Please describe your proposed solution.

<u>Project Description:</u>

Cardano4Science is a ground-breaking project that seeks to transform the scientific publishing process by incorporating Cardano blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). We aim to deconstruct the existing structure of the scientific publishing industry which is, unfortunately, quite centralized, often prohibitively expensive, and notably slow. Through our platform, we'll enable researchers to convert their findings into NFTs, and subsequently publish them on decentralized journals run by Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs).

<u>Problem Definition:</u>

The world of scientific publishing today is full of obstacles that slow down scientific advances. Most scientists and researchers have to pay big fees to get their studies published and to read articles in traditional journals. On top of that, many studies get rejected, which can put a damper on creativity and discourage scientists from starting new projects. This ends up slowing down the speed at which we make new discoveries in science. The "impact factor," which is a score given to journals and researchers to show how important they are, often doesn't really reflect the true worth or impact of a scientist's work. All these issues add up, showing that we need a big change in the industry.

<u>Our Solution:</u>

Cardano4Science proposes a novel solution that emphasizes the transparency, efficiency, and democratization of scientific publishing. By capitalizing on the decentralized and secure characteristics of the Cardano blockchain and NFTs, we plan to establish a platform that facilitates a direct, efficient, and transparent peer-review process. This not only ensures the accuracy of the scientific research but also dramatically improves the speed at which research can be shared and built upon.

Moreover, our platform will empower researchers to form their own decentralized journals administered by DAOs. This unique feature fosters a truly democratic and transparent space where researchers are in control of their own work.

<u>Impacts and Benefits:</u>

This pioneering approach is intended to embolden researchers and scientists, stimulate collaboration, and challenge the current constraints of the traditional publishing industry. It will provide researchers and academics with an alternative to the costly and time-consuming publishing processes they currently navigate.

Furthermore, Cardano4Science will significantly contribute to the Cardano community by promoting the increased usage and adoption of the Cardano blockchain. Our platform positions Cardano as a central hub for the coordination of scientific research, thus increasing its visibility and recognition in the academic and scientific communities.

<u>Conclusion:</u>

We believe Cardano4Science will spearhead a movement that reshapes the scientific publishing landscape, fostering a more open, inclusive, and efficient ecosystem. By revolutionizing the way scientific research is published and shared, we'll ensure science continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, unhindered by the restrictive barriers of the traditional publishing industry.

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

Cardano4Science provides a unique solution that directly addresses the challenge by introducing an innovative product tailored specifically for the scientific community. Our vision goes beyond the production of a product; it's about disrupting the status quo (the centralized scientific publishing industry) by giving researchers and scientists a democratic, efficient and transparent alternative.

The benefits to the Cardano Ecosystem are manifold:

• Merging Cardano blockchain technology with scientific research enlarges the scope of Cardano's applicability, consequently, becoming a tangible symbol of Cardano’s competence to accommodate a diverse spectrum of purposes.

• We aim to push the frontiers of Cardano's Community. Our platform will act as a catalyst that attracts academics, researchers, and scientists who will not only expand the user base but also endorse the widespread adoption of Cardano's technology.

• By showcasing Cardano's potential to revolutionize important sectors of society like academia, we strengthen its position as a blockchain platform with the ability to implement substantial advancements.

As we look forward, we are enthusiastic about the potential of attracting thousands of academics and researchers to our platform within the initial year post-launch. This influx of users will undeniably foster the acceptance and usage of the Cardano blockchain.

Furthermore, we aim to have a significant impact on the scientific community, spreading awareness about Cardano extensively. This increased visibility could potentially lay the groundwork for future integrations and use-cases, thus paving the way for Cardano to explore and become proficient in new domains

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

We intend to assess the success of “Cardano4Science” project based on:

• User Engagement: One key performance indicator will be the growth and engagement of our user base. Keeping track on the number of researchers, scientists, and scholars who regularly use our platform will provide concrete data on the project’s impact and outreach. An upward trend in this demographic's adoption of the platform would showcase its relevance and acceptance within the scientific community.

• NFT Production and Peer Review: We intend to monitor the number of research papers transformed into NFTs and the rate at which peer reviews are conducted on our platform. This will provide measurable evidence of our platform's ability to facilitate scientific communication while also validating the implementation of a robust and transparent peer-review process.

• User Feedback: User feedback is an invaluable resource for assessing our platform's usability and influence, as well as for identifying areas requiring improvement. As such, collecting, analyzing, and acting upon user feedback will form a crucial part of our project's success evaluation.

