Student in Finance? This is the Award for You!

Are you currently in the process of writing your thesis (Master or Bachelor) about a quantitative finance subject? Enter the QuantAwards competition! Submit an innovative research report in quantitative finance for a chance to win one of the 3 prizes below.​

More than a century after the seminal work of Louis Bachelier, the quantitative approach to financial markets has become omnipresent.

Nowadays, many investment outfits specialize in research, development and implementation of systematic trading strategies, while other active asset managers have added quantitative strategies to their business lines. Individual clients may also now delegate management of their portfolios to robo-advisors.

These are just few manifestations of the changing landscape and we believe that quantitative portfolio management will become ever more important because of the discipline offered by the scientific approach and full automation of the investment process.

Are you currently in the process of writing your thesis (Master or Bachelor) about a quantitative finance subject? And do you have the confidence to present your dissertation to an expert panel, selected by the CFA Societies participating in the project? If you are in for a challenge and if you would like to make an impact in the field of quantitative investing, the CFA European QuantAwards are for you!

You will be asked to summarize your Master's or Bachelor's dissertation and submit your paper (according to these guidelines) in order to have a chance of winning one of the 3 prizes below:
 
1st PRIZE:  €2,000 + trip to the award ceremony
2nd PRIZE: €1,000 + trip to the award ceremony
3rd PRIZE:  €500 + trip to the award ceremony

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Eligibility

Quant Awards are open to university students and interns in quantitative finance regardless of speciality. 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 on the topic of Quantitative Finance. The report should concentrate on the importance and practical applications rather than the technique. It can consist of an end of studies dissertation, internship report or work carried out specifically for the Quant Awards.

You can submit your contribution here.

Useful documents

• Quant Awards 2022 flyer
• Quant Awards 2023 guidelines

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.

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. 

In 2022 the Award Ceremony was held in Amsterdam. This year the Award Ceremony is held in Dublin on March 10, 2023. Read more > 

About CFA Societies

The QuantAwards is an initiative of several CFA Societies, that are the local chapters of CFA Institute, the non-profit, 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 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. The Societies aim to support and contribute to the progress and stability of the national investment community by organizing professional education, setting standards, sharpening ethics, improving competence and sharing knowledge and supporting the industry in many other ways. 

In 2023 starts the 9th edition and features the participation of CFA Society France, CFA Society Netherlands, CFA Society Norway and CFA Society Ireland.

Questions? 

For more information, please contact the participating CFA societies or follow our Quant Awards LinkedIn group. On behalf of the CFA Society VBA Netherlands, Bob Jansen is your contact person.

Past Winners