# Application for Project Grants v2 ## Team profile *Briefly describe your organization. Provide links to previous work. How is your organization suited to the project's objectives, and how does it provide the necessary expertise?* The core team originates from the Czech Technical University’s (CTU) established [Internship Center](https://czm.fel.cvut.cz/) within the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Prague. Since 2008, the internship program has annually engaged over 40 students and successfully executed projects in UI/UX design, backend and frontend development, and technical analysis. Beyond traditional software engineering, the team is currently leading the technical development of the DEUSS platform, an EU-backed blockchain initiative focused on digital transformation for SMEs. The platform enables SMEs to issue long-term digital bonds accessible across the EU. More details: [DEUSS Blockchain](https://deussblockchain.eu/). Among the team’s advisors are well-known and experienced active members of the blockchain community in Czechia. A key partner in promoting this center is MAMA AI—a startup founded by former executives and research experts from the IBM Watson Research Center. MAMA AI provides support along with academic and development expertise in AI/ML-related tasks. **Core Team**: - [Jan Kočí](https://czm.fel.cvut.cz/o-nas/lide/koci) – Head of the Internship Center, Vice Dean - [Albert Švehla](https://www.linkedin.com/in/albert-%C5%A1vehla/) – Deputy Head, Business Coordinator, Researcher - [Luboš Harašta](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lubo%C5%A1-hara%C5%A1ta-7b9a68b6/) – Research Coordinator, Researcher - [Jan Trávníček](https://www.linkedin.com/in/travnicek-jan/) – Frontend Developer, Researcher **Advisors**: - [Josef Je](https://x.com/JosefJ_) (PWN, ETH Prague) - [Mario Havel](https://x.com/_taxmeifyoucan_?lang=en) (Ethereum Foundation) - [Jakub Vysoký](https://x.com/kvbik?lang=en) (Ethereum Foundation) - [dcbuilder](https://x.com/DCbuild3r) (World Foundation) **Partners**: - [MAMA AI](https://themama.ai/) ## Project name Blockchain Lab at CTU ## Brief project summary *Describe your project in a few sentences (you'll have the chance to go into more detail in the long form). If it's already underway, provide links to any existing published work.* The main goal of the project is to establish a leading academic hub dedicated to blockchain research, education, and open-source contributions. Fully supported by CTU’s senior administration (including the Faculty Dean and University Rector), the lab aims to attract international researchers, expand blockchain education beyond Ethereum-specific topics, and produce globally recognized research and development outputs from the heart of Europe—Prague. ## Describe the current status of the project and progress achieved so far *For example, do you have an MVP? Please describe its functionality and limitations and provide a link to it here.* As mentioned above, we come from an already established internship center within the Faculty which we aim to promote into an R&D center. With this foundation, we have secured premises, equipment, and othernecessary resources. Our primary goal now is to select the most suitable PhD candidates from multiple applicants. We will then define research areas that align with both the requirements of the PhD program at CTU and the Ethereum Foundation’s research scope. This process could be significantly accelerated if we successfully recruit a senior research staff member to lead the PhD research group. Ideally, PhD candidates would choose research topics within the senior researcher’s area of expertise. We have already begun searching for the top candidates but strongly prefer an established researcher from the Ethereum Foundation. This also serves as an open call to all EF researchers interested in shaping an R&D center at a university in Prague according to their vision. Following this, all PhD students will aim to participate in the Ethereum Foundation Fellowship Cohort #6 and the subsequent Ethereum Internship program. We believe that these steps-combined with the strict PhD requirements, such as active participation in leading conferences and publishing academic papers in high-impact journals—will ensure the successful establishment of the R&D center. **Summary of Current Progress:** - Secured university support, including facilities, an initial budget, and node infrastructure. - Identified the initial research area for the first PhD candidate (research related to fuzzing, currently under discussion with Gustavo Grieco from ToB). - Initiated the selection process for doctoral candidates and engaged potential advisors. **Next Immediate Goals**: - Hiring a senior researcher to lead the center and accelerate the transition. - Defining specific research areas for doctoral students. - Developing educational resources for students within the Faculty. ## What problem(s) are being solved by within the scope of the grant? *What is the specific problems, research questions, or needs you are trying to address?* Prague lacks a prominent academic blockchain center capable of delivering comprehensive blockchain education and fostering innovative research. Our lab addresses this gap by: 1. Education – Creating foundational and advanced blockchain courses. 2. Research – Undertaking Ethereum-aligned and broader blockchain research projects. 3. Development – Developing open-source blockchain tools and infrastructure ## Proposed tasks, roadmap and budget? *Provide a summary that includes a timeline of the expected work and an estimated budgetary breakdown.