> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cantina.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Fellowship Steward Model

> How the dedicated researcher model works for competitions

The steward is a Cantina-appointed, dedicated security researcher for a Cantina competition. They receive a fixed pay in addition to the competition rewards.

## 1. Researcher Responsibilities

* **Competition participation**: Researchers must dedicate their full and best efforts to the assigned competition.
* **Fix Review**: Researchers are required to conduct one (1) day of fix review for each full week that the competition runs (e.g., a three-week competition requires three days of fix review), up to a maximum of four (4) days. The exact duration will be determined before the competition begins.
* **Leaderboard Performance**: Researchers are expected to perform well on the leaderboard (top x% based on competition size).
* **Judging Assistance**: Researchers may assist in judging submissions if required.

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## 2. Payment Structure

Researchers earn a percentage of the prize pot based on the size of the pot and their performance. The payment structure is tiered as follows:

| Prize Pot Size    | Researcher Share (Approx)                             | Performance Requirement |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| **\$500k+**       | Standard Weekly rates capped at 20% of the public pot | Top 25% of LB           |
| **$100k - $500k** | 10-15% of pot                                         | Top 40% of LB           |
| **\< \$100k**     | Up to 40% of pot                                      | Top 60% of LB           |

**Final Discretion:** All payments are subject to Cantina's assessment. While this framework ensures fairness, adjustments may be made to reflect a researcher's impact, competition complexity, or other valuable contributions.

***

## 3. Penalties for Underperformance

To ensure accountability, penalties are imposed if researchers fail to meet expectations:

* **Leaderboard penalties**: Payment is reduced by 20% for every 10% below the required percentile, subject to a floor: no payment will be issued if the researcher falls below the 70th percentile.
* **Fix Review Failure**: If a researcher fails to complete the fix review, their payment is withheld until the issues are resolved.
* **Lost Opportunity:** If a researcher incurs penalties in more than three competitions, they will be temporarily barred from future dedicated researcher engagements until the Cantina team reviews their performance.

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## 4. Minimum Findings Threshold

* All payment/penalty terms apply **only if the competition has > 3 total H/M findings**.
* If **total findings is ≤ 3**, Cantina evaluates performance case-by-case.

***

## 5. Example Scenario

* **Prize Pot**: \$300k
* **Researcher Share**: 12% of pot = \$36,000
* **Researcher Ranking**: Top 40% of leaderboard
* **Total Payment**: \$36,000 (prize share)

If the researcher fails to meet the top 40% leaderboard requirement, their prize share is reduced by 20% for every 10% drop below the requirement. Ex. *Top 50%: $36,000 → $28,800.*

***

## 6. Additional Notes

* **Mandatory Participation**: Researchers must commit to the full duration of the competition and fulfill all responsibilities to receive payment.
* If a Fellowship Steward is assigned to a competition and meets both of the program's conditions, they will receive whichever amount is higher: the fellowship bonus or the fixed pool allocation.
* Cantina reserves the right to change the above rules and review on case by cases basis