> ## 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 Program > Cantina's tiered reward program for top security researchers At Cantina, we're committed to rewarding high-performing security researchers who choose to make Cantina their home. The Fellowship Program is a tiered system designed to maximize opportunities, recognize skill and experience, and offer guaranteed bonus compensation in public competitions. The program consists of three tiers: Apprentice, Resident, and Fellow - each with distinct qualification criteria, application processes, and guaranteed benefits. *** ## Fellowship Levels & Criteria ### Apprentice **Eligibility** * Automatically eligible with \$1,000–\$10,000 USD earned in Cantina competitions * Or apply with a short technical application evaluated by the Cantina team **Benefits** * \$250 bonus payout per public competition for top 50% finish * Access to exclusive competitions, reviews, and bounties *** ### Resident **Eligibility** * Automatically eligible with ASR or SR designation on Spearbit, or \$10,000–\$100,000 USD in Cantina earnings * Or apply with a short technical application demonstrating ASR/SR-level proficiency **Benefits** * \$1,000–\$2,500 bonus payout per public competition for top 25% finish * Access to exclusive competitions, reviews, and bounties *** ### Fellow **Eligibility** * Automatically eligible with LSR designation on Spearbit, or over \$100,000 USD in Cantina earnings * Or apply with a technical application demonstrating LSR-level proficiency **Benefits** * \$2,500–\$10,000 bonus payout per public competition for top 5% finish * Opportunity to share in Cantina's growth * Access to top-tier competitions, reviews, and bounties *** ## Qualification Requirements To maintain active status in the Cantina Fellowship Program, researchers must: * Add "Security Researcher @cantinaxyz" to your X (Twitter) bio * Remove mentions of other web3 security competition platforms * Link your X account to your Cantina profile * Sign an exclusivity agreement with Cantina * Meet percentile placement requirements for bonus eligibility * Maintain a reputation score >60 *** ## Application & Opt-In Process 1. **Log into your Cantina account** - Upon login, eligible researchers will see a Fellowship Program banner on their dashboard. 2. **Review Your Pre-Qualified Level** - Based on previous competition rewards or Spearbit designation, your eligible tier (Apprentice, Resident, or Fellow) will be displayed. 3. **Click "Apply Now"** - Confirm your participation through your Cantina profile. A member of the Cantina team will follow up with next steps. 4. **Negotiate Bonus Tiers (Resident and Fellow Only)** - If you qualify as a Resident or Fellow, a member of the core team will initiate a short call to determine your bonus bracket based on past work. 5. **Don't meet the criteria yet?** No problem. Use the application form via the dashboard banner to demonstrate your experience and qualifications. If accepted, we'll be in touch. *** ## Why Join the Fellowship? * Fixed bonus structure for high-quality work * Access to better opportunities across private reviews and bounties * Recognition for technical excellence in the web3 security space *** If you're ready to level up your impact and rewards, log into your Cantina dashboard and apply to join the Fellowship Program today. *** ## Fellowship Steward Model 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. ### 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. ### 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