Please describe your proposed solution.

Our proposed solution aims to address the problem of data manipulation in scientific research by creating Tokenized Research on the Cardano blockchain. We will leverage Cardano's capabilities like native tokens and smart contracts to develop the platform. Our end goal is to work towards increased research integrity and participation allowing researchers, engineers, and hobbyists to have access to a secure platform to store and share on-chain verifiable data.

As a proof-of-concept, we will conduct a sample research experiment putting our tokenized data ideas to the test. Which will demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of our ideas.

How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

Our proposed solution, Tokenized Research, provides a new use case for Cardano - managing research data. By providing a secure and transparent platform for sharing verifiable research data, we contribute to the integrity and credibility of scientific findings. The impact of our project extends beyond funding the project team. It brings significant value to the Cardano ecosystem by attracting researchers, engineers, and hobbyists to leverage the platform for their research endeavors. This increased engagement enhances the ecosystem's diversity and fosters collaboration among participants highlighting Cardano's ability to solve real-world problems related to data transparency and trust. And working implementation of tokenized research can inspire further innovation on Cardano.

In terms of quantifiable impact, we anticipate a growth in the number of users actively participating in Tokenized Research on Cardano. Within a reasonable timeframe, we aim to onboard a number of researchers and developers, resulting in an increased volume of verifiable research data shared on the blockchain. Additionally, our project contributes to the ecosystem's overall strength by promoting the adoption of Cardano's advanced capabilities and reinforcing its reputation as a reliable platform for scientific research.

How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

To measure the success of our project, we will employ a combination of quantitative and qualitative metrics:

Adoption Rate: We will track the number of researchers, engineers, and hobbyists who actively participate in Tokenized Research on Cardano. This metric reflects the project's ability to attract and engage users within the ecosystem.

Volume of Tokenized Research: We will measure the amount of research data tokenized and shared on the Cardano blockchain. This metric demonstrates the growth and utilization of the

platform for scientific research purposes.

User Feedback and Satisfaction: We will gather qualitative feedback from users regarding their experience with Tokenized Research on Cardano. This feedback will provide insights into user satisfaction, platform usability, and the value it brings to their research endeavors.

In the short term, our project will contribute to the productivity and growth of Cardano by expanding the ecosystem's user base and fostering a vibrant community of researchers and developers. A long term goal would be that the innovation of Tokenized Research on Cardano has the potential to position Cardano as a go-to platform for scientific research.

Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

We have a comprehensive plan to share the outputs and results of our project to maximize their impact and opportunities:

Research Community Engagement: We will actively collaborate with academic institutions, research organizations, and scientific communities to share our findings, best practices, and the benefits of Tokenized Research on Cardano. This includes participating in conferences, workshops, and publishing research papers to disseminate knowledge and attract attention to the project.

Open Access Publications: We will work to publish our research outcomes, methodologies, and insights in open-access journals and platforms, while also working to put our work on-chain.

Community Outreach: We will generate content and attend in person events to demonstrate what we are working on and our results. Activities will target researchers, engineers, and hobbyists, fostering a community of practice and encouraging further adoption of the technology.

Collaboration Opportunities: We will actively seek collaborations with other projects, research institutions, and developers within the Cardano ecosystem. By sharing our project's outputs and results, we aim to facilitate joint initiatives, innovative applications, and research partnerships that leverage the power of blockchain technology in various domains.

The results generated from our project will serve as a foundation for further research and development activities. We will use these results to refine and enhance the Tokenized Research platform on Cardano, incorporating user feedback and implementing new features to meet evolving needs. Additionally, the data and insights obtained from the project will inform future research studies, enabling us to contribute to the body of knowledge on blockchain-based research practices and data verification.

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

Here are the reasons why we believe we are best suited to deliver this project:

Expertise and Experience: Our team comprises individuals with diverse backgrounds in blockchain technology, academic/commercial research, and project management. We have a deep understanding of the Cardano ecosystem and its capabilities, as well as extensive experience in academic research and scientific methodologies. This expertise positions us well to develop and implement the Tokenized Research platform effectively. In addition, we are currently developing and producing our own sensing equipment that we will leverage for our proof of concept project.

Transparent Financial Management: We will adhere to best practices in financial reporting, expense tracking, and budget management. We will provide regular updates and reports on the utilization of funds, giving transparency and confidence in our financial management.

Collaborative Approach: We believe in the power of collaboration and community engagement. We actively seek feedback and input from the Cardano community, ensuring that our project is aligned with their needs and expectations. This collaborative approach fosters trust and accountability by involving the community in the decision-making process and promoting transparency in project development.

