FEST Research Community

Finance, Economics, Strategy, and Technology (FEST)


The FEST Research Community is an interdisciplinary network of scholars united by shared interests across Finance, Economics, Strategy, and Technology - core domains that shape markets and human enterprise.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration at the Ed Snider Center

Meeting three to four times per semester, FEST convenes faculty and PhD students for scholarly presentations and discussions. Each session explores topics critical to understanding markets, organizations, and innovation from complementary disciplinary perspectives. FEST’s goal is to foster a rigorous, interdisciplinary dialogue - deep enough to advance each field, and broad enough to bridge them. Participants present and discuss work in progress, enriching the research conducted by members of the extended community. Certain working papers presented at FEST are published as part of the Ed Snider Center Working Paper Series.

Supporting Faculty and PhD Research Partnerships

Research projects will be funded through the competitive FEST Research Grants Program, intended to impact pioneering research and position the Smith School at the forefront of academic research and practice. Grants will support interdisciplinary research that: (i) spans at least two FEST areas (e.g., Economics & Finance, Strategy & Technology) and (ii) involves collaboration between faculty and PhD students working jointly. More information can be found below.

FEST Research Grant Program

With generous support from Dr. William A. Longbrake (DBA ’76), the Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets is pleased to announce the FEST (Finance, Economics, Strategy, and Technology) Research Grant Program. Each academic year, up to six grants of $5,000–$10,000 will support interdisciplinary research projects that: (i) span at least two FEST areas (e.g., Economics & Finance, Strategy & Technology) and (ii) involve collaboration between faculty and PhD students working together. Requests outside the typical funding range will be considered based on project needs and proposal quality.

FEST Research Grant Program Information and Proposal Guidelines

Proposals should be addressed to the Ed Snider Center Research Director, Serguey Braguinsky, and will be evaluated by a selection committee. To honor the intent of our funder, competitive proposals will “impact pioneering research, and position the Smith School at the forefront of academic research and practice.”

Each proposal should include the following sections (each no more than half a page, except where noted):

  1. Research Intent: Explain the topic and research questions in accessible, interdisciplinary language. Describe the intent of the research, focusing on identifying (a) the broad topic within which the research is situated and (b) the specific question(s) examined in the proposal.
  2. Research Design: Describe the research design, including, as appropriate, research context, methodology, analytical techniques, and data sources. Mention which FEST areas the research spans.
  3. Intended Contribution: Describe the intended contributions of the research, in terms of scholarly, policy, and/or practical implications, as applicable. Please also address here the fit of the research with the Ed Snider Center.
  4. Request for Support: Specify the funding amount and budget breakdown. Eligible expenses include data/software purchases, fieldwork travel for data collection not available locally or online, research assistance, and dissemination. (Conference travel alone or faculty summer support is not eligible.)
  5. Timeline for Research (a few sentences): Outline the project's current stage and expected outputs. Grants are typically one year in duration, with possible extensions/renewals in select cases. Additional funding for the second year may be considered as appropriate in individual cases upon receipt of additional funding proposals.

Please email proposal submissions to kerdman@umd.edu with the subject: FEST Research Grant Proposal.

Funded projects will be presented at FEST seminars to foster feedback and collaboration. Occasionally, we may also hold these as brainstorming sessions for submitted proposals that have a high chance of being funded. A commitment to attend all FEST seminars is required for funded teams. At the end of the funding period, recipients must submit a progress report noting progress toward the Intended Contribution of the grant proposal and share working papers through the Snider Center Working Paper Series.

The FEST Research Grant Program and the FEST Research Community are supported by a generous gift from the Longbrake Snider Center Fund, aimed at supporting pioneering research and promoting free expression and intellectual diversity. If you are interested in supporting ongoing research at the Ed Snider Center, please contact Ed Snider Center Managing Director Jacqueline Manger at jcmanger@umd.edu.

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