Pillar Labs Research Fellowship

Developing Africa's next generation of technical researchers.

The Pillar Labs Research Fellowship is a selective quarterly program for experienced engineers interested in producing original technical research for the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Rather than following a standardized curriculum, fellows receive individualized mentorship while working on a focused research question from the Pillar Labs research agenda.

Who we're looking for

Engineers with exceptional ability, curiosity, and rigorous thinking.

We seek engineers who demonstrate exceptional technical ability, curiosity, and evidence of rigorous thinking. Successful applicants may have experience in:

Bitcoin experience is valuable but not required.

Fellowship structure

A focused quarter of research, mentorship, and open publication.

Orientation

A short introduction to Pillar Labs' research practices, publication standards, and the landscape of Bitcoin technical discussion.

Research Cycle

Each fellow or research pair investigates one focused technical question over a single quarter. Research is supported through mentorship, regular reviews, and milestone based funding.

Research Outputs

Each cohort contributes to the growing body of work produced by Pillar Labs. Outputs may include:

  • Research Notes
  • Technical Reports
  • Datasets
  • Open Source Software
  • Conference Presentations

All research is published openly.

Long term path

Building a lasting community of African researchers.

  1. Research Fellow
  2. Resident Researcher
  3. Research Mentor

Our goal is not simply to support individual fellows, but to establish a lasting community of African researchers contributing to Bitcoin and freedom technologies.