Research Challenge

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CFA Institute Research Challenge

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that connects university students with investment professionals from within the CFA Society® network. The competition provides students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and ethics and tests participants' analytical, valuation, reporting writing, and presentation skills.

Members of our society, along with a faculty advisor and an industry mentor, work with teams of students to value a stock, write a research report, and present their recommendations. Teams then compete with peers from other schools at local-level competitions organized and judged by CFA Society members and volunteers. The winning university team(s) from each local competition then advances to see who will become the sub-regional, regional, and global champions. 

Learn more and read FAQs See the schedule and get involved

Prairie Region Research Challenge

The 2024 Canadian Prairies local competition will be in held in-person in Calgary, Alberta. 

  • Please review the Official Rules attached to determine team composition, eligibility, rules for faculty advisors and industry mentors, and more.
  • Following the local competition, the CFA Institute will act as the host for the sub-regional, regional semifinal, regional, and global level competitions.
  • Local winner(s) will advance to the sub-regional round where they will be evaluated based upon a recorded 10-minute presentation and their written report will be graded. There is no Q&A period for sub-regionals.
  • Sub-regional winners advance to the regional semifinal level. During the regional semifinal round, teams will be randomly assigned to semifinal breakouts. Teams will advance from the semifinal breakouts to the regional final. Two regional winners per region will advance to the global round.
  • The regional and global rounds will involve presenting live with judges who will ask questions in real time.
  • The global champion will receive a scholarship for their university in the amount of USD 10,000. 

We are still finalizing the details for the Canadian Prairies local competition. More information will be sent as soon as teams are confirmed. 

Research Challenge Timeline: 

September 27, 2023

Confirm participation with CFA Society Calgary, by return email

October 2023 TBD

Company Presentation to teams

October 2023 TBD

Deadline for students and faculty advisors to register with CFA Institute

January 14, 2024

Written reports due

February 9-10, 2024

Local Competition at Residence Inn Calgary Downtown (Calgary, AB)

March 2024 TBD

Sub-Regional

2 - 3 April 2024

Regional Semi Finals

4 - 5 April 2024

Regional Finals

May 2024 TBD

Global Finals (Week of 13 May 2024 in Warsaw, Poland)