Peptides for Human Health

Objective

This funding opportunity supports ambitious, high-impact research into the therapeutic potential of peptides and related small molecules for human health. We are seeking proposals that rigorously investigate how peptides can be developed, optimized, and applied to address unmet medical needs across metabolism, tissue repair, neuroregeneration, aging, and beyond.

Peptides occupy a unique space at the intersection of small-molecule drugs and biologics, offering high specificity, low toxicity, and growing clinical relevance. Yet many promising peptide candidates remain underexplored, with limited rigorous data on their mechanisms of action, safety profiles, and therapeutic windows. This funding opportunity is designed to attract researchers willing to move beyond anecdotal evidence and generate high-quality, reproducible data that advances our understanding of peptide-based therapeutics relevant to human health.

Eligible projects should be scientifically grounded, with clear hypotheses and well-designed experimental approaches drawing on pharmacology, molecular biology, bioengineering, and clinical science. The goal is to generate transformative proof-of-concept results that capture the attention of both the scientific community and the public, while advancing the translational pipeline for peptide therapeutics.

Suggested Proposal Topics

Applicants are not limited to these topics, but should demonstrate how their proposal fits the mission of advancing peptides and related small molecules for health interventions.

Track 1: Metabolic Peptides: GLP-1, GLP-3, and Beyond

Mechanistic or translational studies on GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide) and/or emerging multi-receptor agonists (e.g., retatrutide/GLP-3) for metabolic disease, obesity, and cardiometabolic protection

Track 2: Neuroregeneration and Cognitive Performance

Mechanistic and translational studies of peptides that promote neural repair and plasticity, including BPC-157, thymosin beta-4, and related compounds, with emphasis on mechanism of action, dose response, and cell type specific effects in the nervous system
Nootropic and neurotrophic peptides such as Semax and related compounds, targeting cognitive performance, memory, and attention, including underlying molecular and circuit level mechanisms

Track 3: Sleep, Longevity, and Cellular Health

Peptide-based strategies to enhance mitochondrial function, cellular resilience, and sleep regulation
Peptides targeting hallmarks of aging: senescence, epigenetic drift, proteostasis, and stem cell exhaustion

Track 4: Body Composition, Athletic Performance, and Recovery

Mechanistic or translational investigation of peptides that influence muscle preservation, fat loss, and physical recovery in healthy and clinical populations, such as:

Growth hormone secretagogues (e.g., ipamorelin, sermorelin, hexarelin, CJC-1295) and their effects on lean body mass, metabolic rate, and hormonal axis regulation
Peptides for attenuating exercise-induced muscle damage, reducing recovery time, and enhancing musculoskeletal adaptation to trainingFunding details

Rationale

Peptide therapeutics have undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade. What began as a niche area of drug development has matured into one of the fastest-growing segments of the pharmaceutical industry, with over 80 peptide drugs approved globally and hundreds more in clinical trials. The success of GLP-1 receptor agonists has brought peptide science into mainstream attention, but the broader landscape of health-relevant peptides remains vastly underexplored in rigorous academic research.

Many peptides with significant anecdotal and preliminary evidence of efficacy, including BPC-157, TB-500, and NAD+ precursors, lack the high-quality, peer-reviewed studies needed to establish definitive mechanisms, safety profiles, and therapeutic guidelines. By funding rigorous, open-science investigations into these compounds, we can bridge the gap between clinical promise and scientific evidence, ultimately enabling safer and more effective peptide-based health interventions.

Funding Details

10,000 USD seed funding will be awarded by the ResearchHub Foundation to fully fund one selected proposal in this initial round. In addition, all eligible proposals will have the opportunity to receive support through community crowdfunding. In previous rounds, additional projects were successfully funded through this mechanism. This initial $10,000 seed award is designed to support focused, high impact pilot studies, while larger scope proposals may be supported through additional donor contributions and community crowdfunding.

See ResearchHub’s funding guide for researchers to learn more about the process.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must (1) verify identity and (2) authenticate ORCID on their ResearchHub profile.
There are no restrictions based on the applicant’s country of residence.
PhD students, postdocs, independent researchers, and faculty are eligible.
Collaborative and interdisciplinary teams (e.g., neuroscience + engineering + computer science) are strongly encouraged.
Projects should be feasible within a proposed 6–12 month timeframe using available or obtainable infrastructure.
Proposals involving human tissue or stem cells must demonstrate appropriate ethical oversight and institutional approval.

Disclaimers and Open Science Commitment

Preregistration: All selected applicants must pre-register their study protocol on ResearchHub to be considered for funding.
Fully funded proposals will be eligible to be published as ResearchHub Registered Report (RRR) in the ResearchHub Journal (more info).
Open-Access Data Sharing: By participating, applicants agree to share all data generated through this research in an open-access repository. This ensures transparency and facilitates the scientific community’s engagement with the findings.
Preprint: Researchers are encouraged to upload a preprint of their findings on ResearchHub.
Progress Updates: Researchers are encouraged to share regular updates via the “Updates” tab and may receive RSC tips for updates shared.

Questions

For questions, please post directly in the “Conversation” tab of the Funding Opportunity on ResearchHub or alternatively contact Ruslan Rust (rus@researchhub.foundation).

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