ipfs
DeSciBase: Decentralized Infrastructure for Scientific Publishing, Reputation, and CAR File Tooling on IPFS/Filecoin
Open Grant Proposal: DeSciBase
Name of Project:
DeSciBase
Proposal Category:
app-dev
Proposer:
pavave
(Optional) Technical Sponsor:
Yes
Do you agree to open source all work you do on behalf of this RFP and dual-license under MIT, APACHE2, or GPL licenses?:
Yes
Project Description
DeSciBase is a decentralized platform for publishing, storing, and evaluating scientific research. It addresses the limitations of legacy academic publishing — high costs, central control, and poor accessibility — by combining blockchain smart contracts, IPFS/Filecoin storage, and community-driven governance.
Researchers submit research papers (PDFs and metadata), which are stored immutably on IPFS and backed by Filecoin deals. Smart contracts manage publication metadata, reputation (likes), and future DAO logic. A CLI tool (car-utils) supports .car file workflows, making the platform usable by individuals and institutions alike.
DeSciBase ensures long-term, censorship-resistant access to scientific knowledge while introducing incentives for contributors, curators, and moderators.
Value
DeSciBase strengthens the Filecoin ecosystem by positioning it as the foundational layer for scientific archiving. Benefits include:
- Robust, verifiable storage for academic research
- Institutional-grade tooling (
car-utils) for batch archival and metadata compliance - Promoting Filecoin’s use in public-good DeSci infrastructure
Risks if not done right:
- Broken archival guarantees due to poor CID/metadata mapping
- Limited adoption without accessible CLI and tooling
- Governance misuse without proper DAO design
DeSciBase is modular and extensible. It starts with a simple publication and CID registry system and evolves into a governance-backed scientific commons.
Deliverables
- Web3 frontend for uploading and browsing scientific papers
- Smart contracts (Solidity) for paper metadata, likes, DAO mechanics
- IPFS/Filecoin integration (CID tracking, deal creation)
-
car-utilsCLI tool for generating/uploading.carfiles - Searchable publication index
- Public documentation, usage guides, and dev docs
- Modular DAO-ready system for Phase 4+
Development Roadmap
| Phase | Deliverables | Timeline (2025) | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: MVP | IPFS CID upload, smart contracts, frontend | Jul 1 – Jul 21 | $9,000 |
| Phase 2: IPFS Tools | IPFS pinning, CID validation, Pinata API | Jul 22 – Aug 12 | $8,000 |
| Phase 3: Community | On-chain likes, user profiles, frontend UX | Aug 13 – Sept 3 | $9,000 |
| Phase 4: DAO Prep | Token stub ($DSB), voting logic, DAO modules | Sept 4 – Sept 25 | $6,000 |
| Phase 5: CLI & Audit | car-utils CLI, .car upload, audit & docs |
Sept 26 – Oct 10 | $5,000 |
Total Budget Requested
Total: $37,000
Breakdown:
- Backend/Contract Dev: $10,000
- IPFS Integration & Tooling: $9,000
- Frontend + UX: $7,000
- Governance Logic: $6,000
- Docs, CLI, Testing: $5,000
Maintenance and Upgrade Plans
Post-MVP, DeSciBase will grow through:
- DAO launch with $DSB token for funding and curation
- Expansion of
car-utilsto support DAGs and automated dataset uploads - IPNS integration for live version tracking
- DID/ORCID support for author identity
- Long-term Filecoin deal renewals and monitoring services
We commit to open-source development and will seek further support through grants and DAO treasury funding.
Team
Team Members
- Valera Pava – Founder & Blockchain Engineer
- Mikhail Vorobyov – Security Researcher / Technical Writer
- Maxim Turchak – Full-Stack Web3 Developer
- Vladislava Pava – UI/UX Designer & Artist
Planned additions:
- Academic advisor
- Cosmos/Sei developer
- Translator/outreach manager
Team Member LinkedIn Profiles
Team Website
https://github.com/pavave/DeSciBase
Relevant Experience
Our team has developed blockchain-integrated systems in education (HackSui), DeFi (SagaSwap), and now DeSci. We have hands-on experience with IPFS, smart contracts, frontend/backend architecture, and DAO tools. We follow an agile and transparent development process with open-source-first philosophy.
Team code repositories
- https://github.com/pavave/DeSciBase
- https://github.com/Hacksui
- https://github.com/pavave/HackVerse
Additional Information
- Contact: [email protected]
- Telegram: @td_at
- Twitter: @pavavalera
- LinkedIn Valera P
- We discovered the Open Grants via GitHub and Filecoin ecosystem documentation
Note:
We are also applying to other funding sources (e.g., Pharos, Sei) for features beyond this scope (tokenomics, cross-chain DAO tooling, academic incentive layers). This IPFS grant specifically funds decentralized storage tooling and core publishing logic.
