8 DeSci collectives dedicated to funding scientific research and development
Please note: this list is meant to be educational only, and Crypto Altruism does not officially endorse any of these projects. Make sure you do your own research!
One of the biggest challenges scientists face, and one of the key pain points decentralized Science (DeSci) looks to address, is sustainable and reliable funding for scientific research. Plateauing levels of public research funding, challenges with funding bias, low grant approval rates, among other funding challenges, are leading to an “innovation deficit” in the US and beyond.
This is where decentralized science, or DeSci comes in. Decentralized science is looking to address this challenge by introducing new and innovative funding models, powered by blockchain, cryptocurrency, web3, and the community, to fund research into some of societies most pressing issues.
So, for this blog post, we highlight 8 DeSci collectives dedicated to funding scientific research and development.
1. VitaDAO
VitaDAO is a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) with a goal of “collectively funding, and advancing longevity research in an open and democratic manner”. To date, over $3M in research funding has been distributed by VitaDAO, and over 200 research projects have been sourced. Members of the community collectively fund longevity research projects, while also digitizing research in the form of IP-NFTs, ensuring the research is on-chain and accessible.
2. Molecule
Molecule is a decentralized biotech protocol with a goal of “democratizing biopharma research and development”. Their platform “connects academics and biotech companies with quick and easy funding, while enabling patient, researcher, and investor communities to directly govern and own research-related IP.” Molecule operates a “marketplace” for scientists to put forward funding proposals, which community members can then fund, allowing individuals to contribute directly to scientific research that is important to them, something that has typically been restricted to large funding bodies.
3. Crowdfunded Cures
Crowd Funded Cures is a crowdfunding platform dedicated to incentivizing the development of public good medicines, including off-patent therapies that are often ignored by drug makers. They are looking to establish a Social Impact Bond for off-patent medicines, which will help incentivize clinical trials and research into new uses. They use a “Pay-for-success model” to fund large clinical trials on off-patent drugs, minimizing the risk to healthcare payers.
4. Antidote DAO
Antidoted DAO is a decentralized autonomous organization dedicated to funding cancer research initiatives. Antidote DAO is in its early stages and is looking to provide $100,000 seed funding grants to cancer research teams, as decided by the community with the support of an expert Scientific Advisory Board.
5. SCINET
SCINET is an early stage DeSci collective building a platform that “allows retail and institutional investors to invest directly in life sciences research and technology with security and authenticity.” In addition to funding promising scientific research, their platform is also looking to offer a “blockchain-powered” cloud laboratory for researchers, a rigorous decentralized peer review process, and to enable researchers to document their IP on an immutable blockchain.
6. Frontier DAO
Frontier DAO is a collective “with a mission to fund research and innovation in science, fusion energy, engineering and space exploration.” They aim to provide seed funding grants for promising scientific research, and facilitate the minting of scientific breakthroughs as IPNFTs, ensuring that the research is on chain, and that ownership of the IP behind the research is appropriately allocated.
7. DeSciWorld
DeSciWorld is a “one-stop shop for users to view, engage with, and understand all that is happening in the World of Decentralised Science.” DeSciWorld provides space for individuals to learn, regardless of their education level and aims to give scientists the tools to improve outreach and grow their networks. They also offer a Science NFT Marketplace, where individuals can contribute to research through the purchase of NFTs.
8. The Science DAO
The Science DAO is a “decentralized think tank, incubator engine, and accelerator platform aimed to empower inventors, entrepreneurs, and institutions to collaborate and make informed investments in a wide spectrum of technologies and life sciences.” The Science DAO is looking to creatively use NFTs as a key element in their funding model, with each proposed invention being represented by an NFT, with sales of those NFTs supporting research and development.
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