The Longevity Hypothesis Challenge

The challenge is open globally to PIs, PhD students, postdocs, clinical professionals, and independent researchers. You can execute the project in your own lab or through a Contract Research Organization (CRO).

Yes. The process uses standard Sponsored Research Agreements (SRA) or Contract Research Agreements (CRA) that your TTO is already familiar with. A legal entity representing the DAO acts as the sponsor, and payments are made in fiat currency based on milestones, just like a traditional grant.

Absolutely. Publishing is encouraged. The agreement simply requires a brief review period (e.g., 30 days) before submission to allow for patent filings if necessary, which is standard for industry-sponsored research.

No, it should not. This model is designed to be compatible with follow-on funding. Generating positive proof-of-concept data with our support can actually de-risk your project and make it more attractive to traditional investors and grant agencies.

All proposals and data are handled with strict confidentiality. Reviewers operate under NDAs, and sensitive data is stored in access-restricted data rooms. "Decentralized" refers to governance and funding, not public disclosure of your sensitive research data.

For the researcher, these components operate in the background. They do not change your lab work, IP rights, or the legal contracts. The on-chain artifacts (IP-NFTs, IP Tokens, PoI) are the tools that enable transparent, community-driven funding and governance, while the SRA/CRA remains the legal source of truth for your IP.

Hypotheses should be conceptually sound and tethered to well-established evidence. For impact, they should either have translational potential, support translation (e.g., a better biomarker), or help unlock a downstream therapy (e.g. scarless wound healing as a precursor to organ replacement). We prioritize high-risk, high-reward ideas that have the potential for significant impact on healthy human lifespan.

Supporting data is helpful but not necessary. We recognize that many frontier ideas don't get the chance to generate preliminary data because they are considered too risky for traditional funding. This challenge exists to give those bold ideas a chance.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis to ensure a fast turnaround. We encourage you to submit as soon as your proposal is ready to maximize your chances of being included in the initial funding cohorts.

This is not a winner-takes-all prize. Multiple hypotheses will be selected for funding. The exact number depends on the quality and diversity of submissions, as our goal is to seed several promising and distinct avenues of longevity research.

That's perfectly acceptable and is considered a valuable scientific outcome. The goal is to test hypotheses rigorously. A negative result, honestly reported, is a contribution to the field that helps prevent others from going down dead-end paths. Funding is tied to milestones of effort, not positive results.

Proof of Invention is a lightweight method of timestamping an idea on the blockchain. When you interact with Aubrai, novel hypotheses are cryptographically "hashed," creating an immutable public record of your idea at a specific point in time. While it doesn't grant formal IP rights, this verifiable timestamp can be useful in future patent discussions by establishing a date of invention.

Successful projects are well-positioned for follow-on funding. VitaDAO's VitaLabs incubator can help you prepare for the next stage, which could include a larger DeSci funding round (e.g., an IP Token sale on Bio.xyz), traditional venture capital, or government grants. Our network includes many longevity-focused VCs and investors.

We do not provide centralized lab resources. You are expected to execute the research in your own lab or through a contracted CRO. However, VitaDAO and Bio.xyz provide extensive advisory support, mentorship, and access to a network of experts to help your project succeed.

No, this is a science-first initiative. The goal is to fund tangible longevity research that can benefit humanity. The DeSci approach is an experiment in a new, more open and efficient way to fund science, designed to tackle high-risk ideas that traditional systems often overlook. The ultimate goal is to generate valuable data and accelerate progress in combating aging.