Catalyst RiSE. An open-access, credit-bearing University module positioning Catalyst as a funding option for Research Academics and Entrepreneurial Undergraduate students.

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Andrew King

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

a.king@mmu.ac.uk

Additional applicants

None

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

10

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

Output A: Curricula resources will be fully open source.

Output B: RiSE Programme delivery, a proprietary open-access education system owned by Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), will be open-access, not open source.

[METADATA] Category of proposal

Education

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

This bid seeks to ratify knowledge gained through blockchain research and development projects in the School of Digital Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) into a Knowledge Exchange (KE) project in the form of a catalyst fund onboarding curriculum for interfaculty Postgraduate Taught (PGT) students, Postgraduate Research (PGR) students, Entrepreneurial Undergraduate students (UG), and Staff Researchers who seek funding for innovative blockchain work.

This curriculum will be open-access through an educational programme delivered on MMU's award-winning RiSE co-curricular framework, allowing any research student worldwide to have their learning on the programme recognised at a University level through the MMU points system. Current MMU students at all levels (>40000) will have access to this programme as part of their co-curricular studies and can use RiSE credits to supplement their main programme learning. 

The Catalyst RiSE curriculum and associated planning and delivery resources for teaching and learning will be made available in a transferrable format for implementation and iteration by any educational institution wishing to integrate this into their study programmes.

Access to the Catalyst RiSE programme will be open-access, meaning that anyone can undertake the programme whether they are a student or not and gain University level recognition for their learning.

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

Catalyst RiSE lays the groundwork for several future-facing initiatives that will help to grow the Catalyst space beyond the existing Cardano ecosystem into scholarly funding processes and student-facing blockchain curricula. This will: 

1. Grow the ADA economy by expanding the user base into academic research centres as a potential funding stream.
2. Grow the ADA economy through 'drip down' from academic research activity into mainstream curricula.
3. Diversify Catalyst proposals by enabling a large local and global academic research community through Knowledge Exchange.
4. Improve the quality of Catalyst proposals by raising awareness of funding opportunities amongst long-standing, established academics in myriad research and industry spaces.

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

Qualitative success metrics

1. Knowledge Exchange: Expanding the knowledge and understanding of blockchain technology among the academic research community. This will be assessed by participants conducting a reflection on their learning, illustrating the level of comprehension, awareness of Catalyst concepts, and confidence in applying their learning to a potential future funding bid.
2. Impact on Educational Programmes: How educational programmes adopt and integrate the Catalyst RiSE curriculum. This will be assessed through feedback from programmes that have implemented the curriculum. Positive feedback and adoption of the curriculum by other programmes would demonstrate success.

Quantitative success metrics

1. Participation Rate: The number of participants who engage with the Catalyst RiSE curriculum. This will be measured by tracking the total number of enrolled students within MMU and from other educational institutions participating in the program. A higher participation rate would indicate greater interest and engagement in this content and inform future developments.
2. Completion Rate: The percentage of participants who complete the Catalyst RiSE curriculum. This will be calculated by comparing the number of participants who complete all the required modules and assignments to the total number of enrolled participants. A higher completion rate would indicate higher commitment and satisfaction among participants.
3. Adoption by Other Institutions: The number of educational programmes that adopt and integrate the open source, transferrable curriculum of Catalyst RiSE. This will be measured by tracking the number of institutions implementing the curriculum in their study programs through community interaction on GitHub.
4. MMU Catalyst Proposals: The number of catalyst proposals delivered in MMU. This will be measured by monitoring RKE activity in the organisation. A higher rate of bids would indicate that the project has succeeded. 

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

Output A, consisting of curricula resources, will be shared via GitHub, enabling easy accessibility and collaboration and allowing researchers and educators to access and utilise the Catalyst RiSE curricula framework. The curricula resources will be available in standard modules or units, providing a structured framework for teaching and learning. Additionally, supporting planning resources such as the Scheme of Work and Lesson Plans will be available, offering guidance for educators in implementing the curricula effectively.

Output B, the Catalyst RiSE Programme delivery, will be shared through the award-winning Manchester Metropolitan University RiSE Open Access education platform. The platform's open-access nature ensures that the educational programmes are freely available to interested individuals, promoting knowledge exchange and future research endeavours in diverse learning communities.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

With over twenty years of scholarly experience writing educational programmes at undergraduate, postgraduate and professional levels, I am a research-active academic working with postgraduate students and staff researchers who contribute new knowledge through innovative research and practice. 

Working within a world-renowned research centre in the UKs oldest Art School, I am a core member of Manchester Metropolitan University's Speculative Technology Research Group in its new School of Digital Arts (SODA), which consists of educational and research staff members from various interfaculty disciplines who work together to explore emergent technologies and pedagogical methodologies of preparing students for possible careers in emergent tech spaces. 

