The Ethereum Foundation has initiated the Academic Grants Round for the year 2024. The purpose of this program is to encourage and support research activities within the Ethereum ecosystem.
In the previous funding round which was in 2023, the Foundation was successful, funding 43 projects from 20 different countries.
The foundation garnered an impressive 250 applications, signaling a huge worldwide interest for Ethereum research.
Leveraging this momentum, the foundation extends its invitation to an even broader array of researchers and institutions from across the globe to partake in this grants round.
The Ethereum Foundation (EF) is a non-profit organization that supports the development and growth of Ethereum, a decentralized blockchain platform.
Established in 2014, the foundation is not a company or a traditional non-profit, but rather a coordinating force that fosters the Ethereum ecosystem without controlling it.
The EF was initially funded by an online public crowd sale in 2014, where participants bought Ether (ETH) with Bitcoin.
The Ethereum Foundation’s initiatives include the Ecosystem Support Program, which provides both financial and non-financial support to projects and entities within the Ethereum community.
The foundation also organizes the annual Devcon conference for Ethereum developers, researchers, thinkers, and makers.
Additionally, the Ethereum Foundation Fellowship Program aims to address gaps in representation across cultures, nationalities, and economic classes.
As of April 2023, the Ethereum Foundation owns approximately 0.297% of the total Ether supply, which is approximately 350,000 ETH. The foundation also owns $300 million in non-crypto assets, mainly held in fiat currencies.
It is led by the leadership of an executive board consisting of Aya Miyaguchi, Vitalik Buterin, and Patrick Storchenegger.
According to the Foundation, the total funds allocated for the initiative are $1 million. While the application is open, the deadline is set for 23:59 UTC on March 4th, 2024. Furthermore, it expresses particular interest in a diverse range of domains, encompassing applied and theoretical cryptography, economics, game theory, security, consensus protocols, formal verification, peer-to-peer networking, society and regulation, and hardware.
Other details provided include that applications must be in English and submitted in PDF format. Proposals should comprise a detailed description, budget, and timeline for the proposed scope of work. An applicant profile, along with a public repository or link to published work, is required. Additionally, projects must produce formal academic research. Research output must be open-access with a free and permissive license.
Restricted projects include anything illegal in the local jurisdiction, financial products and services (trading platforms, investment products, stablecoins, lending or betting platforms), art or social impact projects not aligned with this round’s scope, projects seeking retroactive funding, and those planning token launches or public funding rounds.
Funding decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, considering factors such as the impact of the proposed research, the research team’s experience, and the clarity of the proposal.
