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The Multidisciplinary Educational Global Alliance for Algorand Center of Excellence network aims to develop applications and end-to-end solutions for commonly known issues within blockchain research. | Image: Getty Images

Dr. Juan Garay, professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, is a co-principal investigator on a multi-institute collaboration network that has been awarded an $8 million grant from the Algorand Foundation’s Algorand Centres of Excellence Program to transform the landscape of blockchain technology research.

Led and coordinated by Purdue University, the three-year project titled “Multidisciplinary Educational Global Alliance for Algorand Center of Excellence” (MEGA-ACE), aims to develop applications and end-to-end solutions for commonly known issues within blockchain research in areas ranging from cryptography to architecture to social choice and economics.

“As over 70 proposals were submitted and fewer than 10 were awarded, ours being the largest in size and funding, the honor is both humbling and rewarding,” said Garay. “It’s a recognition of the work that both myself and members of our team have been carrying out in the last few years.”

Texas A&M’s portion of the grant is $900,000, which will help support the expansion of his research group to accommodate more students and deepen educational and training efforts through hosting various events, such as hackathons and annual blockchain days, organized in conjunction with other institutions within the network.

The MEGA-ACE team is made up of 28 diverse senior investigators from nine countries on five continents, including representatives from academia and industry.

The mission of the MEGA-ACE network is to become a powerhouse in the area of blockchain research, create a forum to exchange ideas and promote collaboration among the center’s participants, and build an educational center for students in countries that currently do not provide this type of advanced training.