[PROPOSAL TO HOM] NEAR Research Collective - June 2024

[xvii]

Summary

The NEAR Research Collective (NRC) is requesting $6,000 USD equivalent in $NEAR or stable coins from the NEAR treasury to support our ongoing efforts in advancing the NEAR Certified Researcher (NCR) course, fostering learning opportunities, and nurturing a dynamic research community within the NEAR ecosystem.

This funding will primarily be allocated to two key areas. Firstly, it will facilitate the successful conclusion of the NCR course cohort 2 by providing financial support for the acquisition of students’ final project NFTs on the DAO platform. These NFTs, due by June 5th, not only recognize the achievements of our students but also contribute to the growth of the NEAR ecosystem by showcasing tangible outcomes of the course.

Secondly, a significant portion of the funds will be allocated towards the development of a course dashboard. This dashboard aims to streamline the administration of the NEAR Certified Researcher course, significantly reducing long-term operational costs while enhancing the learning experience for participants. With this dashboard, students will have the flexibility to progress through the course at their own pace, leveraging the extensive library of recorded classes and lesson plans available.

By investing in educational initiatives and community development, we aspire to cultivate a vibrant ecosystem of researchers and innovators dedicated to advancing blockchain technology within the NEAR ecosystem and the broader web 3 space.

Links

[REPORT] NEAR Research Collective - April 2024

NEAR Research Collective | April 2024 Report Funding and Financials We received a total of $5,700 in NEAR from the NDC this month on April 20th, 2024. Budget Utilization: *Includes funds that are on track to be spent soon; as the KYC process and verification of some guest lecturers is taking longer than expected, and the funds for approved research proposals will be sent after completion of said research. Expense Budgeted Spent / On Track Guest Lecturers $1,000 $1,000 Student Earnin…

[PROPOSAL TO HOM, approved] NEAR Research Collective - May 2024

Summary The NEAR Research Collective (NRC) is requesting $5,250 USD equivalent in $NEAR or stable coins from the NEAR treasury to support ongoing efforts in the NEAR Certified Researcher (NCR) course and foster a thriving research community. This funding will cover operational expenses, facilitator compensation, and provide earning opportunities for students and alumni to pursue research projects. In May, we’re concluding cohort 2 of the NCR course, focusing on assisting students with their fin…

Charter

NCR BOS Course Page | Web 2 Course Page

DAO Page

Telegram

Twitter / X

Achievements / Objectives

Although the NRC is relatively new, we have achieved significant milestones:

• Enlisted six guest lecturers for the first 12-week NCR course.
• Engaged a dedicated group of 10 students actively participating in the course, completing assignments, and on track to submit their final projects.
• Collaborated with Meta Pool DAO to produce 3 articles by our researchers.
• Directed 3 researchers to the Technical Speakers Program (TSP).
• Hired and trained 2 co-facilitators Nedlar, and BGem to assist with the set-up and running of NCR course.
• Collected 7 student Final project NFT’s on the DAO from cohort 1 of the NCR course.
• Approved 4 research proposals from alumni of the NCR course.

Our objectives for June are:

1. Have at least 12 students submit their final projects for cohort 2 of the NCR course.
2. Have at least 2 of the research grant applicants complete their project and mint it as a NFT on the NRC’s Mintbase store.
3. Begin creation of our new course dashboard.
4. Have at least 5 students present their final projects and post their presentations to our YouTube channel.

Objectives over Q3-Q4 include:

• Completion of our course dashboard.
• Expanding the NRC researcher role to over 100 members.
• Begin creation of our more specialized “102” course.
• Have over 30 researchers in our “alumni” group.

Student activity post-course completion:

• Staying active in the NEAR ecosystem for 6 months after the course, evidenced by on-chain activity.
• Publishing research findings in the year following certification.
• 50% or more of alumni remaining active in the NEAR Research Collective (claiming bounties, participating in polls, attending weekly insight forum etc.).

Budget

Expense Category	Amount	% of Total	Breakdown
Earning Opportunities	$1,500	25%	For the DAO to purchase student’s final project NFT’s due June 5th.
Operation	$1,500	25%	Support for NRC Council ($500 per member).
Course Dashboard	$2,100	35%	Begin development of a Dashboard to increase the efficiency & reduce cost of running the NCR course.
Lesson Plan Adaptation	$550	9.2%	Update the course material to better fit the new flow.
Graphic Design	$350	5.8%	Graphic design for course dashboard.

Total Budget: $6,000

Council Members

xvii.near
hannah17.near
earnestetim.near

For more information about the NRC, including long-term goals and objectives, check out our Charter.

We appreciate your consideration and look forward to the opportunity to continue advancing the NEAR ecosystem together.