Stellar Development Foundation Academic Research Grants: December 31, 2026 deadline

The Stellar Development Foundation Academic Research Grants pay for university research on blockchain. Awards are unrestricted gifts to the academic institution. The money is meant to support one graduate student or one post doc for 12 months, plus costs such as conference travel. The budget must not exceed $150,000. A rough average of past funded proposals is $75,000.

The foundation reviews proposals four times a year. The deadlines are 31 March, 30 June, 30 September and 31 December. The 30 September 2026 deadline has passed. The next deadline is 31 December 2026. Each applicant may send at most two proposals in a calendar year.

You need PI status at a degree granting institution whose main mission is research or higher education. Students, consultants, companies, and institutions that do not grant degrees cannot apply. The page points those groups to the Stellar Community Fund instead. Awards are paid only to institutions, never to individuals.

The proposal is a PDF of at most 3 pages, in at least 11 point type. It needs a title, an abstract, a short biography of the principal investigator, a statement of PI status, the technical plan, a budget, the name of the student or post doc when known, a statement that you do not intend to patent the results, and a bibliography. If you had an earlier SDF award, add a page on that work. If this is a resubmission, explain what changed. Submit the PDF through the form linked from the research grants page. Questions go to researchgrant@stellar.org.

Topics include privacy technology, formal verification, open peer to peer networks, the Federated Byzantine Agreement model, decentralized market mechanisms, scalability, smart contract languages, governance, and studies of the Stellar network. Literature reviews are out of scope. The foundation wants new scientific contributions.

Quick answers

How much does it pay?

Budget not to exceed $150,000 (a rough historical average of funded proposals is $75,000). It is a grant and takes no equity.

When is the deadline?

The deadline is 31 December 2026.

Who can apply?

Researchers with PI status at a degree granting institution whose primary mission is research or higher education. Students, consultants, for profit businesses and institutions that do not grant degrees are not eligible. Applicants from anywhere in the world can enter, unless the eligibility rules say otherwise.

How do I apply?

Through the official page at airtable.com. The link is at the top of this page.

How many proposals can I send this year?

At most two submissions per calendar year.

Do I have to give up patent rights?

The proposal must include a statement that you do not intend to patent the results, plus a short note on your patenting record.