Researchhub proposal workflow
Labs submit study plans, reviewers assess them, and funders choose which work to support on ResearchHub’s scientific funding marketplace. Peer review doesn’t determine funding eligibility. Crowdfunding requires the funding target to be met by its deadline before an institutional donation can proceed.
From funding opportunity to research results
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Choose a funding route
A funder defines the research they want to support through a request for proposals (RFP). ResearchHub’s AI Assistant helps draft the RFP, and its AI Expert Finder identifies qualified researchers and invites them to apply.
Researchers can respond to an opportunity matching their lab’s expertise. If no opportunity fits, a standalone proposal provides a separate route to seek crowdfunding without an RFP.
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Submit the study plan and prepare the recipient
Anyone within the lab can be the primary proposal author and include other relevant authors. The application is a 2-4 page preregistration covering background, hypothesis, experimental methods, a statistical analysis plan, and a budget. Specify the funding goal and identify the lab and department so the eventual donation can be directed appropriately.
Receiving funds requires identity verification and an ORCID account linked to the researcher’s profile. International applicants should confirm in advance that their institution has a US 501(c)(3) intermediary able to receive the funds.
ResearchHub assigns proposals a DOI and a public date. Public proposals are encouraged, but visibility can also be limited to funders. A submitted proposal establishes the study plan; it doesn’t establish a funding commitment.
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Obtain expert feedback and an editorial decision on reviews
For the public proposal-review program, reviewers can choose an open bounty in their field without waiting for an invitation. They submit a structured assessment addressing the proposal’s importance, rigor, and feasibility. Reviews appear publicly under the reviewer’s name.
The advertised proposal-review reward is $150 in ResearchCoin (RSC) for each of the top two reviews accepted by editors per proposal. The stated payout time is about 10 days after acceptance. Submission alone doesn’t ensure payment.
Under the ResearchHub User Agreement effective April 21, 2026, reviewers retain ownership while granting ResearchHub a perpetual, irrevocable license covering commercial reuse and AI training. That license continues after deletion of the review or account.
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Revise the proposal and decide on support
Researchers decide whether to adopt reviewers’ suggestions. Updating and republishing a proposal preserves its existing funding contributions, comments, and reviews.
Funders make the funding decision using the proposal and any available expert feedback. They don’t need to own RSC: monetary funding options also include credit card, Apple Pay, and a donor-advised fund. In-kind support can include GPU compute or cloud credits.
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Complete the crowdfunding raise and route the gift
A crowdfunding proposal must reach its funding target by the deadline for the raise to complete. If it falls short, contributors are reimbursed.
After successful funding, ResearchHub and Endaoment arrange a cash donation through the university’s nonprofit foundation, designated for the lab. Endaoment converts crowdfunded RSC into cash, so the university doesn’t need to handle cryptocurrency. Completing the raise and receiving the institutional gift are separate stages.
Example: A missed target returns contributions to donors
Hypothetical inputs: funding target = 12,643 RSC; contributions received by the deadline = 11,980 RSC. The shortfall is
12,643 - 11,980 = 663 RSC.The target hasn’t been met, so the crowdfunding rule calls for donor reimbursement. An additional 663 RSC contributed before the deadline would have met this hypothetical target and allowed the raise to complete. Institutional receipt would still follow the donation process, with identity verification and a linked ORCID required for the researcher to receive funds.
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Connect the funded plan to progress and results
Once funded, the proposal’s hypotheses and methods are locked in. The plan can be published free as a registered report in the ResearchHub Journal.
Funded researchers can share text or video progress updates. Monthly updates are optional under the gift-funding guidance and carry a $50 incentive in RSC. Final results can be published and linked to the original report regardless of the study’s outcome.
Researchhub: Who submits, reviews and funds proposals?
- From funding opportunity to research results
Useful questions about Researchhub
Can a lab change its funding target after publishing a proposal?
ResearchHub handles funding-target changes case by case. Contact the team for assistance; a significant change may require a revised experimental plan and budget. Researchers should tag and notify funders who’ve already contributed.