The Ethereum Foundation is offering a PhD Fellowship Program to support Ethereum-related academic research led by current PhD students. The program provides $24,000 USD over one year to supplement existing stipends, with 9–10 fellowships awarded in total. Proposal Deadline: 23:59 AoE, April 1, 2026 Purpose The fellowship aims to expand Ethereum-related academic research across multiple disciplines, encouraging innovative proposals that generate meaningful insights for the Ethereum ecosystem. Disciplines of interest include: Economics – institutional economics, mechanism design, contract theory, industrial organization Political Science – governance, political economy, comparative institutions Business – finance, operations, organizational theory, management information systems Public Policy – urban policy, public administration, management Computer Science – AI, ML, distributed systems Urban Planning – urban governance, transportation, infrastructure Sociology – economic and organizational sociology, science and technology studies Eligibility Requirements Must be actively enrolled in a PhD program Research must produce formal academic outputs (conference/journal publications) Research outputs must be open-access under a permissive license Proposal must be in English, submitted in PDF format, and include: Applicant profile Public repository or link to previous work Written proposal following the provided template Multiple submissions are allowed if each proposal is unique. Fellowship Details Stipend: $24,000 USD over one year (supplemental to existing stipend) Potential for continuity stipend beyond one year based on project success Research must align with specific RFP topics listed below RFP Topics (Research Areas) Economic Models Enabled by Decentralized Trust Systems – explore novel economic/organizational models leveraging Ethereum’s neutral trust infrastructure. Software-Defined Operations for Small Businesses – study Ethereum-based operational improvements for SMEs. Programmable Institutional Design & Verifiable Governance – explore governance structures enabled by blockchain. Settlement, Reconciliation & Compliance Efficiency – study how programmable settlement reduces operational friction. Coordination Rails for City Governments & Urban Systems – design privacy-preserving infrastructure for municipalities. Intelligent Capital Formation – research on-chain fundraising, incentives, and governance mechanisms. AI-Powered Protocol Security – R&D on AI tools for smart contract auditing and protocol verification. Consolidation & Alignment of Revenue-Sharing Clauses with Open Source Licenses – study profit-sharing models compatible with open-source licenses. Agent Negotiation & Automated Mechanism Design / Smart Contract Generation – research AI-driven negotiation and on-chain contract instantiation. Agentic Economy: Verification, Delegation & Host-Interference Mitigation – enable AI agents as independent economic actors via cryptography and protocol-level infrastructure. Application Process Prepare a proposal in PDF format (following the template). Include CV, applicant profile, and links to prior work. Submit via the online application portal before April 1, 2026, 23:59 AoE. Decisions: Emailed approximately 6 weeks after the deadline. Selection Criteria Applications are evaluated based on: Potential impact on Ethereum theory and practice Applicant and supervisor experience and track record Clarity and conciseness of the proposal Long-term engagement with the Ethereum ecosystem Translational value for non-technical audiences This fellowship offers a rare opportunity for PhD students to combine academic rigor with practical contributions to the Ethereum ecosystem, across both technical and social-science dimensions. Why Apply? The Ethereum Foundation PhD Fellowship Program offers a unique opportunity for doctoral students to advance research at the intersection of technology, economics, governance, and society through the lens of the Ethereum ecosystem. By providing a $24,000 stipend over one year, the program supports ambitious projects that go beyond traditional academic boundaries and seek to generate practical insights with global relevance. Fellows are encouraged to explore innovative applications of Ethereum’s decentralized and programmable infrastructure, addressing challenges ranging from decentralized governance, capital formation, and urban systems coordination, to AI-powered security, automated mechanism design, and sustainable open-source funding models. This interdisciplinary approach allows candidates from economics, computer science, political science, business, sociology, public policy, and urban planning to contribute to a deeper understanding of blockchain-enabled systems, while producing research that is openly accessible and peer-reviewed. The program emphasizes not only the production of rigorous academic outputs but also long-term engagement with the Ethereum ecosystem, promoting collaboration between academia, industry, and the broader blockchain community. Applicants benefit from mentorship, exposure to cutting-edge RFP topics, and the potential to influence real-world applications of Ethereum technology, making this fellowship an exceptional platform for PhD candidates seeking to combine scholarly excellence with meaningful ecosystem impact. VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE HERE For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and WPChannel Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization that is offering this fellowship For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications & CVs to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.