* ### **Roadmap of the first year** - **April 2025** – Finalize research areas and submit Ethereum Fellowship applications for doctoral students. - **May 2025** – Deploy Ethereum nodes (archival node, Holesky testnet). - **May 2025** – Public announcement of the Blockchain Lab (ETH Prague?). - **May 2025** – Hire a senior researcher. - **September 2025** – Launch the Beginner Course. - **September 2025** – Official start of the PhD program and potential participation in Ethereum Foundation Fellowship Cohort #6. - **December 2025** – Submit applications for EF internships. - **January 2026** – Expand student involvement in open-source development and research. - **February 2026** – Launch the Advanced Course. - **March 2026** – Publish the first research outputs. --- ### **Milestones** #### **Milestone: Blockchain Lab Kick-off (May – June 2025)** - Develop website and promotional materials. - Make a public announcement. - Deploy Ethereum nodes (Holesky testnet, etc.). - Finalize research topics and submit Ethereum Fellowship applications for doctoral students. - Hire a senior researcher. - Budget (see section _Requested Grant Amount_). #### **Milestone: Beginner Course Launch (September 2025)** - **Beginner Course: Introduction to Blockchain** – Designed to introduce students to blockchain fundamentals and generate interest. - Prepare study materials. - Promote the course among students. - Arrange guest lecturers. #### **Milestone: Advanced Course Development (February 2026)** - **Advanced Course: Ethereum Research** – Covering Ethereum-specific research topics to prepare students for open-source contributions and PhD candidacy. - Prepare study materials. - Promote the course among students. - Arrange guest lecturers. #### **Milestone: Research Outputs (March 2026)** - Publish outcomes based on fellowships and research conducted since July 2025. We have an initial budget of **5M CZK (approximately 200K EUR)** for the first year. Additionally, we have access to facilities, equipment, and infrastructure provided by the faculty. Our goal is to allocate the entire budget to personnel, primarily to hire a senior researcher to lead the research and other researchers, including PhD students. | Role | Cost (EUR/year) | FTE | | ----------------- | ------------- | --- | | Senior Researcher | 75,000 | 1 | | PhD Students (3x) | 110,000 | 3 | | DevOps | 10,000 | 0.2 | | Ambassador | 10,000 | 0.2 | | Total | 205,000 | 4.4 | The required amount for salaries is 200K EUR, excluding employee contributions of 35% (71,5K EUR), which are covered by the university. This brings the total budget to 271,5K EUR. **Therefore, the requested grant amount is 71,5K EUR**. ## Requested amount ### Fiat Currency EUR ### Amount 71,500 EUR ## Why is your project important? *Why should solving these problems or addressing these needs be prioritized, what evidence do you have of importance or demand?* This project addresses the lack of structured blockchain education and research at CTU, fostering an ecosystem capable of attracting international talent and establishing Prague as a global hub for blockchain R&D. The lab will systematically produce blockchain experts prepared to tackle critical research areas benefiting both the global Ethereum community and the broader industry. A key secondary impact of this iniative is the increased awareness and adoption of the blockchain technology among university students. ## How does your project differ from similar ones? *What other solutions are being worked on, what unique contribution will you make or advance will you provide beyond the state of the art?* While several institutions worldwide have begun exploring blockchain technologies, the Czech Technical University (CTU), despite its prominent status as the largest technical university in the Czech and Slovak region, still does not possess a dedicated blockchain research center. Our project addresses this gap by establishing such a center, focusing specifically on Ethereum research and blockchain education, closely linking theoretical exploration with real-world applications. ## Describe how your project will result in a public good. *Public goods are things like open source code, shared infrastructure, openly shared research, documentation, community building or other benefits provided to the community that are typically under-provided by the free market.* All produced materials, including courses, research outputs, and developed blockchain tools, will be fully open source. The lab fosters community building, accessible education, and global collaboration, directly benefiting Ethereum and the broader blockchain ecosystem. ## Will your results be open source? *If not, please explain why.* Yes, all research outputs, educational materials, and infrastructure tools will be fully open source. ## Describe the expected effects of your project proposal on the Ethereum ecosystem. *Please list the expected results of the project and explain how they will have a positive effect on the Ethereum ecosystem at large.* Expansion of Ethereum-aligned research and educational resources. Increased availability of skilled blockchain developers and researchers graduating from the university as they develop their expertise. Supporting local and global projects through the operation of Ethereum nodes (testnets, etc.) and the development of open-source tools. ## Describe key risks and challenges to your project. *What are the critical risks, relating to both project implementation and achieving expected impacts?* The primary risk is insufficient student engagement. To mitigate this, we will actively promote our courses, emphasize practical experiences, and leverage community ambassadors and industry experts to ensure strong student interest and participation. Another potential challenge is the inability to hire a senior researcher. However, we are confident in our ability to succeed even without a dedicated blockchain specialist, as our university’s senior members will provide the necessary guidance to achieve our goals. ## What are your plans after the grant is completed? After the grant period, the lab aims to achieve sustainable operations through collaborations, continued university support, industry partnerships, and external funding sources. It is being developed with a long-term vision of becoming an integral part of the university. The goal is to establish the following model: 1. The Basic Course attracts a select group of students interested in further exploring blockchain topics. 2. These students enroll in the Advanced Course, where they deepen their knowledge and define topics for their theses. - Some students may choose to engage in research-oriented projects, contribute to open-source initiatives, or even bring their own ideas to life. 3. Successful students are encouraged to continue their research through a PhD program. ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/Sy_zqgUh1l.png) ## If you didn't work on this project, what would you work on instead? This is something what we have not considered so far. ## Have you applied for or received other funding? An initial university budget of approximately 205K EUR is already allocated to kick-start the project. ## Anything else you'd like to share? We are extremely greatftul to everyone who has placed their trust in us, supported us, and contributed to our journey. Thank you. ## City Prague ## Country Czechia ## Your time zone CET ## How did you hear about the Ecosystem Support Program? (select) Other ## Did anyone recommend that you submit an application to the Ecosystem Support Program? Our advisors.