The Ethereum Foundation’s Ecosystem Support Program runs this grant round for formal academic research related to Ethereum, in fields from economics and cryptography to security, formal verification and the humanities. Rounds ran in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The 2025 round closed on 24 March 2025; ESP lists no active rounds now and has not announced a 2026 round. Researchers work from their own institution or location, and all outputs must be open access.
Benefits & funding
- Grants set case by case from a pool the 2025 page puts at $2 million (introduction) or up to $1.5 million (FAQ).
- Projects are expected to run 6–12 months, with some flexibility.
- Indirect costs: up to 10% of direct costs for universities and research institutions, 15% for other NGOs; individuals case by case.
- The team may keep intellectual property, but outputs must be open source.
Eligibility
- Individuals, teams and organisations: universities and consortia, research centres, think tanks, educators and individuals with prior research experience.
- Open to everyone; no nationality or residence restriction is stated.
- Undergraduate researchers need a postdoctoral advisor.
- Work must produce formal academic research, released open access under a free, permissive licence.
- Not eligible: retroactive funding, projects with a planned token launch or public funding round, financial products and services, out-of-scope art or social-impact projects, and anything unlawful where the work takes place.
Can you apply?
Check who can apply
No nationality, residency, education, experience, gender or age limit is listed. The other conditions are under Eligibility.
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We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Write an English PDF proposal with a detailed description, budget, timeline, applicant profile and a public repository or link to published work (an official template is provided).
- 2Submit it during the application window; several applications are allowed if each proposal is distinct.
- 3Decisions are emailed about six weeks after the deadline.
Program timeline
2025 round opened
Jan 20, 2025
Application deadline
Mar 24, 2025 (23:59 AoE)
About six weeks after the deadline
Decisions emailed
Next round
Not yet announced