[Grant Application] Project Studec: Graduate Study Matching Platform Using the Loopchain

Project title

Studec


Project category

Development – Education


Project duration

3 Months to create MVP (minimal viable product)


Project description

‘Studec’ provides a platform service for researchers and research participants. In Korea graduate students get a lot of troubles in gathering research participants. Researchers promote their research by themselves or requests an agency gathering participants for high costs. Research participants also participate in research or survey for a part time job, however agency got an excessive profit for mediation therefore participants’ entry fee isn’t arranged fairly. This kind of poor research environments finally contributes to lower quality of researches and thesis

In America, popular platform service M-Turk plays a role of connecting researchers and participants. By benchmarking this service with our insights, we’ll develop a platform services for researchers and participants and wish to contribute to improve research environments in Korea. Not just coping M-Turk but by combining loopchain of ICX with our platform, we expect a powerful synergy in this service.

When we benchmarks M-Turk, Several parts, such as databases and DeFi, can be loaded into the icon network. Initially, Users use this service for connecting a researcher and a participant, and using as the DB to contain the research process, results, etc. Later, when The community being activated, we will introduce ICX for DeFi system. This is IRC2 tokens and can be exchanged for researchers cash or participants cash by form of wallet. If our service can provide a wallet system, Use case would be more diversified than initially planned.


What is included in MVP

MVP includes:

1. Loopchain

In our platform research data moves on non-modifiable and undeletable ledger of Loopchain network, it could prevent a data fabrications in thesis

2. Network-community systems

In M-Turk from Aws, Participants often give a proposal for research with good intentions, we’ll extend this function by benchmarking Steem’s case.

We will make a community that has a monetary reward system in additional activities like proposals or debates in our platforms.

By running this community, we expect to establish an active debate cultures in research environments and contribute to an interdisciplinary researches in Korea.


스튜덱

  • The first incoming user can decide himself as a researcher or a participant.

  • As a researcher, you can create useful project templates so you can design valid projects.

  • When selecting a researcher template, you can select and add options according to the template.

  • As a participator , you can see the all researches and apply an available researches

Example of Price system

A B C Studec
commission(researcher) 0.7~0.8million 0.2~0.3million 0.45~0.5million Under 0.1 million
earning(respondent) 300~1,000 50 300~1,000 Over 2,000

※ commision – 10 questions 300 respondents

※ respondents – 5~10 min research 10 questions

※ A,B,C – Korean research agency services


User Requests (by Interview)

  • Accessibility of respondents

  • Reliability of responds by multiple answers by one person

  • Reward systems for respondents


Functionalities in future versions

Early stage: Test operation in Yonsei university

  • only for mediating between graduate researchers and undergraduate participants

  • reasonable rewards for participants.

  • focusing on activation of communities have mediating and reward systems in Yonsei Univ

  • designing to be used conveniently without signing up by connecting with Yonsei univ student ID

Miiddle stage: Expanding consortium by every university in Korea

  • mediating undergraduate researchers and participants regardless of university

  • positioning for primary research services platform in Korea

  • upgrading of community systems : By utilizing active communication between universities across the country


1. Researchers :

It is easy to conduct interdisciplinary research after establishing fellowship with researchers from other majors and the community.

Currently, the fellowship culture between researchers is very closed.

There is an inefficient culture in place, such as trying to make relationships by visiting conferences in other cities or trying to communicate by sending and receiving emails from time to time.

2. Participants:

Participants can get much more chances to participates in research with no affiliation and region restricts, and receive much more rewards than the initial ones as participants contribute to activation as the community grows.

  • Making profits for platform operation by advertisements

Later stage : Expanding membership throughout Korea. Trying Globalization if it’s possible

  • Expanding the scope of consortium from researchers in univ to private researchers

  • Any Korean resident who can authenticate can also join Participants

  • The goal is to be popularized to platform that securely make profits like Baemin Riders

  • Need effective marketing such as publicity in Severance Hospital


Funding Amount Requested

The funding would be required for the development of the project. This task will be handled by a team of developers & marketers, consisting of the following specialists:

1. DApp Developers 3

  • Back-end

  • Front-end

  • Construct the storage server

2. Service managers 2

  • Promote service in Yonsei Univ

  • Research data collaboration with Yonsei Ethics Committee

  • Partnership with stores in Yonsei

  • Design communities

Each one of these developers will require around 2400$/month for building the DApp & Marketing.

Team Experience

All team members belong to YBL(Yonsei Blockchain Labs)at Yonsei University, and they all have the ability to realize the above plans

Both managers had a high understanding of technology and business through planning a machine learning platform using blockchain last year and collaborating with various domestic companies.

Manager 1, a graduate student at Yonsei University, planned this project based on the problem of the current Korean graduate school’s poor research culture,and has the ability to collaborate with the Yonsei University Research Ethics Committee.(The graduate professor of the lab where the team member belongs is a chairman of the IRB of Yonsei University and consistently gives a positive feedback on this platform )Based on his experience of working in the blockchain industry for more than 2 years and YBL activities, he designed a model that combines blockchain with a research platform.

Manager 2 participates in YBL’s cryptocurrency and De-Fi research activities, and is in charge of the YBL program’s advisors. He is also a team leader for the 2020 Workstation program at Yonsei University. He now works in marketing department in blockchain corporation

Three developers were the head of the YBL development team, the work of a large foreign company, and the founder of a web service startup.As a hackerton led by Samsung Blockchain, took charge of not only planning, but also development, and intermediate between planning and development using Git and Slack.Through the collaboration that performed the role of BTC, ETH finally made a 3D treasure hunt DAPP (using Unreal Engine) that interlocked with the Samsung Keystore, got a first prize and it was documented.

In addition, he has been volunteering through overseas development volunteers, and has many other awards. In early stage, Yeonuk Kim, YBL tech team director, will take a charge of whole development process. Two developers will participate in our project, when our project expands and becomes more challenging

We have a plan to submit a report that includes a result of our survey so far, Documents proving cooperation with groups like IRB and Yonsei Univ and so on.

(First Two weeks) Funding requested: 3 members x 700$ = 2100$

Initial Review Result Comments

Review Result

Reject

Review Comments

This is interesting request; however, we need more details or prototype in order to give out $43200. Please suggest something smaller first and then apply for larger project. Many of our approved project have experience in ICON network and they have shown their effort to get grant. we basically need more than a plan. If you could get MOU or something similar to Yeonsei or any other university could help. thanks

Thank you for your feedback. We have revised the text considering your request, so please reconsider after evaluating it. Thank you!
ps) Currently, the project is being supported by Konkuk University and Yonsei University.