Doctoral Dissertation Research: Impacts of Financial Technology on Economic Decision-Making

This doctoral dissertation research studies the impact of financial technology (FinTech) and digital finance programs on economic decision-making. Investigators specifically test whether the use of mobile communication and digital lending schemes impact changes in economic engagements with credit and debt and the rise of entrepreneurship. They also study the impacts of credit and debt on the social reorganization of family, household and community. Research findings will contribute to economic and scientific understanding of the key factors that drive decision-making about credit and debt in the context of financial and digital banking. In addition to training a graduate student in scientific methods of data collection and analysis, the dissemination plans in the Broader Impacts contribute to the development of fintech policies and public understanding of digital finance. The focus on fintech, digital technologies, and wireless banking situates this project in line with this administration’s priorities on advanced wireless technology to fuel economic prosperity and expansion of global S&E competitiveness. The sampling strategy that will engage developers of financial technology will leverage partnerships with other sectors to enable the translation of research results to the market and society to expand one of NSF goals in Advanced Manufacturing. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.