• Integration with Cardano Ecosystem: We plan to track the number of integration between Cardano4Science and other Cardano-based applications and services.

In the short term, we believe that these metrics will help access the success in terms of user acceptance, the efficacy of our peer-review model and the compatibility of our platform with the Cardano ecosystem. In the long term, the impact of our project on the Cardano ecosystem will be determined based on the overall trends of the metrics mentioned above. In our view, these measures provide a realistic and comprehensive framework for assessing the success of Cardano4Science.

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

We believe in transparently sharing the fruits of Cardano4Science with both the Cardano community and the world beyond. Here's a rough sketch of our plan:

• Publication and Documentation: We'll create an in-depth guide that maps out the technical aspects, functionalities, and usage rules of Cardano4Science. We'll share this guide on our website and other pertinent platforms, ensuring it's accessible and transparent.

• Community Engagement: We're keen to engage with the Cardano community through a variety of channels: forums, social media, and community-driven events. We'll share updates, project milestones, and collaboration opportunities to stimulate a sense of community and involvement.

• Collaborations and Partnerships: We're on the hunt for collaborations and partnerships with relevant organizations, institutions, and academic communities. Through these connections, we aim to spread the word about Cardano4Science and boost its adoption.

• Dissemination of Research: Given our key role in the scientific publishing ecosystem, we'll encourage researchers to share their published work beyond our platform. We'll support integration of Cardano4Science with existing research databases and repositories, allowing the wider scientific community to benefit from our published research.

Furthermore, we plan to use the data generated from Cardano4Science to further research and development activities. We're eager to collaborate with academic institutions and researchers to explore the impact of blockchain technology on scientific publishing.

In short, we aim to share the outputs, milestones, and opportunities that sprout from Cardano4Science with transparency, while actively involving the Cardano community and other stakeholders in leveraging the fruits of our project.

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

We are a group of ambitious developers, graduated from top-tier universities in Turkey. Our academic backgrounds have instilled in us a rigorous discipline, keen attention to detail, and unmatched ability for problem-solving. These qualities, along with our technical expertise in frontend, backend, and full-stack development, have proven crucial in delivering projects with the utmost trust and accountability.

Our capabilities include:

1. Technical Expertise: Our team is proficient in a range of programming languages and technologies, including Next.js, TypeScript, NestJS, and Go, which are crucial for the development of our platform.
2. Project Management: Our strong project management skills, coupled with a transparent approach where each milestone and its corresponding results are openly shared and discussed with stakeholders, ensure that our project stays on track and meets its milestones.
3. Scalability: Our previous experience with high-scale projects equips us to build a platform that can handle a large number of users and transactions, ensuring a smooth and responsive user experience.
4. Security: We understand the importance of security in software development, especially in a project that involves financial transactions. We will implement best practices for secure coding and conduct regular security audits to ensure the safety of our platform.
5. Community Engagement: We are committed to open-source principles and community engagement. We will maintain transparency in our development process and actively seek feedback and contributions from the community.

Each one of us recognizes the crucial role that trust plays in this digital age, particularly in a dynamic and volatile space like blockchain. We appreciate the magnitude of our responsibility and see every project not just as a contract, but as an investment in our futures.

In terms of trust and accountability, we will uphold these values by:

1. Responsiveness: We will actively engage with our users and the community, responding promptly to feedback, questions, and concerns.
2. Integrity: We will conduct our operations with integrity, ensuring that all transactions on our platform are handled securely and ethically.
3. Quality Assurance: We will implement rigorous testing and quality assurance processes to ensure that our platform is reliable and meets high standards of quality. This recognition motivates us to strive for excellence in every line of code we write, every solution we design, and every problem we solve.

With these capabilities and commitments, we are confident in our ability to deliver our project with high levels of trust and accountability.

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

We have three main aims for Cardano4Science:

1. Build a decentralized platform for publishing scientific papers using Cardano's blockchain.
2. Attract researchers and academics to use this platform for their work.
3. Encourage a transparent and open process for peer-review using Cardano's NFTs.

To check if our plan is working, we'll test everything thoroughly and get feedback from users. After we build our platform, we'll let a select group of users try it out and tell us what they think. We'll also check the data - if the number of users, publications, and peer reviews is growing, then we're on the right track.

