The Ethereum research group EPFsg announces open enrollment, welcoming applications from anyone interested in underlying protocols.

The Ethereum Protocol Fellowship (EPF) aims to cultivate core Ethereum developers and is preparing for the fifth round of applications. However, due to the high level of difficulty in the program, in order to further allow more people the opportunity to enter the research field, the foundation has launched the EPF study group program. Read more.

Introduction to EPF

The Ethereum Protocol Fellowship (EPF) aims to lower the barriers to entry for Ethereum core protocol development and research, allowing more unique and promising individuals to get closer to the development of the Ethereum ecosystem and core protocols, with the ultimate goal of potentially becoming core developers.

EPF will select five to six researchers each term, who are not required to participate full-time but are expected to drive research projects over a six-month period, aiming to address Ethereum's infrastructure and public goods deficiencies and eventually share their findings with the community.

Throughout the process, EPF will support each participant's research to encourage more ambitious long-term goals, providing necessary resources including financial support, public relations and exposure, guidance, technical advice, and connections to the Ethereum Foundation.

Introduction to EPF Research Group Curriculum

The Ethereum Foundation has stated that one of the most common requests from applicants and participants in past EPF programs is for more educational and bridging resources to better tackle the challenging nature of EPF. Therefore, the foundation is launching a new sub-project—EPF Research Group (EPFsg).

The EPF Research Group project is more entry-level compared to EPF, allowing anyone interested in Ethereum protocols to participate in a 10-week educational course series. The goal is to produce a collaboratively compiled wiki document for reference by future applicants or individuals seeking to further apply for EPF.

Details of EPFsg Project

The EPF Research Group will be conducted through online seminars and will consist of two stages. The first stage will include weekly 90-minute classes focusing on an overview of the underlying structure of Ethereum. In the second stage, students will choose between research or development or both, and continue with the corresponding courses.

Each online meeting will be hosted by current core developers and researchers from various client teams and research groups, providing pre-session reading materials to familiarize participants with the topics and terminology and offering post-event activities to reinforce understanding.

The content of the research group curriculum will mainly cover Ethereum technology stack architecture and roadmap, diving deep into:

• Protocol design
• Execution layer and consensus layer architecture, specifications, and implementations
• Testing methods and tools
• Ethereum roadmap technologies: Verkle trees, sharding, MEV, proof of stake improvements, state expiry

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Participants will collaborate to develop a comprehensive research encyclopedia, serving as a knowledge repository that will evolve continuously for current and future core developers. This allows participants to gain practical experience in contributing to open-source resources and the ability to collaborate with community members.

Registration Information

• Program Duration: 10-week course from 2/19 to 4/29
• Open and no permission required
• Free of charge

Register for EPF Research Group: Link.

Who is EPFsg Project Suitable For?

While the project aims to serve as a precursor to EPF, the research group is suitable for anyone interested in understanding the internal workings of Ethereum protocols. Those with general knowledge of Ethereum and/or blockchain, as well as individuals with some computer science, technical, or development experience, will benefit most from this program.