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American Bankers Association Banking Research Dissertation Grant Program

Application Deadline: April 30, 2025

ABA’s Office of the Chief Economist is accepting applications for 2025-2026 academic year dissertation grants (beginning September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026).

The grants will provide $40,000 for one academic year, released monthly in 12 equal payments, for Ph.D. graduate students conducting research on the banking industry.

The application deadline is April 30, 2025.

Applications will be evaluated by ABA staff and winners will be notified via email and will be announced in late May. Grant recipients will be recognized at the ABA Annual Convention and will have the opportunity to present their completed research.

Eligible research topics:

  • General Business of Banking
  • Central bank liquidity facilities
  • Small business lending
  • Consumer banking, including residential mortgages
  • Agricultural lending
  • Interbank/wholesale funding
  • Banking and climate change
  • Payments (e.g., debit & credit cards, stablecoins, fin-tech or alternate payment offerings)
  • Financial stability

Application Requirements

  • Must be enrolled in a PhD economics (including business economics and agricultural economics) or finance program at an accredited college or university, and have completed required preliminary graduate coursework
  • Conducting independent research, with a preference for quantitative work
  • Submission of a research prospectus (5 pages maximum), transcript and a letter of endorsement from the student’s dissertation advisor
  • First degree relatives or household members of current ABA employees are not eligible for this grant

Note:

  • ABA does not place any restrictions on the ultimate results of the funded research or any publication outlet.
  • ABA does not assert any intellectual property rights on the supported research and will also not be providing any other resources in support of the research conducted.
  • ABA requires a signed W-9 form and a direct deposit form before any payments will be made. Payments made to you related to this grant will be reported on Form 1099 to the IRS and your state, if required. ABA will not be withholding any taxes. You are advised to consult with your tax professional to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local income tax regulations.

About the American Bankers Association

The American Bankers Association is the voice of the nation’s $24.2 trillion banking industry, which is composed of small, regional and large banks that together employ approximately 2.1 million people, safeguard $19.1 trillion in deposits and extend $12.6 trillion in loans.;

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