With proven outputs, having delivered a series of blockchain training events and conferences to local businesses and students, researchers in SODA have initiated several student-led blockchain projects that have led to innovative practice in a broad range of sectors.

Funds delivered to Manchester Metropolitan University will be managed through the University's long-standing research and knowledge exchange (RKE) mechanisms.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The main goals of Catalyst RiSE are to facilitate knowledge exchange, develop a catalyst fund onboarding curriculum, provide open-access education, and create transferrable resources that other educational institutions can implement. RiSE Catalyst aims to enhance understanding, collaboration, and innovation of Catalyst funding in academic contexts by achieving these goals.

Assessing the feasibility of the approach:

1. Expert Review: The insights gathered from the Speculative Technology research group will help identify any challenges or areas of improvement, ensuring that the Catalyst RiSE curriculum is feasible and aligns with the target audience's needs and will help validate this approach's credibility and practicality.
2. Evaluation of Adoption: Monitor the adoption of the transferrable Catalyst RiSE curriculum and programme by tracking the metrics of success identified previously. 

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Work Package A - Administration:

MS01: Ratify project at MMU - January 2024.

1. Formalise workload allocation.
2. Expert Review from the MMU Speculative Technology group.
3. Distribute funds in accordance with legal and financial frameworks.

MS02: Recruitment of Academic Researcher and Production Assistant - February 2024.

1. Construct job spec for a student/graduate production assistant.
2. Recruit Production Assistant.
3. Identify an available and experienced Academic Researcher from the MMU Speculative Technology group.

Work Package B - Curriculum design:

MS03: Curriculum module draft - March 2024.

1. Write the curriculum module in accordance with the MMU University Teaching Academy (UTA) guidelines.

MS04: Peer review of module draft - March 2024

1. Undertake peer review of the module with the MMU SODA Speculative Technology group.
2. Agree on actions for the improvement of the module.

MS05: Curriculum module review - April 2024.

1. Implement actions from peer review.

MS06: Scheme of Work and Lesson plan writing - May 2024.

1. Construct Scheme of Work.
2. Write lesson plans.

Work Package C - Programme creation:

MS07: First draft treatment for learning resources - March 2024.

1. Project team to work together to design the style and structure of learning resources.
2. Undertake peer review of learning resource drafts with the MMU SODA Speculative Technology group.
3. Agree on actions for the improvement of the learning resources.

MS08: Creation of learning resources - May 2024.

1. Implement actions from peer review.
2. Create final learning resources. 

MS09: Construction of the Catalyst RiSE programme on MMU RiSE

1. Assemble the learning programme on the MMU RiSE open-access learning platform.

MS10: Delivery of outputs - June 2024

1. Package Output A in a public GitHub repository.
2. Open access to the learning programme on MMU RiSE.

MS11: Post-delivery review - September 2024

1. Collate data from success metrics.
2. Analyse and evaluate the success of the project.
3. Present findings to MMU SODA Speculative Technology group.
4. Make findings available on the GitHub project.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Work Package A - Administration:

MS01

This milestone will focus on three key areas. Firstly, workload allocation will be formalised, ensuring that tasks and responsibilities related to the project are distributed and assigned efficiently among the team members within the University Workload Model. This will establish clear roles and promote effective collaboration. Second, the milestone will include an expert peer review facilitated by the MMU Speculative Technology group in SODA. This review will involve engaging research-engaged academics with relevant knowledge and experience in speculative technology to provide feedback and insights on the project's goals, methodologies, and outcomes. Lastly, this milestone will distribute funds per MMU's legal and financial frameworks. This involves adhering to established guidelines, regulations, and financial procedures when allocating and managing project funds.

MS02

This milestone involves recruiting an Academic Researcher and a Production Assistant. I will construct a job specification for a production assistant to fulfil this milestone. Subsequently, the project will proceed with the recruitment process to identify a qualified production assistant. Additionally, the project will seek an available and experienced Academic Researcher from the MMU Speculative Technology research group, leveraging their expertise to contribute to the project's goals and outcomes.

Work Package B - Curriculum Design:

MS03

The project team will work on developing the curriculum module, ensuring that it aligns with the established guidelines provided by the MMU University Teaching Academy (UTA). The module will be carefully crafted, considering the best practices, pedagogical approaches, and learning outcomes outlined by the UTA. By adhering to these guidelines, the project aims to create a high-quality and effective curriculum module that meets the standards set by MMU for teaching and learning. 

MS04

The module draft will undergo a thorough peer review process involving experts and peers from the MMU SODA Speculative Technology group who possess relevant knowledge and expertise in research and blockchain technology. The project team will collect feedback and suggestions during the peer review, and we will agree upon actions for improvement.

MS05

The project team will carefully consider the feedback received from peer review and make necessary adjustments and revisions to the curriculum module based on the identified areas for improvement. 

