Gitcoin Grants Round 20 DeSci Round funds open-source, community-driven scientific projects that democratize research and lower barriers to participation, especially for independent and LMIC researchers. It exists to accelerate decentralized science (DeSci) by providing matching-pool grants that reward transparency, collaboration, and real-world impact.

- Open-source and permissionless ethos: projects must be openly accessible and community-oriented - Alignment with DeSci values: decentralization, transparency, reproducibility - Potential for community engagement and collaboration - Impact on underserved or underrepresented groups (e.g., LMIC researchers) - Quality and clarity of project proposal, including links to preprints and platforms - Past track record of independent research and tool-building - Multi-language and global inclusivity (English, Chinese, Spanish supported)

Past cohorts include a diverse mix of independent researchers, small teams, and open-source tool builders in longevity, computational biology, and pharmacology. Examples from GG15-20 include projects like Molecule (drug IP tokenization), DeSci World, and various community-led initiatives. Archetypes: early-career scientists without institutional backing, developers of open-source lab tools, and LMIC-based researchers.

An independent researcher or small team from an LMIC background, with a strong open-source portfolio of preprints, code, and platforms that address a clear scientific or medical need. The applicant should demonstrate community engagement, reproducibility, and a commitment to DeSci principles, with a project that is both technically rigorous and accessible to a global audience.