Grants & Fellows
ÆSC Trust funds work that strengthens the foundations of conservation-first systems. We support research into invariants, developer tooling and reference implementations, and applied projects that demonstrate real-world benefits of coherence over consensus.
Program Tracks
Choose the track that best fits your work. Each track has tailored evaluation criteria and reporting expectations, but all grants share a commitment to open knowledge and reproducibility.
Research
Formalize invariants, analyze boundary conditions, and publish methods. Ideal for academic and independent researchers producing open papers, proofs, and datasets.
Infrastructure
Build libraries, protocols, and reference implementations based on Æ invariants. Prioritizes clarity, tests, and multi-language parity for community adoption.
Applied
Demonstrate conservation-first design in production: governance pilots, media systems, games, or scientific tools that benefit from resonance and periodic balance.
Grant Sizes
- Seed: $5k – $25k (2–8 weeks)
- Standard: $25k – $100k (1–4 months)
- Fellowship: $100k+ (up to 12 months)
Disbursement
Tranche-based. Initial 40–60% on kickoff; remainder tied to public milestones. No equity or token warrants; IP remains with the grantee, with a preference for open licenses.
Openness
Grantees publish artifacts (papers, code, datasets) and minimal reproducibility notes. Sensitive data may be redacted, but methods and decisions should be auditable.
Selection Criteria
We evaluate fit and feasibility. Strong proposals articulate a clear problem, demonstrate awareness of prior work, and explain how the result advances conservation-first practice.
Fit & Impact
- Alignment with Æ invariants (C96/R96/C768) and principles
- Potential for ecosystem reuse or measurable benefit
- Clarity of outcomes and dissemination plan
Feasibility & Team
- Well-scoped milestones and realistic timeline
- Evidence of relevant expertise or prior work
- Quality of methodology and evaluation approach
Typical Timeline
Week 0–2
Submission & review. Clarifying questions if needed.
Week 3–4
Decision, award letter, and milestone confirmation.
Execution
Tranche 1 → work → public milestone → tranche 2 (if applicable).
Wrap-up
Publish artifacts and reproducibility notes. Optional presentation.
How to Apply
Submit a concise proposal (3–5 pages) or a short video (≤7 minutes). Include links to prior work and any public repos.
Required
- Problem statement and background
- Milestones, timeline, and budget
- Deliverables and dissemination plan
Helpful Extras
- Prototype, code samples, or datasets
- Letters of support or collaborators
- Risks and mitigation strategy
Reporting & Openness
We ask for short public updates at each milestone: what shipped, what changed, and what others can reuse. A final write-up links all artifacts, commits, and test seeds so results are reproducible.
- Public milestone notes (1–2 paragraphs)
- Repository links and tagged release(s)
- Datasets and deterministic seeds (if applicable)
Ready to propose your work?
We review proposals on a rolling basis and host seasonal showcases for grantees to present findings.