6th Annual Student Research Competition

New York, USA, October 21st, 2025, FinanceWire

The Fixed Income Analysts Society (FIASI), in collaboration with Fordham University’s Center for Research in Contemporary Finance and the O’Shea Center for Credit Analysis and Investment, is announcing the launch of the 6th Annual FIASI – Gabelli School Student Research Competition. This co-branded competition invites undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students in the U.S. and overseas to submit their ongoing original research on the topic of investing and innovations in sustainable finance in fixed income or related markets¹. The primary purpose of the competition is to raise awareness and highlight the importance of integrating relevant and material Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)-based factors into investment decisions in the fixed income markets as a research area, address challenges and opportunities associated with the deployment of new technologies and solutions to solve vital sustainability-related challenges faced by businesses, sovereigns, state, city and other local government entities, and to gain more visibility for and encourage conversations among students, academics, practitioners as well as other stakeholders. Where possible, research submissions should emphasize a link between research findings and their practical application(s) for business organizations, governmental entities, and other stakeholders. Although the primary focus of this competition is to encourage student research on sustainable finance in the fixed income markets, research papers in related markets but still relevant for fixed income will also be accepted.

In addition to recognizing a winning submission, the competition may also recognize one or more runner-up entries. In both cases, distinctions will be made between undergraduate and post-graduate submissions. Winning and runner-up research papers will be eligible to receive monetary award grants of up to $5,000 and recognition at the full-day FIASI Sustainable Finance in Fixed Income conference scheduled to be held on April 16, 2026, in NYC. Payments will be made directly to the recipients. These grants do not in any way preclude subsequent publication of the research in journals of the recipients’ choice. The recipients should agree to acknowledge this grant in all publications and presentations, and to present the research at a mutually convenient date following the FIASI conference. For reference, our 5th Annual Research Competition fielded 21 research paper submissions. In addition to the competition winner, there were also two runner-ups last April, each receiving a monetary award. The first prize winner and runners-up presented their research papers at a virtual event hosted jointly by FIASI as well as Fordham and attended by students, academics as well as industry practitioners.

They invite papers & applications from students pursuing Doctoral, Graduate, & Undergraduate programs in business & economics, and other sustainable finance-oriented programs throughout the world. Examples of student submissions include PhD. dissertations, Masters theses, Undergraduate Honors program theses, or any similar research. Research papers co-authored between students and faculty are also welcome. Submissions from undergraduate and post-graduate students will be evaluated in separate pools, and awards will be chosen independently from these pools. In case of co-authored papers, the student submitting the paper is expected to have a significant contribution to the paper.

All submissions should consist of the following:

A cover page with title, names of authors, e-mail addresses, and affiliation, including any past or present corporate affiliations;
An abstract of up to 150 words;
A research paper no longer than 60 pages in length; and
A copy of (each) researcher’s resume.

A review committee will select the winners from the submitted research papers. In making its selections, the committee will seek input from colleagues at Fixed Income Analysts Society, Inc. (FIASI), the Gabelli School of Business finance area, as well as other fixed income practitioners. The review committee will consist of members drawn from the academic community, the FIASI, and the fixed-income industry.

Research papers will be judged based on the originality and relevance of the research question as well as the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the research methodology.

Applicants should submit their proposals to Ms. Joanna Kondratowicz at [email protected] by February 3, 2026. Decisions will be made prior to April 7, 2026.

The competition is co-funded by the Fixed Income Analysts Society and Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business.

Additional questions or inquiries should be directed to Lauren Nauser, Executive Director, FIASI, at [email protected].

Submissions from both full-time and part-time students will be accepted. The research should reflect the student’s own analysis and should contain a disclaimer that the research is not in any way connected to or derived from a previous or current employer.

About FIASI

The Fixed Income Analysts Society (FIASI), founded in 1975, is a not-for-profit professional society dedicated to the education of its membership and the fixed income community at large. FIASI serves its members by sponsoring programs and workshops covering topics of current interest and presented by distinguished industry leaders. FIASI also sponsors an annual Hall of Fame ceremony to recognize lifetime achievements of outstanding practitioners in the advancement of fixed income security and portfolio analysis.

The Fixed Income Analysts Society is comprised of fixed income professionals who value the opportunity to learn, network and discuss important fixed income topics with colleagues across the industry. We draw from all disciplines – buy side, sell side, intermediaries, quants and academics – and all sectors – credit, rates, economics, securitized products, foreign exchange, emerging markets, municipal finance and commodities. Seasoned professionals as well as those new to the industry will reap the benefits of FIASI membership.