November 4, 2026

CSRI Nepal Launches ‘Global AI Research Grant 2026’ to Mitigate AI-Driven Cyber Risks in Banking & Financial Sector

4th November 2026, Kathmandu

The Center for Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Nepal (CSRI Nepal), Nepal’s premier artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity research organization, has officially launched the ‘Global AI Research Grant 2026’ targeting the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector.

As financial institutions rapidly adopt artificial intelligence to automate operations and improve customer experiences, emerging cybersecurity threats, complex data privacy challenges, and regulatory compliance issues have surfaced. This initiative aims to establish localized, robust AI security frameworks to protect critical financial infrastructure across Nepal.

During a launch event in Kathmandu, CSRI Nepal unveiled the roadmap for the research grant. The organization envisions transforming Nepal into a regional hub for secure, ethical, and resilient AI technology through a strong tripartite collaboration involving academic institutions, regulatory authorities, and financial industries.

Key Highlights of the Global Research Grant 2026

Empowering the BFSI Sector: Equipping banks, telecoms, and FinTech enterprises with predictive security models.

Local R&D Ecosystem: Developing indigenous research capabilities to reduce dependence on external tools and frameworks.

Regulatory Compliance: Assisting bodies like Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) with evidence-based insights for policy formulation.

Global Collaboration: Accelerating knowledge transfer between Nepali researchers and international experts.

4 Core Research Pillars & Focus Areas

Dr. Shaligram Parajuli, President of CSRI Nepal, emphasized that the grant prioritizes four critical dimensions within the modern financial ecosystem:






Research Track	Focus Area & Objective
1.




		AI Threat Intelligence	Developing real-time monitoring of AI-based cyber threats to build automated threat detection systems for banks.
2.		Data Governance & Privacy	Formulating privacy-friendly financial data processing models using advanced techniques like Federated Learning to ensure compliance.
3.		Financial Fraud Control	Designing predictive AI models to detect identity theft, mitigate suspicious transactions, and prevent financial loss.
4.		Ethical AI	Ensuring AI-driven credit scoring and automated financial decision-making processes remain transparent, fair, and accountable.

Conceptual Framework Leadership

The conceptual framework behind the ‘Global Research Grant 2026’ was collaboratively formulated by distinguished experts and leadership members of CSRI Nepal:

Chiranjibi Adhikari — Founder President, CSRI Nepal

Prof. Dr. Gajendra Sharma — Senior Vice President, CARE Nepal

Sarala Karki & Bandana Sharma — Secretaries, CSRI Nepal

Shantikala Subedi — Executive Committee Member, CSRI Nepal

Sangam Nyaupane — Member, CSRI Nepal

Transforming Nepal’s Cybersecurity & Financial Landscape

CSRI Nepal projects that this 90-day research sprint will deliver lasting impacts across the domestic corporate and academic sectors:

Shift to Predictive Security: Transitions financial defense from reactive traditional methods to automated, AI-driven threat prediction.

Reduced Operational Costs: Automated risk assessment tools lessen manual audit overheads while adhering to national privacy standards.

Brain Retention & Academic Integration: Connects university data scientists and cybersecurity researchers directly with real-world industry problems, fostering local talent within Nepal.

“The ‘Global Research Grant 2026’ initiative is vital for curbing financial and digital fraud driven by Artificial Intelligence and addressing complex industry challenges through rigorous, applied research.” Prof. Dr. Subarna Shakya, Immediate Past President, CSRI Nepal

Call for Applications

Interested data scientists, researchers, university scholars, and cybersecurity professionals can register and submit proposals online:

Official Portal: https://csrinepal.org.np/globalresearchgrant

Organization: Center for Cybersecurity Research & Innovation (CSRI Nepal)

For more: Global AI Research Grant 2026