Competition rules

Rules of the “LSEG Research Grant Competition”

1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1.1. The competition is conducted under the name “LSEG Research Grant Competition” (“Competition”).

1.2. The Organizer of the Competition is the University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Economics, with its seat in Sopot (81-824), at 119/121 Armii Krajowej Street, Tax Identification Number (NIP): 584-020-32-39, National Business Registry Number (REGON): 000001330 (“Organizer”).

1.3. Contact with the Organizer of the Competition shall be made via the following email address: lukasz.dopierala@ug.edu.pl.

1.4. The Competition is conducted based on these Rules (“Rules”).

1.5. The Competition is conducted within the territory of the Republic of Poland.

1.6. The Competition is addressed to all first-cycle and second-cycle students of the University of Gdańsk enrolled at the Faculty of Economics (“Participant”).

1.7. Participants may also form teams composed of no more than three students, provided that each team member meets the condition set out in Section 1.6.

1.8. The Competition commences on 1 December 2025 and concludes on 30 June 2026.

1.9. Should an insufficient number of Competition Applications be submitted by Participants, i.e., fewer than eight applications, the Competition shall not be carried out. A notice regarding an inadequate number of Competition Applications shall be published by 13 January 2026 on the website dedicated to the competition organized in cooperation with LSEG at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Gdańsk: LSEG Research Grant Competition.

1.10. All information regarding Participants disclosed or collected in connection with the Competition shall be processed by the Organizer and Refinitiv solely for purposes related to the conduct of the Competition.

1.11. The Competition does not constitute a game of chance as defined under the Act of 19 November 2009 on Games of Chance. The Organizer is not making a public promise within the meaning of Article 919 of the Civil Code.

1.12. Individuals who may not participate in the Competition include students who are simultaneously employees of the Organizer or Refinitiv, as well as immediate family members of persons serving on the Competition Jury or on the management bodies of the Organizer or Refinitiv (i.e., spouses, parents, and siblings). For these Rules, an employee of the Organizer or Refinitiv is understood as either a person employed under an employment contract or a person cooperating under a civil-law contract, except for students participating in a research project of an employee of the Organizer and receiving remuneration under a contract of mandate for that purpose.

1.13. Winners of the “LSEG Research Grant Competition” from the 2024/25 academic year may not participate in the Competition. Consequently, winners of editions before 2024/2025 are eligible to participate in the 2025/26 edition.

2. DEFINITIONS

2.1. The “LSEG Research Grant Competition” is organized by the Organizer for the period and under the conditions specified in these Rules.

2.2. Rules – the Rules of the Competition, specifying the principles and conditions governing the Competition, as well as the rights and obligations of the Organizer and the Participants.

2.3. Participant – a Participant of the Competition who meets the conditions set out in Section 3.1 and has duly submitted their participation in the Competition. A Participant may be either a team submitting a joint Competition Application or an individual student submitting an independent Competition Application. A team, as referred to in the preceding sentence, may consist of no more than three persons. Each Competition Application must have a Project Supervisor, who may be the Participant’s thesis advisor or another academic instructor from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Gdańsk.

2.4. Project Supervisor – a research-and-teaching or teaching employee of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Gdańsk who provides academic support to students in the implementation of the Project. For the purposes of these Rules of the “LSEG Research Grant Competition,” the Project Supervisor is not a direct Participant/Winner of the Competition and is not entitled to receive the Grant.

2.5. Refinitiv – Refinitiv Poland Sp. z o.o., with its registered office in Warsaw (00-008), at 126/134 Marszałkowska Street, entered into the Register of Entrepreneurs of the National Court Register maintained by the District Court for the Capital City of Warsaw in Warsaw, 12th Commercial Division of the National Court Register, under KRS number 0000659451, Tax Identification Number (NIP): 5272793684, National Business Registry Number (REGON): 366378485, with share capital of PLN 2,000,000.00, being part of the LSEG – London Stock Exchange Group.

2.6. Competition Jury – a committee appointed by the Organizer, composed of a total of 7 members, including three representatives of Refinitiv and four representatives of the Organizer, responsible for overseeing the proper conduct of the Competition and fulfilling all tasks entrusted to it by the Organizer as specified in these Rules, including, in particular, selecting the Competition Winners under the principles set out herein.

2.7. Grant.

2.7.1. Basic Grant – a grant awarded to the Winners of the Competition after its conclusion by Refinitiv for PLN 3,000.00 for each project qualified in accordance with the criteria set out in Section 5.2. This amount applies to both individual and group projects, subject to Section 6.6 of the Rules.

2.7.2. Special Grant – a grant awarded to selected Winners of the Competition in three categories, subject to Section 6.6 of the Rules. The Special Grant is awarded exclusively by the Competition Jury. A Special Grant may be awarded to both individual and group projects.

2.8. Winners of the Competition – Participants whose Competition Applications have been selected by the Competition Jury for further implementation in the form of Projects, and whose Project results have been approved by the Competition Jury.

2.9. Presentation – a multimedia presentation prepared in English and saved in PDF or PPT format (extensions: *.pptx, *.pdf). Required elements of the presentation: project title; keywords; names and email addresses of the authors; research objectives; research questions and/or hypotheses; literature review; research results; summary and conclusions; plan for further research and expected outcomes of the project, consistent with the information provided in the Competition Application; information indicating that the Project was carried out within the “LSEG Research Grant Competition” and financed by Refinitiv.

2.10. Scientific Article Text – a text prepared in English and saved using one of the standard computer programs (OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, RTF, or WordPerfect). Required elements of the article:

title page (article title, abstract, keywords, names, and email addresses of the authors);
introduction, including the objective of the article, research question, and/or hypothesis;
literature review;
description of the research methods used and presentation of the research results;
conclusion;
statement indicating that the Project was carried out within the “LSEG Research Grant Competition” and financed by Refinitiv.

2.11. Extended Abstract of a Scientific Article – a text prepared in English, with a minimum length of 3 pages (Times New Roman 12 pt., line spacing 1.5, margins 2.5 cm), saved using one of the standard computer programs (OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, RTF, or WordPerfect). Required elements of the extended abstract:

article title, keywords, names, and email addresses of the authors;
specification of the article’s objective, research question, and/or hypothesis;
description of the research methods used and presentation of the research results;
conclusion;
statement indicating that the Project was carried out within the “LSEG Research Grant Competition” and financed by Refinitiv.

3. CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION

3.1. Only natural persons who, at the time of participating in the Competition, meet all of the following conditions may participate in the Competition:

have reached 18 years of age;
have full legal capacity;
are first-cycle or second-cycle students of the University of Gdańsk at the Faculty of Economics throughout the entire duration of the Competition;
have accepted the Rules and expressed consent to the processing of their personal data for the purpose of conducting the Competition and awarding the Prize, by submitting an appropriate declaration, the template of which constitutes Appendix No. 1 to these Rules;
have submitted a Competition Application, the template of which constitutes Appendix No. 2 to these Rules.

3.2. The Competition is conducted throughout the entire territory of the Republic of Poland.

3.3. A condition for participation in the Competition is obtaining academic supervision from a research-and-teaching or teaching employee of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Gdańsk, confirmed by a signature on the Competition Application or by email confirmation sent to the address indicated in Section 1.3.

4. COURSE OF THE COMPETITION

4.1. The Competition begins on 1 December 2025 and ends on 30 June 2026, according to local time (Poland).

4.2. The purpose of the Competition is to select the best original Projects, for the implementation of which the Winners shall receive from Refinitiv basic and extraordinary grants, with a total amount not exceeding PLN 40,000.00 (in words: forty thousand zlotys) (“Grant”).

4.3. The Competition consists of three stages.

4.3.1. Stage I – submission of participation in the Competition, which occurs through the submission of a duly completed application form (“Competition Application”) together with a statement confirming that the Applicant has read the Rules, by no later than 13 January 2026, via email to: lukasz.dopierala@ug.edu.pl

4.3.2. By no later than 20 January 2026, the Competition Jury shall select, from among the submitted Competition Applications, those Applications that will subsequently be implemented by the Winners in the form of Projects during Stage II.

4.3.3. Stage II – by no later than 10 April 2026, the Winners shall be required to submit to the Competition Jury the results of their Project in the form of a Presentation and a scientific article text or an extended abstract of a scientific article, together with all other required documents. Failure to submit the Project in the form of a Presentation and a scientific article text or an extended abstract within the above deadline shall result in the immediate removal of the Project from the Competition procedure and, consequently, non-payment of the Grant. Project results shall be submitted electronically to: lukasz.dopierala@ug.edu.pl

4.3.4. By no later than 17 April 2026, the Competition Jury shall conduct a formal assessment of the submitted Project results. In exceptional cases, the Competition Jury may request that the Winners supplement or correct the submitted Project results (the Presentation, scientific article text, or extended abstract), setting an additional deadline for their submission.

4.3.5. Stage III – in a timeframe determined by the Competition Jury, but no later than 22 May 2026, a meeting between the Competition Jury and the Winners shall take place. During this meeting, the official presentation of the completed Projects shall occur, followed by a discussion during which the Competition Jury shall conduct a substantive assessment of the Project results.

4.4. After the acceptance of the Project results by the Competition Jury, Refinitiv shall pay the Basic Grant to each Winner by bank transfer, by no later than 30 June 2026, to the bank account indicated by the Winners, for the amount of PLN 3,000.00 for each accepted project.

4.5. The Special Grant shall be paid to selected Winners by bank transfer, by no later than 30 June 2026, to the bank account indicated by the Winners.

4.6. Projects implemented by the Winners within the framework of the Competition must comply with all applicable laws and meet the following requirements:

they must not infringe the copyrights or image rights of third parties;
they must not contain content that is offensive, defamatory, xenophobic, nationalist, homophobic, racist, revisionist, or any content violating the good name or dignity of any person;
they must not encourage discrimination or hatred toward individuals or groups based on origin, ethnic identity, nationality, race, sexual orientation, or religion;
they must not contain threats against individuals or groups;
they must not contain pornographic or pedophilic content, nor any content in violation of moral standards;
they must not encourage the commission of offences, crimes, or acts of terrorism, nor promote war crimes or crimes against humanity;
they must not encourage suicide;
they must not promote goods obtained illegally or in violation of any legal provisions;
they must not contain personal data such as name and surname, address, telephone number, or email address;
they must not promote activities or products that are competitive to those of the Organizers;
they must not encourage excessive or irresponsible consumption of alcohol or other prohibited psychoactive substances.

4.7. A Participant may be excluded from the Competition at any time if the Competition Jury determines that the submitted Competition Application or the Project being implemented does not meet the requirements of the Rules, or if third parties submit claims to the Organizer in connection with the Project.

4.8. The right of the Organizer to exclude a Participant from the Competition, as described in the preceding section, may be exercised at any stage of the Competition, as well as after its conclusion, and includes the right to withdraw the Prizes.

4.9. Each Participant is entitled to submit only one Competition Application, whether individually or as part of a team. Each Participant may be a member of only one project team. If the same Participant submits more than one Competition Application, only the first application submitted chronologically shall be considered.

4.10. If different Participants submit Competition Applications that are, in the opinion of the Competition Jury, identical or highly similar, the Participant whose application was submitted first chronologically shall be admitted to the Competition. The assessment of whether there is identity or similarity between applications lies exclusively with the Competition Jury. A Participant whose Competition Application has been excluded has the right to object to the terms set out in the Rules.

4.11. The Winner bears exclusive liability for any infringement of proprietary and/or moral copyrights in connection with the implementation of the Project. The Winner undertakes to reimburse the Organizer for any costs incurred by the Organizer as a result of violations of rights or interests of third parties arising from the implementation of a Project that infringes proprietary and/or moral rights.

4.12. The Organizer reserves the right to verify the Project at any time regarding prohibited content as referred to in Section 4.6. and, if such content is identified, to exclude the Winner responsible for the violation at any stage of the Competition. In such a case, the Winner shall have the right to object in accordance with the Rules.

