Next-gen human enhancement: muscle, cognition, and mood

Objective

This funding opportunity supports ambitious, high-impact research into next-generation compounds and strategies for human enhancement across three domains: muscle performance, cognitive function, and mood regulation. We are seeking proposals that rigorously investigate emerging therapeutic and enhancement approaches beyond GLP-1 receptor agonists, with emphasis on novel mechanisms, understudied targets, and translational potential.

The success of GLP-1 agonists has demonstrated that pharmacological interventions can produce transformative effects on human physiology. Yet GLP-1s represent only one node in a vast landscape of druggable biology. Numerous promising targets - from myokine signaling and mitochondrial modulators to psychoplastogens and gut-brain peptides - remain underexplored in rigorous academic settings. This funding opportunity is designed to attract researchers willing to move beyond anecdotal evidence and generate high-quality, reproducible data on next-generation enhancement strategies relevant to human health.

Eligible projects should be scientifically grounded, with clear hypotheses and well-designed experimental approaches drawing on pharmacology, molecular biology, bioengineering, exercise science, and neuroscience. 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 human enhancement interventions.

Suggested Proposal Topics

Applicants are not limited to these topics, but should demonstrate how their proposal fits the mission of advancing next-generation human enhancement strategies beyond GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Track 1: Muscle: Performance, Preservation, and Recovery

Emerging compounds that promote muscle hypertrophy, preserve lean mass, or accelerate recovery (e.g., myostatin inhibitors, follistatin-based strategies, SARMs)
Exercise mimetics and mitochondrial enhancers (e.g., MOTS-c, humanin, urolithin A) and their effects on skeletal muscle function and adaptation

Track 2: Cognition: Neuroplasticity, Memory, and Attention

Compounds that enhance synaptic plasticity, memory, or attention, including nootropic peptides, BDNF mimetics, and AMPA receptor modulators
Psychoplastogens and neuroplasticity-promoting compounds with defined molecular targets and dose-response relationships
Strategies targeting neurovascular coupling or blood-brain barrier transport to enhance cognitive performance

Track 3: Mood: Emotional Resilience and Affective Regulation

Novel compounds for mood enhancement and stress resilience beyond classical antidepressants, including gut-brain axis modulators, neuropeptide-based strategies,, and rapid-acting neuroplastogens
Molecular and circuit-level mechanisms of emerging mood-modulating compounds, incl. psychedelic-derived analogs and endocannabinoid system targets

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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Next-gen human enhancement: muscle, cognition, and mood

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