Update: we are making progress on our research questions databases at https://effectivethesis.org/questions/

Longer description of your proposed project

Effective Thesis presents an innovative project to develop a public database of the highest-impact research questions for each cause area and academic discipline. This digital platform will serve as a nexus for students, researchers, professors, and non-profits dedicated to identifying and working on pivotal research questions that address the most pressing global challenges. By facilitating access to a curated list of research questions with the potential to influence various fields significantly, we aim to accelerate scientific and humanitarian progress.

Goals and Achievement Strategy: Our goal is to construct and maintain a dynamic, user-friendly database that:

• Aggregates high-impact research questions from diverse disciplines.

• Provides an interactive forum for collaboration and idea exchange.

• Encourages the academic and non-profit sectors to prioritize and engage with research that has the potential for profound societal benefit.

We will achieve these goals by:

1. Collaborating with leading academics, research organizations and experts to collect and vet top research questions by cause area, discipline, and degree level.

2. Developing an intuitive platform that allows for easy navigation and collaboration.

3. Implementing a rigorous, peer-review process to ensure the quality and impact potential of listed questions and monitoring and evaluating the impact of this new database.

Funding Utilization: The funding will be allocated towards:

1. Collaborate extensively with a wider network of academics and cause area experts to identify the highest-leverage research questions across disciplines.

2. Develop a robust, user-friendly platform to host the curated question repository and facilitate collaboration among researchers.

3. Conduct targeted outreach to universities, think tanks, non-profits, and student groups to drive engagement with the platform and the high-impact research opportunities it highlights.

4. Implement a rigorous question evaluation methodology and maintain the database with the most up-to-date, relevant content.

Team and Track Record: The Effective Thesis team comprises experienced professionals in research, teaching, program development, and community engagement. We have a proven track record of student-focused initiatives that enhance the student academic community's capacity to address significant challenges and to increase the community of young people that work on addressing such challenges both during and after their studies.

Premortem - Potential Failure Causes and Outcomes: The most likely causes of failure could be insufficient user engagement or challenges in maintaining a high-quality question repository. These could result in the platform not achieving its full potential impact. Mitigation strategies include ongoing community outreach, user feedback integration, and continuous content review.

Additional Funding: We are exploring additional funding avenues, including academic grants and partnerships with philanthropic organizations committed to research and development.

Other ways I can learn about you

https://effectivethesis.org/

https://effectivethesis.org/meet-our-team/

Estimate your probability of succeeding if you get the amount of money you asked for

Considering our experience, network, and the urgent need for such a well-maintained database of high-potential research questions, we estimate a 95% probability of achieving significant milestones within the first year. Success would include establishing the questions database framework, collecting top questions by cause area, and forming partnerships with key research organizations to collect and vet questions and reach out to new students and researchers.