NextGen Higher Education Grant

To be considered, applicants must:

• Be an accredited or officially recognized higher education institution;
• Be able to provide evidence of current accreditation or recognition by the appropriate authority in the institution's country;
• Identify a faculty member from a department, school, center, or institutional unit responsible for leading the project;
• Demonstrate institutional awareness and support for the proposed initiative;
• Propose a project primarily benefiting tertiary-level students;
• Demonstrate a clear connection to Open Payments, interoperability, digital financial inclusion, and/or the Interledger ecosystem;
• Demonstrate the institutional capacity to manage and implement the proposed project; and
• Be able to complete the proposed project within a maximum period of 12 months.

Applicants do not need to be existing experts in Interledger technologies. However, institutions should demonstrate an interest in building the knowledge and capacity necessary to meaningfully incorporate Open Payments and Interledger-related concepts into the proposed educational program.

We are interested in projects that create meaningful opportunities for students to learn, investigate, experiment, research, or build within Open Payments and inclusive digital finance.

Projects may include one or a combination of:

• Development of new university courses;
• Revision or expansion of existing curricula;
• Student research initiatives;
• Technical labs and practical learning;
• Open Payments or Interledger workshops;
• Hackathons and innovation challenges;
• Student prototypes or capstone projects;
• Seminars and guest lectures;
• Faculty-led research and teaching initiatives; and
• Other co-curricular activities that complement formal academic learning.

Strong proposals should connect these activities into a coherent educational program with clear student learning objectives and anticipated outcomes.

1. A short application form via Submittable

The form collects basic information about the institution, project, lead department, primary contact, target participants, and institutional interest in the program.

2. Letter of Intent / Project Introduction Letter

The LOI is the primary document reviewed during Phase 1. It must:

• Be prepared on the official letterhead of the university or higher education institution;
• Be signed by an authorized university representative;
• Introduce the institution and the unit proposing the project;
• Provide a high-level description of the proposed project;
• Explain the primary project objectives;
• Identify the students or university community the project intends to engage;
• Provide a high-level overview of anticipated activities and outcomes; and
• Identify the primary institutional contact for the project.

3. Proof of institutional accreditation or recognition

Applicants must provide documentation or an official source confirming that the institution is currently accredited or recognized by the appropriate accreditation, regulatory, government, or higher education authority in its country.

A detailed budget, implementation plan, and full project proposal are not required during Phase 1.

Letters of Intent will be reviewed for:

• Strength and rationale of the proposed project;
• Alignment with the Interledger Foundation's mission and NextGen Education Grant objectives;
• Meaningful student exposure to Open Payments and/or the Interledger ecosystem;
• Potential student and institutional impact; and
• Institutional capacity and overall feasibility.

Applicants with the strongest concepts will be invited to Phase 2: Full Proposal Submission. Note that being invited to Phase 2 does not guarantee an award.

For details on the current call for proposals' eligibility requirements, application form, and additional information, please refer to the program FAQ page and the NextGen Program Resource Kit.

For questions about program eligibility, the application process, or preparing your Letter of Intent, please contact us at nextgen@interledger.org.