The European Quant Awards are open to all university students interested in quantitative finance.
Submit a research paper in quantitative finance for a chance to win one of the 3 prizes below. If you are writing your Master's or Bachelor's dissertation, you could summarize your paper (5-7 pages according to these guidelines), but the competition is open to any student who is willing to submit a paper.
1st PRIZE: €3,000 + trip to the award ceremony
2nd PRIZE: €2,000 + trip to the award ceremony
3rd PRIZE: €1000 + trip to the award ceremony
What is quantitative finance?
Quantitative finance is the use of mathematical and statistical models and large datasets to analyze financial markets and securities. On previous editions of the European Quant Awards we have received an amazing range of papers with very diverse approaches and methodologies. More than a century after the seminal work of Louis Bachelier, the quantitative approach to financial markets, driven by machine learning and AI, is evolving from niche to mainstream.
Winning this competition would be very valuable to highlight your skills to future employers!
Quant Awards are open to university students and interns in quantitative finance regardless of speciality. Applications are free. No CFA candidacy or membership is required.
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 subscribe to the competition here before end of May 31st, and submit your contribution here before August 31st. Winners announced in November the same year.
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:
The final mark will be the sum of the marks of two juries. Decisions may not be appealed.
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 supported.
The 2024 competition in Amsterdam
The 2023 competition in Oslo
The 2022 competition in Dublin
The 2021 competition in Amsterdam
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 2025, the 11th edition starts and features the participation of CFA Society France, CFA Society Netherlands, CFA Society Ireland, CFA Society Belgium, CFA Society Spain, CFA Society Italy and CFA Society Turkye.
For more information, please contact the participating CFA societies or follow our Quant Awards LinkedIn group. On behalf of the CFA Society Netherlands, Bob Jansen is your contact person.
Read our 2024 winners papers here
1st prize: Dynamic Economic Tracking Portfolios - Maurits van Altvorst - Erasmus University Rotterdam
2nd prize: Temperature derivatives pricing based on temperature stochastic modelling - Anne Coll Franck - Universidad Pontificia Comillas
3rd prize: Polynomial Ornstein Uhlenbeck Vol Models- Xuyang LIN - École polytechnique
Read our 2023 winners papers here
Read our 2022 winners papers here
Read our 2021 winners papers here