2026 Fintech and Financial Institutions Research Conference

April 3, 2026

Call for Papers | Deadline: December 31, 2025

Overview

Leading research conference on fintech, financial institutions, and their economic consequences and regulatory implications.

Hosts: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and Lerner College of Business and Economics, University of Delaware Date: April 3, 2026 Format: Single-track research conference (~8 presentations) Keynote Speaker: Antoinette Schoar (MIT) Submission Deadline: December 31, 2025 (23:59 EST)

Conference Purpose

Forum for presenting and discussing current research on:

• Interlinkages between fintech sector and broader financial system
• Economic consequences and impacts (bidirectional)
• Regulatory implications
• Policy considerations
• Academic and policy dialogue on fintech evolution

Featured Keynote

Antoinette Schoar Massachusetts Institute of Technology Leading researcher on fintech, entrepreneurship, and financial innovation

Research Topics Welcome

Competition & Market Structure:

• Competition and collaboration dynamics between traditional institutions and new market entrants
• Market concentration and competitive effects
• Business model innovation

Financial Stability:

• Financial stability consequences of fintech-traditional lender interplay
• Systemic risk assessment
• Interconnectedness analysis

Credit & Lending:

• Impact on credit supply and pricing for large firms
• Small business lending and fintech
• Household credit access and costs
• Alternative credit assessment systems

Real Economy Effects:

• Real economy impacts of fintech
• Financial system response mechanisms
• Investment and growth implications

Social & Distributional Impact:

• Inequality issues related to fintech
• Financial inclusion and exclusion
• Societal consequences
• Fairness and discrimination in algorithms

Policy & Regulation:

• Monetary and fiscal policy effects on fintech and institutions
• Regulatory frameworks and implications
• Innovation vs. regulation tradeoffs
• Governance structures in fintech and crypto

Technology Applications:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) by lenders
• Blockchain and distributed ledger technology
• Data analytics in finance
• Cybersecurity and digital risk

Cryptocurrencies & Digital Assets:

• Real impacts of cryptocurrencies
• Stablecoins and digital currencies
• Crypto market dynamics
• Digital asset regulation

Emerging Areas:

• Crypto-exchange governance
• Alternative finance platforms
• Decentralized finance (DeFi)
• Payment systems innovation

How to Submit

Submit via: University of Delaware conference website

Deadline: December 31, 2025 (23:59 EST)

Format: Manuscript (full paper or extended abstract)

Requirements:

• High-quality theoretical or empirical research
• Fintech and/or financial institutions focus
• Clear policy or economic relevance

Conference Features

• Single-track format (all attend same sessions)
• Approximately 8 paper presentations
• Invited discussants for each paper
• Audience participation and Q&A
• Keynote presentation
• Networking opportunities
• Travel funding available
• Conference fee waived for authors

Travel Funding

Available for:

• Graduate student paper presenters (priority)
• Discussants
• Other qualified presenters (as available)

Note: Most consideration given to graduate students

Author Benefits

• Conference Fee: Waived for all authors
• Travel Support: Available (priority to grad students)
• Visibility: Presented to leading researchers and policymakers
• Feedback: Constructive comments from expert discussants
• Networking: Access to leading fintech researchers

Selection Process

Timeline:

• December 31, 2025: Submission deadline
• Mid-February 2026: Acceptance decisions
• April 3, 2026: Conference

Evaluation Criteria:

• Research quality and rigor
• Relevance to conference themes
• Originality and contribution
• Policy or practical implications
• Clarity and presentation quality

Organizing Committee

• Michael Gelman (University of Delaware)
• Paul Laux (University of Delaware)
• Vitaly Meursault (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)

Program Committee

Leading researchers and policymakers:

• Joseph Abadi (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)
• Jack Bao (University of Delaware)
• Tetyana Balyuk (Emory University)
• Sebastian Doerr (Bank for International Settlements)
• Isil Erel (Ohio State University)
• Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham (Yale University)
• Deeksha Gupta (Johns Hopkins University)
• Naz Kara Koont (Stanford University)
• Wenli Li (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)
• Marina Niessner (Indiana University)
• Raluca A. Roman (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)
• Samuel Rosen (Temple University)
• Alberto G. Rossi (Georgetown University)
• Philip Strahan (Boston College)
• James Vickery (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)
• Gloria Yang Yu (Singapore Management University)
• David Yermack (New York University)
• Yao Zeng (University of Pennsylvania)

Why Submit

• Present to leading researchers and policymakers
• Get feedback from expert discussants
• Network with fintech research community
• Contribute to policy discussions
• Publication potential
• Travel funding available (especially for grad students)
• No conference fee for authors
• Single-track format ensures engaged audience
• Featured keynote by leading researcher

Who Should Submit

• Academic economists and finance researchers
• PhD students conducting fintech research
• Postdoctoral researchers
• Policy economists and researchers
• Central bank and regulatory researchers
• Finance practitioners with research interests
• International researchers

Scope

Geographic: International submissions welcome

Interdisciplinary: Economics, finance, law, computer science, policy

Career Stages: All levels encouraged (special consideration for grad students)

Key Information

• Single-track conference - all attend all sessions
• Small, intimate setting - ~8 papers, in-depth discussion
• Policy-relevant focus - academic rigor with practical implications
• Leading program committee - top researchers and policymakers
• Travel support available - especially for grad students
• No author fees - conference waives fees for presenters
• Keynote address - prominent fintech researcher

Submission Tips

Strong submissions typically:

• Address clear research question
• Employ rigorous methodology
• Provide empirical or theoretical insights
• Have policy implications
• Are clearly written
• Contribute to understanding fintech sector

For more Information

Visit https://www.philadelphiafed.org/calendar-of-events/2026-fintech-and-financial-institutions-research-conference or the University of Delaware conference website

Deadline: December 31, 2025 (23:59 EST)