Letter of Intent for Research Projects

Letter of Intent Process (Downloadable PDF)

The FinTech Center is offering competitive grants to encourage research and academic writing in the field of Blockchain and related topics.

The Center funds 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 2021. We have compiled a few preliminary resources for you to explore in determining your specific topic.

1) Scalability and Privacy in Blockchain Networks

2) Value and Monetization in Blockchain Networks

3) Cryptocurrencies and Sustainability

4) Policy, Regulations and Contracts

Submission Process

Applicants must first submit a letter of intent (LOI)  by January 17, 2022.  The FinTech Center will select  LOIs based on the suitability of the topic and the scope and methodology of the writing.  Selected researchers must submit a complete paper by August 1, 2022.  The completed papers will undergo a peer-review process and up to five of those papers will be awarded up to $10,000 each. The competitive funding will be provided to the author(s) in proportion to the amount of work contributed to the final research paper. The announcement of awardees will be made on September 19, 2022.  Awardees are expected to present their research findings at the HBCU Blockchain Research and Innovation Conference Thursday, November, 17  and Friday, November 18, 2022.

Letter of Intent Submission

Letter of Intent (LOI)

The letter of intent  should be a narrative of no more than one page (600 words) and should include:

  • Author(s) name(s)
  • Affiliations
  • Research question and the primary area it addresses
  • Why the research question is important
  • The existing research gap and how you will address it 
  • Methodology to be followed

A letter of intent will be accepted no later than January 17, 2021.  No more than one LOI will be accepted per author.  The FinTech Center will select  LOIs based on the suitability of the topic and the scope and methodology of the writing.  

Completed Research Paper

Selected researchers must submit a complete paper by August 1, 2022. 

The paper should be about twenty (20) pages, excluding the Bibliography, using 1½ spaces and 12 point Times Roman font, 

The paper must include:

  • Author(s) name (s), consistent with the LOI 
  • Affiliation, consistent with the LOI 
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Literature Review
  • Methodology
  • Preliminary Results
  • Bibliography

The paper must be high-quality enough to be accepted by a leading conference in the discipline. In addition to the paper, the CVs of  all of the authors need to be submitted. Decisions on the selected papers will be made by September 19, 2022.

Awardees are expected to present their research findings at the HBCU Blockchain Research and Innovation Conference Monday, November, 7 and Tuesday, November 8, 2021.