External Audits: As part of our commitment to accountability, we will engage external auditors to conduct periodic audits of our project's finances and deliverables. This external validation ensures an unbiased assessment of our progress and provides additional assurance to the community regarding the proper management of funds.

What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The main goals for our project are as follows:

Develop a Tokenized Research platform: Our primary objective is to create a secure and cost-effective platform where researchers, engineers, and hobbyists can share publicly verifiable data using blockchain technology. We aim to build a user-friendly interface and incorporate ideas such as Proof of Data (PoD) to enhance data verification and collaboration in multi-party research scenarios.

Conduct a proof of concept research experiment: As an initial focus, we will conduct a proof of concept research experiment in the field of geophysics. This experiment will serve as a foundation for demonstrating the practicality and effectiveness of Tokenized Research in a specific scientific domain.

Engage and onboard researchers and users: We aim to actively engage researchers, scientists, engineers, and the wider Cardano community to participate in the Tokenized Research platform. By fostering a vibrant and collaborative ecosystem, we seek to onboard a significant number of users who contribute their research, validate data, and provide feedback.

Ensure platform scalability and stability: Our project goal includes designing the Tokenized Research platform to be scalable and robust, capable of handling increased usage and future growth. We will implement best practices in software development, conduct thorough testing, and leverage the capabilities of the Cardano blockchain to ensure the stability and reliability of the platform.

To validate the feasibility of our approach, we will employ the following methods:

User feedback and adoption: We will measure the success of our project by the level of user adoption and feedback received from researchers and users of the Tokenized Research platform. Positive user experiences, active participation, and a growing user base will indicate the feasibility and value of our solution.

Outcome of our proof of concept experiment: The whole process will be made public demonstrating our concept and sharing the results with the broader community.

Collaborative partnerships: We will seek collaborations with research institutions, universities, and scientific communities to validate the applicability and relevance of Tokenized Research in real-world research scenarios. These partnerships will provide additional validation and credibility to our project.

Community engagement and support: We will actively engage with the Cardano community, seeking their feedback and involvement throughout the project. Their support, contributions, and active participation in research experiments will serve as an important indicator of the feasibility and impact of our project.

Overall, the feasibility of our project will be measured by the successful development and adoption of the Tokenized Research platform, positive user feedback, scalability and stability of the platform, and active engagement and collaboration with the research community and Cardano ecosystem.

Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Milestone 1: Proof of Concept Research Experiment

Tasks:

Perform field experiment to collect real data (6 weeks)

Collect and tokenize research data on-chain (4 weeks)

Engage participants and validate the research process (2 weeks)

Analyze and interpret the research data (4 weeks)

Publish research findings and share with the community (2 weeks)

• Timeline: 18 weeks

Goals:

Tokenized research data available on the platform

Engaged participants and documented research process

Analyzed and interpreted research data with meaningful insights

Published research findings accessible to the community

• Projected Cost: 15,000 ADA

Milestone 2: Platform Development and MVP Release

Tasks:

Conduct market research and gather user requirements (2 weeks)

Design the Tokenized Research platform and user interface (4 weeks)

Develop the back-end infrastructure and smart contracts (6 weeks)

Implement the front-end interface and user experience (6 weeks)

Test and refine the Minimum Viable Product (4 weeks)

• Timeline: 22 weeks

Goals:

Functional design and wireframes of the platform

Functional front-end interface with basic features

Minimum Viable Product deployed and accessible to users

• Projected Cost: 15,000 ADA

Milestone 3: User Engagement and Community Building

Tasks:

Develop marketing and outreach strategy (2 weeks)

Create educational content and resources (4 weeks)

Engage with the Cardano community and researchers (6 weeks)

Organize webinars, workshops, and community events (4 weeks)

Facilitate collaborations and partnerships (4 weeks)

• Timeline: 20 weeks

Goals:

Marketing and outreach strategy outlined

Educational content and resources available on the platform

Active engagement with the Cardano community and stakeholders

Successful organization of webinars, workshops, and events

Established collaborations and partnerships with relevant entities

• Projected Cost: 5,000 ADA

Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Milestone 1: Platform Development and MVP Release

Deliverables:

• Functional design and wireframes of the Tokenized Research platform
• Front-end interface with basic features implemented
• Back-end infrastructure and smart contracts developed
• Minimum Viable Product (MVP) deployed and accessible to users

Outputs:

• Market research and user requirements documentation
• Design of the Tokenized Research platform and user interface
• Developed back-end infrastructure and smart contracts
• Implemented front-end interface and user experience
• Tested and refined MVP based on user feedback

