The Egypt Financial Regulatory Authority used an awards ceremony for the first 2025 edition of its scientific research competition to announce that the contest will be broadened from next year. The expansion will add new branches led by insurance, introduce research topics focused on specific practical gaps and problems, and create a new award in the name of the late Abdelhamid Ibrahim. The authority framed the competition as a way to generate research that can feed directly into regulatory policy, supervisory frameworks, and product development across non-banking financial activities. The first round drew 77 research papers, including 39 on the capital market, 21 on non-bank financing activities and 17 on Islamic finance. Nine projects won awards named after late sector figures Ashraf El Sharkawy, Ahmed Saad and Sayed Abdel Fadil. The authority also said it plans to launch another edition during the current year, with the broader format from next year intended to produce more applied research and practical solutions that can be used by the regulator.