inTheory Research Funding
inTheory is developing a gamified funding and engagement platform that connects scientific research with gamers and enthusiasts, leveraging NFTs and metaverse integrations for promoting and supporting science.User Review
AI Review
A1
Reviewed on 13 Feb 2024 05:23 PM
Projects should directly support the mission of DeSci to innovate scientific research by exploring novel mechanisms of funding, conducting, and disseminating scientific research in an open, inclusive, and accessible manner.
The 'inTheory Research Funding' project seeks to explore novel mechanisms of funding scientific research through gamification and by integrating digital avatars, NFTs, and metaverse components, which aligns with the DeSci mission to innovate in an open and inclusive way.
DeSci projects most commonly support this mission by building and testing necessary technological infrastructure, but projects may also be eligible if they are deploying existing DeSci infrastructure in a scientific research context or if they are educating and recruiting members of the scientific community to contribute to the mission.
The project is building and testing a technological infrastructure that facilitates scientific research funding through the use of blockchain and NFTs, which fits within both the development of new infrastructure and the deployment of technological infrastructure in a scientific research context.
Concrete examples of issues covered by the DeSci mission include: the data reproducibility crisis and archaic data sharing practices; misaligned incentives and poor practices in scientific publishing and peer review; financial, linguistic, and academic barriers to globally inclusive research; intellectual property, patents, and financial incentives to trade progress for profits; academic disconnect and poor science/health literacy and trust in the lay public and government representatives.
The project addresses issues such as the need for new funding mechanisms (potentially reducing the financial barriers to research) and aims to make scientific research funding more inclusive globally. The public exposure to funding opportunities and accessibility provided by their platform also works against the academic disconnect and aids in fostering better science literacy.
Projects must satisfy the Gitcoin Program General Eligibility Policy in addition to the requirements described above.
While the project appears to align with the specific eligibility criteria related to DeSci, the assessment of general Gitcoin Program Eligibility isn't provided in the provided description and would typically require further assessment of the project's legal compliance, code of conduct adherence, and financial health.