Call For Applications: CFI Digital Public Infrastructure Research Grant Program 2025 ( Up to $40,000 USD)

The Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI) has launched the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Research Grant Program.

Through this initiative, they will

• Support new research: To researchers and institutions exploring how DPI is being implemented, governed, and adapted in different contexts.
• Connect perspectives: Bring together a learning network of academics, policymakers, technologists, civil society, and private actors to examine the long-term viability and societal impact of DPI.
• Extract insights: Synthesize research into timely, actionable guidance for decision-makers shaping the next generation of infrastructure.
• Organize consultative gatherings: Through convenings and consultative gatherings, that they curate and contribute to through industry participation and engagement.

They are especially interested in research that

• Examines consumer/end user outcomes through use of services delivered on DPI rails, focusing on themes like accountability, consumer protection, public private partnerships, innovation, fair competition, value creation, and trust.
• Explores how DPI systems can move beyond pilots and donor dependency to become financially sustainable, while maintaining openness, transparency, and public value.
• Explores avenues for fair competition, levels the playing field for all stakeholders, creates avenues for public-private partnerships and evaluates value creation through private sector engagement.
• Analyzes emerging governance models — particularly in systems with deep private sector involvement — and how they affect accountability, sustainability, innovation interoperability, and public trust.
• Surfaces innovations in building strong consumer protection measures, maintaining user-centricity, including feedback loops, grievance mechanisms, and tools to measure and improve outcomes.
• Investigates how DPI influences the delivery of financial and non-financial services, and the resulting implications for consumer protection, competition, inclusion, and market dynamics.
• Uncovers learnings through comparative analyses of countries that have implemented DPI and are at advanced stages- such as India and Brazil.

Understands the impact DPI systems drive beyond access to financial services.

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to independent researchers, research organizations, and those affiliated with universities, think tanks, or research institutions (they are open to exploring joint proposals)
• Partnerships between institutions and individuals are encouraged
• Projects must focus on one or more countries, with a strong preference for proposals that include:
• Country-level research in low- and middle-income countries (researchers based in low- and middle-income countries are especially encouraged to apply)
• Original fieldwork, institutional analysis, or comparative case studies
• Locally grounded perspectives and policy relevance
• Note: Regional or multi-country studies will be considered where they bring clear value and comparative insight.

Benefits

They offer:

• Opportunities to share findings with practitioners and policymakers
• A platform for collaborative inquiry

Funding Information

• Grant amounts: up to $40,000 USD, depending on scope and approach.

Duration

• Research must be completed within six months of award.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY