TL;DR: The EPF has wrapped up its fourth cohort and is set to launch a fifth cohort. Applications will be available soon. In the interim, check out the new EPF.wiki and subscribe to receive notifications when applications open.
The Ethereum Protocol Fellowship has recently concluded its fourth triumphant cohort, culminating with EPF Day at Devconnect in Istanbul. This completion signifies 4 months of intense education, research, and contributions to the Ethereum core ecosystem from an exceptional group of committed fellows. To gain further insights about EPF, explore some of the previous articles and repositories.
EPF4 Statistics
Applications for the fourth cohort began on June 2nd, 2023. After evaluating over 400 submissions, 35 candidates received a stipend. Furthermore, 5 retroactive stipends were granted to permissionless participants. Throughout the 4-month duration, fellows were able to collaborate with 27 core developer mentors from diverse client and research teams within the ecosystem. Their efforts were consistently documented in nearly 600 weekly updates.
EPF4 Initiatives
In total, fellows proposed and contributed to 35 initiatives, some of which remain active. These initiatives not only symbolize a valuable educational experience but also significant contributions to the Ethereum ecosystem.
All program resources can be located in the EPF4 repository. You can follow all cohort activities there, review project resources, development updates, and fellows’ notes. Projects are not merely FOSS contributions; all work accomplished within the cohort is completely open, constituting a real segment of Ethereum’s open research and resources.
However, it’s not solely focused on work and contributions. A significant aspect of the EPF is the chance to connect with numerous inspirational individuals involved in core development. At Devconnect in Istanbul, more than half of the cohort convened to participate in EPF Day, an entire day of programming featuring project presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.
Ethereum Protocol Fellowship Study Group
We gathered important feedback at the conclusion of cohort 4. Despite the emphasis on protocol development education during EPF, the learning curve for prospective core developers remains quite steep. In response to this feedback, we initiated a preliminary program leading to the EPF called the EPF study group, a 10-week deep exploration into various facets of the protocol, as well as a collaborative knowledge repository for developers at epf.wiki. EPF.wiki has become the hub for aspiring core developers to understand the technical dimensions of Ethereum and contribute to the wiki to bolster their knowledge.
Upcoming Cohort Soon™️
As the study group approaches its conclusion, we are preparing for the fifth cohort of the Ethereum Protocol Fellowship. For those keen on delving into Ethereum core development, keep an eye out for the application announcement in early May. To receive notifications, join the EPF mailing list.
In the meantime, you can ready your application by ensuring a solid understanding of the Ethereum protocol (the EPF study group is an excellent starting point), contributing to open-source initiatives via your GitHub account, particularly contributions to existing projects within the Ethereum ecosystem, and contemplating the type of project you might wish to undertake.
