The DeSci Manifesto: Building the Future of Science on EDU Chain
The Crisis in Science
Science stands at a crossroads. The systems and institutions that drove scientific progress in the 20th century are showing their age. Today’s researchers face mounting challenges that threaten the very foundations of scientific advancement:
- Research funding is increasingly centralized, bureaucratic, and risk-averse
- Critical scientific data remains locked behind paywalls and institutional barriers
- Breakthrough discoveries are slowed by outdated peer review and publication processes
- Resource allocation is inefficient, with vital equipment and facilities inaccessible to many
- Scientists spend more time chasing grants than conducting research
- Impact measurements are flawed, often favoring quantity over quality
- Collaboration across borders and institutions remains needlessly complex
The cost of these limitations isn’t just academic — it affects us all. Life-saving discoveries are delayed, promising research goes unfunded, and brilliant minds are lost to bureaucracy.
A New Vision for Science
We envision a future where science is:
- Open by default, not by permission
- Funded based on merit, not politics
- Verified by consensus, not authority
- Accessible to all, not just the privileged few in the wealthiest nations
This future is possible today through decentralized science (DeSci) built on three fundamental pillars:
1. Open Scientific Infrastructure
- Shared resources become truly shared through tokenization and smart contracts
- Equipment and facilities are accessible to any qualified researcher
- Data storage and sharing becomes seamless and verifiable
- Cross-border collaboration happens without friction
2. Decentralized Research Funding & Impact
- Research is funded directly by communities who benefit
- Impact is measured transparently and rewards flow automatically
- Scientists capture the value they create
- Novel funding mechanisms unlock new possibilities for research
3. Scientific Knowledge Creation & Verification
- Peer review is incentivized and transparent
- Knowledge flows freely and is accessible globally
- Reproduction and verification of results are streamlined
- Collaboration knows no institutional boundaries
EDU Chain is the Natural Home for DeSci
The future of science requires more than just good ideas — it needs robust infrastructure, committed resources, and the right ecosystem to flourish. We’re not starting from scratch — Open Campus and EDU Chain are already deeply embedded in education and research:
Existing Academic Integration
- Active partnerships with universities globally through OCU
- Working relationships with research departments and academic institutions
- Direct engagement with researchers and academics across our network
- Established channels for institutional collaboration
Ready-Built Infrastructure
- EDU Chain: The first blockchain purpose-built for education and knowledge systems built on Arbitrum where DeSci applications can be built and launched
- Verifiable Credentials infrastructure is already live and being used
- $20MM ecosystem fund supporting over 4,000 education-focused developers
By building DeSci on EDU Chain, projects get immediate access to our university network, technical infrastructure, and developer ecosystem.
Call for Startups
We’re looking for teams to build critical DeSci infrastructure across our three core pillars:
Open Scientific Infrastructure
1. Decentralized Lab Equipment Network
- Build the “Airbnb for lab equipment”
- Connect universities’ underutilized equipment with researchers who need it
- Smart contract-based booking and payment systems
- Reputation systems for both equipment providers and users
2. Scientific Data Marketplace
- Create markets for valuable research data
- Enable researchers to monetize their datasets
- Build verification systems for data quality
- Implement privacy-preserving data sharing protocols
3. Research Compute Network
- Decentralized network for scientific computing
- Connect idle computing resources with researchers
- Focus on specific use cases like molecular modeling or genomics
- Build in verification of computation results
4. Research Mining Protocols
- “Mine” tokens by contributing validated research data
- Proof of Research consensus mechanisms
- Stake-based validation of research contributions
- Dynamic reward algorithms based on contribution value
5. Research Equipment Bonds
- Tokenized equipment financing
- Yield-generating research assets
- Equipment-backed lending
- Usage-based returns
Decentralized Research Funding & Impact
1. Research DAO Infrastructure
- Tools for creating and managing research DAOs
- Novel voting mechanisms for research proposal evaluation
- Integration with traditional grant systems
- Automated milestone-based funding distribution
2. Scientific Impact Markets
- Create markets for research outcomes
- Enable betting on research reproducibility
- Build prediction markets for scientific breakthroughs
- Design new impact measurement systems
3. IP Tokenization Platform
- Framework for tokenizing research IP
- Fractional ownership of patents
- Automated licensing and royalty distribution
- Integration with traditional IP systems
4. Micro-Funding Platform
- Enable small-dollar funding for specific experiments
- Crowdfunding for research equipment
- Pay-per-use research tools
- Direct support for individual researchers
5. Memetic Research Funding Platform (inspired by pump.science)
- Token launch platform specifically for research projects
- Meme-driven engagement for scientific funding
- Community-driven research prioritization
- Social token mechanics for research support
6. Research Futures Market
- Trade future research outcomes
- Speculate on breakthrough timelines
- Risk hedging for research investments
- Early-stage research betting markets
7. Scientific Result NFTs
- Tokenize specific research findings or discoveries
- Enable fractional ownership of research outcomes
- Smart contracts for automated royalty distribution when findings are used
- Trading market for potential breakthrough results
Scientific Knowledge Creation & Verification
1. Decentralized Peer Review System
- Incentivized peer review platform
- Reputation systems for reviewers
- Anonymous review protocols
- Integration with existing journals
2. Proof of Knowledge Protocols
- Zero-knowledge proofs for research validation
- Token incentives for knowledge verification
- Stake-based knowledge consensus
- Anonymous peer review systems
3. Open Research Publication Platform
- Web3-native scientific publishing
- Novel monetization models for open access
- Version control for research papers
- Automated citation tracking
4. Research Reproduction Platform
- Tools for verifying research results
- Standardized reproduction protocols
- Incentive systems for reproduction attempts
- Clear tracking of reproduction status
5. Protocol & Method NFTs
- Standardized research methods marketplace
- Verified experimental protocols
- Method improvement tracking
- Protocol citation and attribution
6. Scientific Governance Protocols
- Token-weighted research direction setting
- Cross-DAO scientific coordination
- Automated research fund allocation
- Stake-based protocol upgrades
These ideas are meant to be a starting point. We’re excited to see what innovative solutions the web3 community can create on EDU Chain.
EDU Chain DeSci Grants with Open Campus — How to Apply?
There are grants of up to $10,000 each available for those looking to develop DeSci projects on EDU Chain, with a total cap of $100,000 for micro-grants. Applications must be submitted by December 5, 2024, to be considered.
All grants will be paid in the EDU token.
Micro-grant recipients will be invited to join the next cohort of the Open Campus Incubator (OCI). Here, they have the opportunity to receive up to $100,000 in grant funding and pitch to VCs. OCI is a 12-week, remote incubator program designed for high-impact developers and hackathon winners building on EDU Chain.
The Open Campus Foundation is offering a total of $1 million in EDU tokens for DeSci grant funding, including Microgrants and OCI grant funding.
To apply for a DeSci grant, email info@opencampus.xyz with the subject line ‘DeSci Grant 2024’.
Please provide a detailed description of your DeSci product idea that you will build on EDU Chain. Include information about your past experience, the team you’ll be working with, and any other relevant details that may aid in our evaluation.
