Programme Thesis
VitaDAO Longevity Fellowship funds early-career researchers developing open-source, decentralized science (DeSci) projects that extend human healthspan and lifespan. It exists to accelerate longevity biotechnology by supporting independent, community-driven research outside traditional academic or corporate structures.
Selection Criteria
- Scientific novelty and potential impact on longevity/healthspan
- Feasibility and clarity of the research proposal
- Alignment with VitaDAO's DeSci and open-source ethos
- Applicant's track record and ability to execute (publications, code, platforms)
- Relevance to aging biology (e.g., cellular senescence, neurodegeneration, metabolic decline)
- Community engagement and collaborative potential
- Early-career status and independence
Past Winners / Cohort Profiles
VitaDAO fellowships typically fund early-stage researchers (often PhD students or postdocs) working on aging biology, drug repurposing, or biomarker discovery. Past winners include projects on senolytics, mitochondrial dysfunction, and AI-driven drug discovery for aging. Named examples are not publicly listed on the provided URL, but the cohort profile is highly technical, DeSci-native, and focused on translational longevity interventions.
Ideal Candidate Fingerprint
An early-career researcher (pre-PhD or postdoc) with a strong computational or wet-lab background, proposing an open-source, reproducible project that directly targets a mechanism of aging (e.g., neurodegeneration, cellular senescence, metabolic decline). The ideal applicant demonstrates independence, a clear track record of delivering code or data, and a compelling narrative linking their work to healthspan extension.
Recommended Framing
Eniola should frame the CCT model as a longevity-neuropharmacology intervention that prevents addiction-driven accelerated aging and neurodegeneration. Emphasize that reducing reward-memory encoding in addiction can preserve cognitive function and brain health across the lifespan, and that IMPRINT and TOPOLOGIX are scalable, open-source platforms for screening age-related neurotoxicity (e.g., hERG cardiotoxicity, drug-induced neurodegeneration). Highlight the Bayesian clinical trial architecture as a cost-effective, DeSci-aligned method to test longevity interventions in LMIC populations.
Watch Out
The programme's primary focus is longevity/aging, not addiction neuroscience; the applicant must explicitly connect addiction to accelerated aging and healthspan decline. The small grant size may not cover the proposed clinical trial costs. The applicant is not yet enrolled in a PhD, which may be seen as a lack of institutional support, though independence is valued. No named past winners or detailed eligibility criteria were found on the provided URL, reducing certainty.