Challenges in Traditional Research

The global scientific enterprise, while being one of humanity's most impactful endeavors, faces systemic inefficiencies:

• Funding Inequities: Research funding is disproportionately concentrated in a few institutions and geographic regions, leaving innovative but underfunded researchers without support.

Fact: As of 2021, the top five R&D-heavy countries (US, China, Japan, Germany, and Korea) account for 66% of global R&D spending, marginalizing the Global South.

• Lengthy and Inefficient Funding Processes: Traditional grant cycles can take years, delaying critical research.

Fact: Researchers spend an average of 38 days annually writing grant applications, with success rates often below 20%.

• Limited Public and Private Engagement: The general public and private investors have limited avenues to directly support research projects in areas they are passionate about. This disconnect stifles opportunities for public participation and alternative funding sources.

• Restricted Knowledge Sharing: Most research outputs are locked behind hefty paywalls imposed by traditional journal publishers, delaying scientific innovations by years. Fact: The academic publishing industry turnover is in the tens of billions, and more than 50% of it is controlled by only five publishing houses with profit margins approaching 40%.

• Collaboration Challenges: Geographic, institutional, and disciplinary silos inhibit effective global collaboration, slowing down scientific advancement.