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: Project Design and Technical Architecture (1 Month)

Tasks:

• Conceptualize the design and flow of the platform based on the initial proposal
• Identify the technical requirements for creating a scientific NFT and incorporating DAOs into the system
• Finalize the platform's technical architecture in collaboration with blockchain and academic experts

Milestone 2: Platform Development - Phase 1 (1 Month)

Tasks:

• Develop the basic functionalities of the platform including user registration, paper submission, NFT creation and transfer
• Develop a simple DAO governance structure for decentralized journals
• Perform unit and integration testing to ensure the proper functioning of the developed features

Milestone 3: Platform Development - Phase 2 (1 Month)

Tasks:

• Develop additional functionalities like peer review process, voting system for DAO governance, reward system for reviewers
• Perform necessary improvements based on testing from the previous phase
• Conduct further testing for newly developed features and ensure compatibility with previous features

Milestone 4: Alpha Release and User Feedback (1 Month)

Tasks:

• Release an Alpha version of the platform to a small group of scientists and researchers
• Gather and analyze user feedback for improvement
• Implement necessary changes and improvements based on user feedback

Milestone 5: Beta Release and Marketing (1 Month)

Tasks:

• Release a Beta version of the platform to a broader audience
• Implement a marketing strategy to attract more users to the platform
• Further gather user feedback and make necessary changes and improvements

Milestone 6: Official Launch and Continual Improvement (1 Month)

Tasks:

• Officially launch the Cardano4Science platform
• Develop a maintenance and improvement plan based on user feedback and platform performance
• Establish a long-term strategy for platform growth and expansion

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

Milestone 1: Project Design and Technical Architecture

• Deliverables: Detailed project design documentation and technical architecture blueprint.
• Intended Outcomes: Establishment of a solid and clear foundation for the Cardano4Science platform.
• Progress Metrics: Successful completion and documentation of project design and technical architecture.

Milestone 2: Platform Development - Phase 1

• Deliverables: Functional platform with basic features (user registration, paper submission, NFT creation and transfer) and a simple DAO governance structure.
• Intended Outcomes: Creation of a minimum viable product for Cardano4Science that enables initial interaction and user engagement.
• Progress Metrics: Successful development, testing, and integration of the mentioned features.

Milestone 3: Platform Development - Phase 2

• Deliverables: Improved platform with advanced features (peer review process, DAO governance voting system, reward system).
• Intended Outcomes: Enhanced user experience with a wider range of features facilitating comprehensive scientific publishing on the blockchain.
• Progress Metrics: Successful development and integration of new features and improvements from the previous phase.

Milestone 4: Alpha Release and User Feedback

• Deliverables: Alpha version of Cardano4Science, initial user feedback report, and an improvement plan.
• Intended Outcomes: Identification of potential platform issues and improvement areas based on user feedback. Enhancing platform's reliability and user experience.
• Progress Metrics: Successful Alpha launch, user feedback collection, and subsequent implementation of improvement plan.

Milestone 5: Beta Release and Marketing

• Deliverables: Beta version of Cardano4Science, marketing strategy documentation, and user feedback report.
• Intended Outcomes: Increased user engagement, improved platform performance, and visibility in the academic and blockchain community.
• Progress Metrics: User base growth, successful Beta launch, user feedback analysis, and implementation of improvements.

Milestone 6: Official Launch and Continual Improvement

• Deliverables: Officially launched Cardano4Science platform, maintenance and improvement plan, and long-term growth strategy.
• Intended Outcomes: Sustained user engagement, positive user experience, and platform stability. Enhanced visibility and reputation in the scientific and blockchain communities.
• Progress Metrics: User growth rate, platform performance, user satisfaction, and successful execution of maintenance and improvement plan.

For each milestone, we will track the project's progress through the deliverables' completion, monitoring user engagement metrics, and regular status updates. Each step's success will be evaluated based on the achievement of the intended outcomes, measured through quantitative metrics and qualitative user feedback.

