2026 BlackRock Applied Research Award

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What is the Applied Research Award?

Now in its 12th year, the BlackRock Applied Research Award recognizes the top five job market papers submitted by PhD candidates on practical topics pertaining to financial markets, economics, investment management, and risk management. Building on the strong momentum and visibility achieved in recent years—including the successful launch of the India Research Award in 2024—we anticipate even greater impact and engagement in 2026.

The Award will grant $6,500 to the winning job market paper and $1,500 to each of the four runners-up. Job market papers should be based on quantitative research and provide practical solutions to the challenges faced by investors and risk managers.

2026 Academic Panelist

Dr. Ronald N. Kahn

MD, Global Head- Systematic Investment Research, BlackRock

Dr. Sankarsan Basu

Professor Finance - IIM Bangalore. President of Asia Pacific Insurance Association (APRIA)

Dr. Sandeep Juneja

Professor and Director, Safexpress Center for Data, Learning and Decision Sciences, Ashoka University

Dr. Ashima Goyal

Professor Emeritus of Economics at IGIDR, Mumbai. Former member of RBI Monetary Policy committee, former member of Economic Advisor Council to the Prime Minister.

Dr. Tirthankar Patnaik

Chief Economist at the National Stock Exchange

Dr. Shashi Jain

Associate Professor and Chair Computation Finance, Derivative Pricing and Financial Risk Management at the Department of Management Studies IISC Bengaluru

Interested in Applying? Here's What You Need to Know

Now in its third year in the region, the award builds on its growing momentum through continued collaboration with the India Finance Association (IFA), further strengthening outreach and engagement within the Indian research community. To learn more about IFA and to submit your research paper, visit the submission form here.

Application Deadline: August 16, 2026

All applications must be submitted through the IFA website. A panel will review the submissions and select ten finalists for a virtual presentation round. Each finalist will participate in a half-day virtual session, delivering a 20-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute Q&A with judges and BlackRock subject matter experts. Candidates are required to submit their PowerPoint presentations in advance, which will be used during the session.

Final Presentation and Recognition

The award ceremony will take place in November 2026 at BlackRock’s offices in Mumbai, Gurugram, and Bangalore, India (exact date to be confirmed). Panelists will participate both in person and virtually from BlackRock’s global offices. Finalists will also have the opportunity to present their work at the India Finance Conference in December 2026, in line with the official conference schedule.

Application Requirements

To be considered for the award, applications must include:

The candidate’s PhD job market paper. Important: all names and personal identifiers must be removed to ensure an unbiased review process. This includes author name(s) and affiliations, acknowledgments, and references to seminars or conferences where the paper was presented.
The candidate’s resume
Confirmation of participation in the upcoming job market for the first time. This may be provided by the dissertation chair (including via recommendation letter) or by the head of the PhD program or department

BlackRock

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