limited to, law, policy, sociology, arts and humanities, accounting, computing, economics, environment, science, engineering, health, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and supply chain.
The FinTech Center has identified the following research areas for 2025. We have compiled a few preliminary resources to explore when determining your topic.
- Scalability, interoperability, and Privacy in Blockchain Networks
- Tokenization of assets
- Cryptocurrencies and Stablecoins
- Policy, laws, and Regulation
- Digital Banking, FinTech, and financial inclusion
- Other topics (approval needed)
Important Dates
February 28, 2025 Deadline for submissions of completed papers to the FinTech Center.
March 10, 2025The FinTech Center will notify the primary authors of selected papers.
March 15, 2025The FinTech Center shares the selected papers with the UBRI Team for review.
April 5, 2025Notification
The UBRI team will notify the primary authors of papers chosen for inclusion in the UBRI Connect 2025 Conference in Singapore in June 2025.
On-Demand Research Projects
Every year, the Center will announce a call for participation in specific research projects. These calls will be open-ended, and the papers are accepted continuously.