Intended Outcomes:

• Availability of a functional Tokenized Research platform with basic features
• User-friendly interface for researchers, engineers, and hobbyists
• Proof of concept implementation demonstrating the feasibility of the platform

Milestone 2: Proof of Concept Research Experiment

Deliverables:

• Tokenized research data available on the platform
• Engaged participants and documented research process
• Analyzed and interpreted research data with meaningful insights
• Published research findings accessible to the community

Outputs:

• Field experiment conducted to collect real data
• Research data collected and tokenized on the platform
• Engagement and validation of research process by participants
• Analysis and interpretation of research data
• Research findings published and shared with the community

Intended Outcomes:

• Demonstration of the effectiveness and impact of Tokenized Research in a specific scientific domain (geophysics)
• Availability of tokenized research data for verification and collaboration
• Increased awareness and interest in the Tokenized Research platform

Milestone 3: User Engagement and Community Building

Deliverables:

• Marketing and outreach strategy outlined
• Educational content and resources available on the platform
• Active engagement with the Cardano and research community
• Successful organization of webinars, workshops, and events
• Established collaborations and partnerships with relevant entities

Outputs:

• Developed marketing and outreach strategy
• Creation of educational content and resources
• Engagement with the Cardano community and stakeholders
• Organized webinars, workshops, and community events
• Facilitated collaborations and partnerships

Intended Outcomes:

• Increased user adoption and engagement on the Tokenized Research platform
• Knowledge dissemination and education on the benefits of Tokenized Research
• Strong community support and involvement in the project
• Fostered collaborations and partnerships to enhance the platform's capabilities

Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Milestone 1: Proof of Concept Research Experiment

• Projected Costs:
• Develop and build sensors for experiment (3000 ADA)
• Perform experiment (6000 ADA)
• Develop first implementation of Tokenized research (3000 ADA)
• Document and release results (3000 ADA)

Milestone 2: Platform Development and MVP Release

• Projected Cost:
• market research and gather user requirements (2000 ADA)
• web-dev (6000 ADA)
• cardano smart contract development (likely Opshin) (4000 ADA)
• Product testing (3000 ADA)

Milestone 3: User Engagement and Community Building

• Projected Cost:
• Social Media (2000 ADA)
• Develop Content (2000 ADA)
• MISC (1000 ADA)

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Our project team consists of the following members:

Trevor Wilson - Trevor.wilson@okstate.edu

A current PhD candidate in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

• Role: Project leadership, scientific guidance, and blockchain development
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-wilson-615277226/
• Previous Work: Published researcher in fields such as unmanned systems, geophysics, and remote sensing. Developed open-source code for cardano NFTs, assisted over 20 projects in generating and selling their NFTs, and developed a charity on the Cardano blockchain focused on supporting animal shelters

Doug Fox -

• Role: Oversees engineering, documentation, technical implementation, and quality assurance.
• Previous Work: Has over 5 years of hands-on experience with end-to-end development of consumer-grade products and a background in mechanical/additive engineering in the automotive and motorcycle electronics industries

In addition to Trevor and Doug, we will recruit additional team members as needed, specifically developers with experience in Cardano blockchain, smart contracts, and API integration.

Both Trevor and Doug have been engaged in the Cardano community and have direct lines of communication with the necessary resources required for this project.

How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of the project represents value for money for the Cardano ecosystem in several ways:

Unique Use Case: The project introduces a novel use case for Cardano by creating a Tokenized Research platform. This platform provides a secure and transparent environment for sharing verifiable research data, addressing the problem of data manipulation in scientific research. By investing in this project, the Cardano ecosystem gains a valuable tool for researchers, engineers, and hobbyists, enhancing the ecosystem's capabilities and attracting users who contribute to the platform's growth and adoption.

Research Integrity and Credibility: By leveraging Cardano's native tokens and smart contracts, the Tokenized Research platform enhances research integrity and credibility. The immutability and transparency of the blockchain enable verifiable data storage and sharing, fostering trust in scientific findings. The project's cost contributes to building a reliable and trustworthy research ecosystem on Cardano, positioning the platform as a go-to solution for scientific research and attracting researchers from diverse domains.

Community Engagement and Collaboration: The project's cost includes activities aimed at user engagement, community building, and collaborations. These efforts foster a vibrant community of researchers, developers, and stakeholders within the Cardano ecosystem. By investing in these activities, the project facilitates knowledge dissemination, encourages collaboration, and creates opportunities for joint initiatives and innovative applications.