MS06

We will develop a comprehensive Scheme of Work outlining the curriculum's structure, sequencing, and timing. This document will provide an overview of the topics, learning objectives, assessment strategies, and resources used throughout programme delivery. Additionally, the team will create detailed lesson plans for each module, specifying the activities, pedagogical approaches, materials, and assessments for individual lessons. 

Work Package C - Programme creation:

MS07

The project team will collaborate to design the style and structure of the learning resources, ensuring they align with the educational goals and objectives of the curriculum design. After the initial draft is prepared, the learning resource drafts undergo a peer review process in collaboration with the MMU SODA Speculative Technology group. Based on the feedback received, the project team will then agree on actions to enhance the learning resources.

MS08

The team will make necessary adjustments to improve the learning resources' quality, content, and presentation by incorporating the feedback from the previous milestone. Once the revisions are complete, the team will create the final versions of the learning resources. These resources will be developed in a format and style that aligns with the curriculum and facilitates effective participant learning experiences.

MS09

The project team will assemble the learning program, organising the curriculum, learning resources, and assessments into a cohesive and accessible format on the MMU RiSE platform. This involves structuring the program to be user-friendly, ensuring seamless navigation and ease of use for the participants. 

MS10

By making Output A accessible on GitHub, the project ensures that others can explore and engage with the curriculum, enabling them to integrate the curriculum outputs into additional programmes. Additionally, Output B will be opened for access, allowing anyone to learn about formulating a Catalyst bid and be recognised for their learning.

MS11

The final milestone involves collating data from the success metrics established earlier in the project to evaluate the overall success and impact of the project. The project team will analyse the collected data and assess the project's achievements and outcomes. The review findings will be presented to the MMU SODA Speculative Technology group, sharing insights and lessons from the project's implementation. Additionally, the project team will make the findings available on the project's GitHub repository, ensuring that the information is accessible to a wider audience interested in the project and its outcomes.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

The resourcing for this project is entirely in human resource hours since the technical implementation and production resourcing is already in place.

There are three personnel across two different roles for this project. 

FEC = full economic costing.

ALR: Academic and lead role x2 personnel. The FEC for this role is 408 ADA per hour.

SPA: Specialist Production Role x1 personnel. This FEC for this role is 355 ADA per hour.

Work Package A - Administration:

MS01

ALR hours = 7.2. ADA = 2944

SPA hours = 0. ADA = 0

Total ADA = 2944

MS02

ALR hours = 7.2. ADA = 2944

SPA hours = 0. ADA = 0

Total ADA = 2944

Work Package B - Curriculum Design:

MS03

ALR hours = 14.4. ADA = 5888

SPA hours = 0. ADA = 0

Total ADA = 5888

MS04

ALR hours = 7.2. ADA = 2944

SPA hours = 0. ADA = 0

Total ADA = 2944

MS05

ALR hours = 7.2. ADA = 2944

SPA hours = 0. ADA = 0

Total ADA = 2944

MS06

ALR hours = 14.4. ADA = 5888

SPA hours = 0. ADA = 0

Total ADA = 5888

Work Package C - Programme creation:

MS07

ALR hours = 7.2. ADA = 2944

SPA hours = 14.4. ADA = 5120

Total ADA = 8064

MS08

ALR hours = 21.6. ADA = 8832

SPA hours = 14.4. ADA = 5120

Total ADA = 13952

MS09

ALR hours = 14.4. ADA = 5888

SPA hours = 0. ADA = 0

Total ADA = 5888

MS10

ALR hours = 7.2. ADA = 2944

SPA hours = 0. ADA = 0

Total ADA = 2944

MS11

ALR hours = 14.4. ADA = 5888

SPA hours = 0. ADA = 0

Total ADA = 5888

Net Total = 60288 ADA

All income is subject to a 20% corporation tax at the exchange value at the point of receipt.

Total = 72345.6 ADA

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

By leveraging existing knowledge gained through blockchain research and development projects at MMU, Catalyst RiSE can efficiently use existing resources. This includes utilising the expertise of the MMU Speculative Technology group, using existing educational infrastructure, and leveraging the RiSE co-curricular framework. By maximising the use of existing resources, the project minimises additional costs and enhances the overall value of the Catalyst investment.

Our focus on creating transferrable curricula and educational resources increases the project's potential for scalability and wider adoption. The project extends its impact beyond MMU by designing the curriculum in a format other educational institutions can easily implement. This scalability and transferability enhance the value for money by enabling the dissemination of knowledge and educational materials to a broader audience without incurring additional costs for customisation or replication.

The project's commitment to open-access education through the MMU RiSE platform and the recognition of learning through the MMU RiSE points system contributes to its value for money. By making the educational program accessible to a wide range of participants, including MMU students and research students worldwide, Catalyst RiSE maximises the reach and impact of the Catalyst investment. 

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept