Quant Awards

Eligibility

Quant Awards are open to university students and interns in quantitative finance regardless of specialty. Professional experience must be limited to internships, which should not exceed 3 years in total. Applications are free.

Submission

Students must submit their original research focusing the topic of Quantitative Finance. The report should concentrate on the importance and practical applications rather than technique. It can consist of an end of studies dissertation, internship report or work carried out specifically for the Quant Awards.

Format

The report must be written in English

The Cover page should contain the report title but not the candidate or university name
The Report should be between 5 and 7 pages long and titled as follows: Quant Awards - Candidate name - University name - Company Name (if it is an adaptation of an internship report)
The report can include Appendices appropriate to the report

Registration and Deadlines

Candidates should register before 31 July using this link.

No CFA membership is required. Registered candidates must submit their reports before 31 August.

Judging

The judging panel consists of 8 judges, including a Chairperson. The panel may call on external experts if participation is particularly high or if a given report requires additional technical oversight.

Reports are judged anonymously, with a code replacing the names of the candidates. Each submission will be marked by two juries, from 1 to 10. Their mark is a weighted average of four criteria:

Applicability and relevance (30%)
Innovation (30%)
Accuracy and completeness (30%)
Presentation (10%)

The final mark will be the sum of the marks of two juries. Decisions may not be appealed.

Awards

1st prize: €2,000
2nd prize: €1,000
3rd prize: €500

All three winners will also receive free registration to the CFA exam, worth $1,150 (one-time enrollment fee + early registration fee). For more information, click here.

Award Ceremony

The Award Ceremony will take place towards the end of the year. It will be held in the country where the winner applied. All winners will be invited, and travel and housing costs covered (with a limit of €750 per person). All participants are welcome to attend the ceremony at their own costs.

About CFA Societies

CFA Societies are the local affiliates of CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials. The organization is a champion for ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. The work to create an environment where investors' interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow.

The Institute offers the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) Program, a globally recognized, graduate level curriculum that provides a strong foundation of real-world investment analysis and portfolio management skills.