5. CRITERIA FOR AWARDING PRIZES

5.1. The Competition Jury shall select the Winners of the Competition from among the Participants who have submitted a Competition Application.

5.2. The criteria for evaluating the submitted Competition Applications and qualifying them for Stage II by the Competition Jury, within the framework of the Basic Grant, are as follows:

the innovative and compelling nature of the Project;
the correctness of the proposed research methodology;
the diligence and accuracy of the prepared Competition Application;
the declared expected outcomes of the Project.

5.3. After the acceptance of the Project results by the Competition Jury during the meeting held in Stage III, Refinitiv shall pay the Basic Grant to each Winner by bank transfer, by no later than 30 June 2026, to the bank account indicated by the Winners.

5.4. A Special Grant may be awarded at Stage III to selected Winners in three categories by the Refinitiv representatives on the Competition Jury. The criteria for awarding the Special Grant are as follows:

Best Presentation – the quality of the final-stage presentation, including clarity of speech, ability to engage the audience, fluency and professionalism, as well as the aesthetics and visual readability of the graphic presentation;
Excellence in Data Work – a comprehensive, meticulous, and transparent approach to working with data, advanced analysis, reliability, and clarity of conclusions, and interpretation;
Innovative Solution – a unique approach to the research topic.

5.5. In cases where actions inconsistent with the Rules are identified, as well as attempts to influence the awarding of Prizes in an unlawful manner, the Participant concerned shall be excluded from the Prize-awarding process.

6. ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS AND AWARDING OF PRIZES

6.1. The results of the qualification for Stage II shall be announced on 20 January 2026 on the LSEG Research Grant Competition website. Participants selected for Stage II shall receive an email from the Organizer, sent to the email address provided in the Competition Application, informing them of the selection of their Application and the possibility of continuing the Project.

6.2. The Prizes in the Competition consist of Basic Grants and Special Grants, with a total value not exceeding PLN 40,000.00 (in words: forty thousand zlotys).

6.3. Each Winner of the Competition (both in the case of individual and group applications) shall receive a Basic Grant for the amount of PLN 3,000.00 for each accepted project, subject to Section 4.4., Section 5.3., and Section 6.6 of the Rules.

6.4. Selected Winners of the Competition shall receive an additional Special Grant with a value ranging from PLN 5,000.00 to PLN 8,000.00, awarded for a selected project. The final amount of each Special Grant awarded is at the sole discretion of the members of the Competition Jury.

6.5. Prizes awarded in the Competition shall be issued in compliance with applicable legal provisions, including the Personal Income Tax Act.

6.6. If the Winners incur a tax obligation arising from receiving a Prize in the Competition, the Prize shall be reduced by an amount equal to 10% of the value of the given Prize, allocated for the payment of the tax due on winnings in accordance with applicable regulations. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event of such a tax obligation, the lump-sum income tax on winnings shall be paid to the competent tax office by Refinitiv.

6.7. The Basic Grant shall be paid by Refinitiv to each Winner by bank transfer, no later than 30 June 2026, to the bank account indicated by the Winners.

6.8. The Special Grant shall be paid by Refinitiv to selected Winners by bank transfer, no later than 30 June 2026, to the bank account indicated by the Winners.

7. PERSONAL DATA AND COPYRIGHTS

7.1. By entering the Competition, the Participant consents to the processing of their personal data by the Organizer and Refinitiv, who, within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons concerning the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (“GDPR”), act as Joint Controllers of the personal data collected in connection with the implementation of the “LSEG Research Grant Competition” (“Controllers”).

7.2. The Controllers of your personal data are:
– the University of Gdańsk, with its registered office in Gdańsk (80-309), at 8 Jana Bażyńskiego Street, NIP 584-020-32-39, REGON 000001330; and
– Refinitiv Poland Sp. z o.o., with its registered office in Warsaw (00-008), at 126/134 Marszałkowska Street, entered into the Register of Entrepreneurs of the National Court Register maintained by the District Court for the Capital City of Warsaw, XII Commercial Division of the National Court Register, under KRS number 0000659451, NIP 5272793684, REGON 366378485, with share capital of PLN 2,000,000.00.