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

Development and Implementation:

• Smart Contract Development: 34,483 ADA
• Front-end Development: 27,586 ADA
• Back-end Development: 27,586 ADA
• Integration with Cardano Blockchain: 17,241 ADA
• Quality Assurance and Testing: 13,793 ADA

Infrastructure and Hosting:

• Cloud Hosting Services: 10,345 ADA (estimated annual cost)
• Domain and SSL Certificate: 1,724 ADA (estimated annual cost)

Marketing and Promotion:

• Community Engagement: 17,241 ADA
• Social Media Marketing: 10,345 ADA
• Content Creation and Distribution: 13,793 ADA

Documentation and Reporting:

• Technical Documentation: 6,897 ADA
• Progress Reports and Updates: 3,448 ADA
• Legal and Compliance:Legal Consultation and Compliance: 10,345 ADA
• Contingency Fund:10% of the total budget: 14,483 ADA

Total Estimated Budget: 209,310 ADA

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

Burak Sen - Mid Level Software Engineer. BSc in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. MSc student in Computer Engineering with only thesis work remaining. 3 years experience in various companies as a Backend-heavy Full-stack Software Developer. Successfully delivered Fund-8 Coordinating Action proposal as a technical member of littlefish Foundation.

• Linkedin: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/buraksenb/>
• Github: <https://github.com/buraksenn>

Umut Guler - Front-End Developer. BSc in Civil Engineering. MSc student in Information Systems with thesis. 1 year experience in front-end project development & building a component library using React, Next.js, Typescript, Redux, Tailwind CSS, Jest, Storybook.

• Linkedin: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/umutguler1/>
• Github: <https://github.com/umutguler1>

Burak Uyar - Senior Software Engineer. Computer Science Major, Total 6 years experience as a Full-stack Software Developer. .NET, Flutter, Vuejs, Postgres, etc.

• Linkedin: <https://tr.linkedin.com/in/uyarburak>
• Github: <https://github.com/uyarburak>

Donald Isufi - Front-End Developer, BSc in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, 2+ years experience in React, Next.js, Typescript, Redux, and Tailwind CSS. With a key active role at the “littlefish Foundation”, I've contributed to Cardano blockchain projects and spearheaded successful proposals (Fund 8: Coordinating Action). Additionally, I maintain a prolific writing record on “DAO Work” and Ocean Technologies while managing all technical aspects of the littlefish.

• Linkedin: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldisufi/>
• GitHub: <https://github.com/Nald97>

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: Cardano4Science introduces a unique use case for Cardano by revolutionizing the scientific publishing process. The cost of the project enables the development of a platform that addresses the existing limitations of traditional scientific publishing, fostering transparency, efficiency, and democratization. This adds value to the Cardano ecosystem by attracting researchers, academics, and scientists to utilize the Cardano blockchain and promoting the adoption of Cardano beyond financial applications.

• User Adoption and Engagement: The cost allocated to marketing, community engagement, and promotion ensures that the project reaches its target audience effectively. By attracting researchers and academics to the Cardano4Science platform, the project contributes to the growth of the Cardano user base. Increased user adoption and engagement strengthen network effects, stimulate further innovation, and enhance the overall value of the Cardano ecosystem.

• Real-World Application: Cardano4Science demonstrates the practical application of Cardano's technology in data-intensive industries like scientific research. The cost allocated to development, infrastructure, and integration ensures the creation of a reliable, secure, and scalable platform for scientific publishing. This showcases Cardano's capabilities beyond financial transactions, positioning it as a blockchain platform suitable for real-world applications and expanding its utility within the ecosystem.

• Long-Term Impact: The cost allocated to documentation, reporting, and legal compliance ensures that the outputs and results of Cardano4Science are properly shared, disseminated, and protected. The project's long-term impact is measured not only by immediate user adoption and engagement but also by its ability to reshape the scientific publishing landscape, challenge centralized publishing companies, and promote open access, transparency, and the democratization of scientific knowledge. These long-term impacts align with Cardano's vision of a decentralized and inclusive ecosystem.

In terms of the costs, they have been determined based on industry standards, the complexity of the project, and the expertise required to execute it.

• Development Expenses: The average hourly rate for software developers in the United States varies from $30 to $70. However, since our team is located in Turkey, where the hourly rates for developers range from $15/hr for junior developers to $70/hr for senior developers, it gives our team a cost benefit. Given that the development phase is vital to our project and will consume a significant portion of the timeline, this allocation is reasonable.

• Design Costs: These are based on average rates for UI/UX designers and the time required to create an intuitive and engaging platform.

• Marketing and Promotion: The budget for marketing and promotion is critical for the adoption and success of the platform. The cost is determined based on industry standards for digital marketing and influencer collaborations.

• Third-Party Services & Documentation and Reporting: These costs are based on standard rates for server hosting, software licenses, and professional services (legal, accounting).

While the project represents a significant investment, we believe that the potential returns in terms of community growth, ecosystem development, and real-world adoption of Cardano far outweigh the costs.