Interledger NextGen Higher Education Grant

The Interledger Foundation is currently welcoming Letters of Intent (LOIs) from diverse higher education institutions ready to establish or expand programs that provide real-world experience in open-source practices, open-payment technologies, and inclusive digital financial systems.

Aims

• Enable Faculty Initiatives: Implement forward-thinking programs that promote digital financial literacy and inclusion.
• Increase Student Engagement: Enhance student interaction with open-payment technologies and digital financial inclusion, with a focus on the Interledger Protocol.
• Showcase Career Pathways: Highlight careers in open payments, open-source development, sustainable development, and fintech.

Funding Information

• The fund will grant up to USD 50,000 to cover both work on the proposed project and any costs associated with event participation, training, or software development.
• The maximum project duration is 12 months.

Eligible Projects

• Highlight new open-source technologies (Interledger Protocol & Rafiki) and intend to integrate them into the course curriculum by designing a project for students to complete using this technology. This could also take the shape of:
  • Revamping, developing, and delivering a curriculum with an essential focus on digital financial inclusion and how technology through open payments can foster access to underserved and unbanked communities.
  • Technological exploration which includes incorporating and/or prototyping a solution enabled by Interledger Protocol or Rafiki. This can be in the form of Hackathons or the development of a demo software solution.
• Provide career guidance and placement opportunities to connect students with emerging careers in open-source technology, whether through internships, fellowships, etc.
  • This focus should be on exploring means to build students’ skills in the following areas: entrepreneurship, social impact, marketing & communications, fintech policy & regulations, research, etc.

Eligibility Criteria

• This grant is open to registered, accredited institutions including public and private two to four-year institutions, colleges, institutional systems or consortia of institutions, and university-affiliated research centers and laboratories.
• Applying universities must align the proposed initiative with their undergraduate or graduate departments in any of the following areas: computer science, information technology, business, sustainable development, or related fields.
• All eligible applicants must:
  • Be a registered, accredited tertiary institution.
  • Applicants must be 18 years or older.
  • Applicants must have read and agreed to the ILF Participation Guidelines.
  • Applicants should be a member of faculty/staff for the proposed institution.
• Applicants must also:
  • Support The Interledger Foundation’s compliance with relevant U.S. laws, rules, and regulations.
  • Have no conflicts of interest.

For more information, visit Interledger Foundation.