Programme Thesis
Science DAO Academic Research Grants fund independent, early-career researchers who embrace decentralized science (DeSci) principles—transparency, open access, community governance, and blockchain-enabled IP tokenization. The programme exists to bypass traditional funding bottlenecks and empower researchers from underrepresented regions to conduct innovative, reproducible science.
Selection Criteria
- Alignment with DeSci values: open-source, transparent, community-governed research
- Innovation and scientific merit of the proposed research
- Feasibility and clarity of the research plan
- Applicant's track record of independent, open research (preprints, code, platforms)
- Potential for global impact, especially from LMIC contexts
- Commitment to sharing outputs (data, code, IP) via decentralized platforms
Past Winners / Cohort Profiles
No specific past winners are listed on the page. Typical Science DAO grantees are early-career researchers (pre-PhD or post-baccalaureate) working on computational biology, pharmacology, or neuroscience with a strong open-source component. Winners often have preprints, GitHub repositories, and active participation in DeSci communities.
Ideal Candidate Fingerprint
An independent researcher (pre-PhD or early PhD) from an LMIC who has already produced open-source tools, preprints, and a novel theoretical framework. They demonstrate technical depth (e.g., computational modeling, blockchain literacy) and a clear plan to tokenize or share IP via DeSci platforms like Molecule or ResearchHub.
Recommended Framing
Eniola should position his CCT model and open-source platforms (IMPRINT, TOPOLOGIX, GATE) as a flagship example of DeSci in action: fully transparent, pre-registered, and built for community reuse. He can emphasize his LMIC perspective (Nigeria) and his commitment to decentralized governance by proposing to tokenize the CCT IP via Molecule or share it on ResearchHub, directly aligning with Science DAO's mission.
Watch Out
The programme's focus on blockchain infrastructure may require Eniola to explicitly connect his neuropharmacology work to DeSci tools (e.g., IP-NFTs, DAO governance). His lack of a formal MSc or PhD could be a disadvantage if reviewers prioritize academic credentials, but his independent output mitigates this. No specified funding amount may limit planning.