T. BASWELL DONALDSON RESEARCH COMPETITION RULES

The Central Bank of The Bahamas (the Central Bank) invites eligible participants to submit original research papers for the 2026 T. Baswell Donaldson Research Competition (the Competition). 

In memoriam of the late Governor, T. Baswell Donaldson, the initiative encourages innovative research on topics related to economics, finance or business that is of direct relevance to the Bahamian economy. The Competition seeks to promote critical thinking, rigorous analysis and evidence-based solutions to issues affecting the financial system and broader economy.

The Competition is open to Bahamian scholars pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies both locally and internationally. Scholars should ensure, at minimum, that the:

• Paper is original, unpublished and has been assessed by a professor or academic supervisor.
• Submission is of an academic quality and adheres to standards of formatting and presentation.
• Research objective is clearly articulated early in the paper to guide the analysis and conclusions.

Final judging of submissions will be done by an independent panel of academic and professional experts. However, the Central Bank will identify a shortlist of scholars who will have the opportunity to further refine their work, with the assistance and insight of local and regional economists and researchers. The T. Baswell Donaldson’s Research Prize may be awarded to one of the finalists, with the remaining eligible for honourable mention awards.

Rules:

Eligible Researchers

o Bahamian student currently matriculating

o Part-time

o Full-time

o Locally or abroad

o Undergraduate or graduate

Eligible Subject Areas

A policy focused, applied or theoretical or applied research paper in economics, business, or finance. This could include a concentration on:[1]

• Business or Finance
• Monetary Policy
• Fiscal Policy 
• Developmental Economics

Paper Submission Requirements

• All submissions should be in portable document format (PDF). Entries should not be submitted in any editable word processing format.
• APA (American Psychological Association) formatted.
• Unpublished work not currently submitted for consideration for any other open competition or the recipient of another open prize. [2]
• All references to the identity of the author should be removed from the text, and the paper should include a cover.
• Page and abstract of no more than 300 words, with all references to the identity of the author also removed.
• A separate cover page submission with identity and contact details (e-mail and telephone) of the author revealed.
• No more than 30 pages (not including graphs, charts, references, and cover pages), double spaced, 12-point font size type. This is equivalent to about 7,500 words.
• Sole authorship.

Prize

The top scholar will be eligible for a cash prize of up to $20,000 in recognition of their excellence in applied research.

 [1] Political or political science (poli-sci) papers will not be considered [2] Papers that received a recognition or award as part of the recognition or awards process that is internal to the school or university at which the student is enrolled may still qualify for submission.