1.7 KiB
1.7 KiB
META-036: Fund Futarchy Applications Research — Robin Hanson at George Mason University
Status: Active (50% likelihood as of 2026-03-21) Amount: $80,007 USDC Duration: 6 months Proposed by: m3taversal
Overview
First academic research proposal to experimentally validate futarchy decision-market governance through controlled laboratory experiments at George Mason University.
Research Team
- Principal Investigator: Dr. Robin Hanson (inventor of futarchy)
- Co-Investigator: Dr. Daniel Houser
- Graduate Research Assistant: Full academic year + summer
Scope
- 500 student participants ($50 compensation each)
- IRB-reviewed experimental protocols
- Controlled decision-making experiments testing information-aggregation efficiency
- First rigorous experimental evidence on futarchy governance mechanisms
Budget Breakdown
- Hanson summer salary: ~$30,000
- Houser co-investigator: ~$6,000
- Graduate Research Assistant: ~$19,000
- Participant payments: $25,000
- Total: $80,007 USDC
Disbursement Structure
50/50 split:
- 50% on execution
- 50% on interim report delivery
Market Data (2026-03-21)
- Likelihood: 50%
- Volume: $42,160
- Pass token: $3.4590 (+0.52%)
- Fail token: $3.3242 (-3.40%)
- Time remaining: ~2 days
Significance
This represents the first instance of a futarchy-governed platform funding academic validation of its own governance mechanism. The research creates a feedback loop where production implementation generates resources for rigorous experimental validation.