7.3. The Organizer has appointed a Data Protection Officer who may be contacted by post at the Organizer’s registered address, by telephone at (58) 523 31 30, or by email at iod@ug.edu.pl
The Data Protection Officer may be contacted regarding all matters concerning the processing of personal data and the exercise of rights related thereto.

7.4. Refinitiv may be contacted by post at its registered address or via email at the following address: Karolina.Majowicz-Prager@lseg.com

7.5. The Controllers shall process the following personal data of Participants: first name, surname, email address, correspondence address, and bank account number.

7.6. The Controllers inform that the personal data referred to above shall be processed for the purpose of conducting the Competition, pursuant to Article 6(1)(a) and (c) GDPR, i.e., based on the consent of the data subject and to fulfil a legal obligation imposed on the Controllers. The personal data of the Winners shall be additionally processed for the purposes of publishing the results, awarding the Prize, preparing and publishing related marketing materials, and fulfilling legal obligations imposed on the Controllers, including obligations related to the payment of taxes on prizes and obligations connected with the Winners’ rights to their Projects. Where necessary for the Controllers to pursue claims or defend against claims, personal data may also be processed pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR, i.e., for purposes arising from the legitimate interests of the Controllers, such as the pursuit or defence of claims.

7.7. Your personal data shall be processed on behalf of the Controllers exclusively by personnel authorized by the Controllers and by entities providing services to the Controllers that must have access to the data to perform their duties. These entities shall have access to the data only to the extent necessary for the performance of their tasks. Banks and public authorities authorized by law, including tax offices, shall also have access to the Winners' personal data.

7.8. Personal data shall be stored until the expiry of the limitation period for any claims related to the Competition, including those associated with the awarding of Prizes. The personal data of the Winners shall be stored until the expiry of statutory periods, including the limitation period for tax obligations associated with tax documentation.

7.9. Participants whose data are processed have the right to access their personal data, to rectify, erase, or restrict the processing of such data, to object to the processing, and the right to data portability.

7.10. Where data are processed based on consent, the Participant has the right to withdraw their consent at any time. To withdraw consent, the Participant must contact the Controllers directly. Withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out on the basis of consent before its withdrawal.

7.11. Furthermore, individuals whose data are processed have the right to complain to the supervisory authority, namely the President of the Personal Data Protection Office.

7.12. The Controllers inform that personal data processed in connection with the Competition shall not be subject to automated decision-making, including profiling. No transfer of personal data to third countries is envisaged.

7.13. Providing personal data is voluntary; however, failure to provide such data shall render participation in the Competition impossible, and in the case of Winners, shall prevent the awarding of Prizes.

7.14. All copyrights to the Project belonging to the Winners of the Competition shall remain their property. The Winners are required, whenever presenting the Project, to clearly indicate that the Project was developed within the framework of a Competition organized by the Organizer, and that funds provided by Refinitiv financed its implementation.

8. FINAL PROVISIONS

8.1. For the purpose of clarifying any doubts related to a Participant’s involvement in the Competition, the Organizer may contact the Participant using the email address provided in the Competition Application. The Participant consents to receiving information related to the Competition electronically from the Organizers.

8.2. The Rules of the Competition are available at the Organizer’s registered office throughout the duration of the Competition. Each Participant may receive a copy of the Rules upon submitting a written request to the Organizer’s address (with the note: “LSEG Research Grant Competition”).

8.3. The Organizer reserves the right to amend the Rules, provided that such amendments are not disadvantageous to the Participants and do not constitute a violation of acquired rights. Matters not regulated by these Rules shall be governed by generally applicable provisions of Polish law, in particular the Civil Code. The Organizer shall resolve all issues not covered by the Rules.

8.4. The Organizer reserves the right to cancel the Competition at any time for justified reasons. In such a case, Participants shall not be entitled to any claims.

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