The Ethereum Foundation has fired the starting gun for its 2025 Academic Grants Round, a program that throws down $2 million to boost academic research in key areas related to Ethereum. If you're a researcher, educator, or simply someone with a groundbreaking idea, now is the time to bring it to life.
Areas of Research
These are the areas where Ethereum wants to invest its money and time:
Economics & Game Theory
- Research on mechanism design, algorithmic game theory, and market microstructure.
- Studies to quantify cost structures of staking pools and solo stakers.
- Analysis of strategic behavior in block/slot auctions.
- Economic analysis of restaking and its implications.
Applied and Theoretical Cryptography
- Exploration of cryptographic techniques to enhance security and privacy within Ethereum's ecosystem.
Consensus Algorithms and Protocol Design
- Special priority for consensus researchers.
- Studies on inclusion lists for censorship resistance.
- Analysis and construction of multi-proposer protocols.
- Theoretical frameworks for leader election mechanisms and their impact on multi-slot MEV.
Networking & P2P Technologies
- Mechanisms aiding geographical decentralization in MEV extraction.
- Follow-up on empirical work for accurate data on geolocating Ethereum validators.
Client Engineering
- Not explicitly mentioned in the wishlist, but could involve the development of client software that interacts with Ethereum's protocols.
Security
- General focus on security and robustness against attacks.
- Research on commitment attacks and their implications on Ethereum's mechanisms.
- Analysis of preconfirmation rules and their role in transaction finality.
Formal Verification
- Not explicitly mentioned, but could involve the formal verification of Ethereum's protocols and smart contracts to ensure correctness and security.
Humanities
- Not explicitly mentioned, but could involve the study of the social and ethical implications of Ethereum and blockchain technology.
Who Can Apply?
If you're an academic researcher, educator, or someone with an idea that resonates with Ethereum's vision, this call is for you. Whether you work alone or as part of a team, everyone is welcome to apply.
Eligibility and Key Dates
Proposals must be submitted by: 23:59 AoE (Anywhere on Earth) on March 16th, 2025.
Types of Projects
Must produce formal academic research, and research output must be open-access with a free and permissive license.
Target Audience
Individual researchers with academic backgrounds, research centers, universities, think tanks, educators, and other stakeholders interested in Ethereum research.
Submission Format
Proposals should be in PDF format, written in English, and include a detailed project description, budget, timeline, applicant profile, and a link to any relevant public work or repository.
Need Help?
If you have doubts or need support for the submission process, reach out to [email protected] or visit their website for more information.
