Who it is for
- Academic researchers
- independent scholars
- faculty members
- PhD candidates
- Qualified practitioners with demonstrated research experience
- Policy researchers or think tank contributors with relevant expertise
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Call for Papers
Independent academic research on open payments, interoperability, and digital financial access
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Building the Evidence Base for Open Financial Systems
The Interledger Foundation Call for Papers invites original academic research on open payments, payment interoperability, and access to digital financial services. We commission and publish independent research to build a body of evidence that supports informed decision-making by policymakers, regulators, developers, and institutions working to make financial systems more open and accessible.
At a Glance
What it supports
- Original empirical or theoretical research on open payments, interoperability, digital financial access, and related regulatory, technological, or policy dimensions
How it works
- $5,000 USD per selected paper (divided equally for co-authored work)
- Abstract submission followed by invitation to develop full-length papers.
- Program will reopen Q3 2026.
Research Themes
Submissions should align with one or more of the following themes:
- Understanding digital financial access: definitions, measurement frameworks, case studies, and rights-based approaches
- Key actors and incentives: roles of financial institutions, intermediaries, community agents, and regulatory bodies
- Regulatory and policy dimensions: financial regulation, data protection, consumer protection, competition, and compliance
- Technology and interoperability: cross-border standards, settlement and routing strategies, and emerging technologies in financial infrastructure
Research on the Interledger Protocol or the Open Payments standard is particularly welcome. Past submissions have examined remittance corridors, financial access policy, and open payment infrastructure across different regional contexts.
The full papers funded under the last cohort are still going through peer review before publication. However, in addition to our published papers, we offered mini-grants for recipients to share their work through shorter research blogs. These articles present key findings, observations, and analyses from funded projects around the world.
| Taxes on Digital Financial Services in Africa: Balancing Revenue and Inclusion Written by Dmitry Erokhin, PhD |
| Financial Inclusion in Nepal: Progress, Prospects, and the Road Ahead Written by Ram Narayan Shrestha, PhD and Mahesh Khatri |
| Namma Yatri Model for Digital Financial Inclusion in India Written by: Dr Keerty Nakray |
| From Agents to Anchors: Grassroots Economists and the Future of Community-Led Financial Infrastructure Written by: Dr. Senka Hadzic |
| Community Trust as Digital Credit Infrastructure: Data Compliance Challenges in Nigeria’s Ecosystem Written by Dr Raymond Onuoha |
| Making Tiny Global Payments Actually Work: Smarter, Cheaper Routes with Interledger (vs. Lightning & Mobile Money) Written by Yash Sancheti |
| Privacy-Inclusive Financial Access Framework: Bridging the Privacy Divide in Digital Financial Services Written by Sam Smith |
Call for Papers FAQs
Who is eligible to apply?
The call is open to researchers worldwide. To foster a more inclusive global conversation, we strongly encourage contributions from researchers in underrepresented groups and scholars from the Global South.
Eligible participants include:
- Independent researchers and unaffiliated scholars
- Faculty members at accredited institutions
- University-affiliated research centers and academic institutions
- Qualified practitioners with demonstrated research experience
- Early-career researchers and PhD candidates
We invite submissions from a wide range of fields, including Finance, Computer Science, Economics, Law, Political Science, and other Social Sciences. We also welcome insights from unrelated disciplines that can enhance the overall discussion.
Basic Requirements
- Applicants must be 18 years or older
- Must agree to the ILF Participation Guidelines
- Must support compliance with relevant U.S. laws and OFAC regulations
- Must have no conflicts of interest
- Only one proposal per applicant may be submitted
Submissions may be based on empirical or theoretical research. The submitted abstract must align with the researcher's expertise and may include co-authored work that provides interdisciplinary insights from diverse academic and professional fields. Submissions that offer interdisciplinary perspectives, innovative methodologies, or critical insights into the dynamics of financial access and interoperability are strongly encouraged.
How to submit an abstract?
The Call for Papers grant program is currently closed and will open in the third quarter of 2026.
If you have questions, please contact the Interledger Foundation's programs team, join the Call for Papers Slack channel, or review the Grant Application Guide.
Will the Call for Papers be offered again?
Depending on funding and organizational priorities, we expect the Call for Papers program to reopen in 2026. Stay connected for updates by joining our newsletter.
What are the publication pathways for papers?
Selected abstracts are invited to develop into full-length papers. Completed papers are reviewed, published on the ILF Research Library, and promoted through Interledger Foundation communications and events. Authors retain research independence throughout.
All you need to know about the Call for Papers grant.
Although applications for this grant are currently closed, these FAQs still cover all the essentials should you be interested in a future round of funding. Sign up for grant alerts to be the first to know when it re-opens.
How We Fund
Check out our Grantmaking FAQs to know our approach and expectations across all our grants. For additional clarifications, reach out to programteam@interledger.org.