# NEAR Certified Researcher Course Syllabus
> [Join the NRC DAO as a researcher](https://marmaj.org/inside-the-near-research-collective-blockchain-elevated/).

## Internal Aspects of the Program

### Objectives and Metrics

1. **Supporting Researchers in the NEAR Ecosystem**: The primary objective is to cultivate an active, interdisciplinary research community focused on the NEAR Protocol and its associated technologies. This community will serve as a hub for scholarly exchange, fostering innovation and contributing to the broader Web3 ecosystem.

2. **Efficient Research Flows for Data-Backed Decision-Making**: The program aims to optimize the research pipeline by facilitating access to high-quality, peer-reviewed research. This will enable NEAR Protocol-based projects to make informed, data-backed decisions. The focus will be on creating efficient workflows for research proposal submission, peer review, and dissemination, thereby reducing the time from research conception to implementation.

**Core Metric**:
- The program's success will be gauged by the number of researchers funded and the total amount of funding allocated, with a focus on the impact and quality of the research produced.

**Additional Metrics**:
- Number of citations for each research paper.
- Number of research papers transitioned to real-world applications.

### Logistics

- **Platform**: The course will be hosted on [NEAR Hub](https://nearhub.club/WV2Ty4a/), with additional support from [TG](https://t.me/ResearchWG) and [BOS platforms](https://research-collective.near.social).
- **Duration**: The course will run from late February to early May.

### Staffing

- **Lead Instructor**: [Chloe](https://near.social/mob.near/widget/ProfilePage?accountId=chloe.near)
- **Guest Lecturers**: Research professionals
- **Course Support**:
- [Hannah](https://near.social/mob.near/widget/ProfilePage?accountId=hannah17.near)
- [XVII](https://near.social/mob.near/widget/ProfilePage?accountId=xvii.near)
- [Earnest Etim](https://near.social/mob.near/widget/ProfilePage?accountId=earnestetim.near)
- [Sherwal](https://near.social/mob.near/widget/ProfilePage?accountId=ihyshan.near)

| Staff Member | Role | Responsibilities |
|--------------|------|------------------|
| Chloe | Lead Instructor | Curriculum design, Lecturing, Mentoring |

---

## External Aspects of the Program

### Target Audience

- **Students**: Those attending post-secondary institutions.
- **Interested Parties**: Self-taught individuals, graduates, etc.

### Pre-requisites

- Access to strong enough Wi-Fi to attend video calls and enter NEAR Hub.
- Time availability to attend all calls.
- Recommended background in computer science or a related technical field.

**Recommended Tech Stack**:
- Basic understanding of blockchain technology.
- Familiarity with programming languages such as Python or Rust.

### Incentives

- **Learning**: Weekly lectures and quizzes.
- **Earning**: Various DAOs offer financial incentives.
- **Engagement**: Dings and Kudos for community engagement.

### Requirements

- **Attendance**: Participants should attend all lectures, with a maximum of 4 lectures that can be missed.

**Peer Review Process**:
- Participants will review at least one other research project.

### Assessment and Certification

- **Assessment Method**: The course is pass/fail. Participants are required to actively participate and submit a valid research project by the final project submission deadline.
- **Influence of Kudos and Dings**: While Kudos and Dings are generally for community engagement, accumulating too many Dings for negative reputation could influence the final assessment.
- **Weekly Quizzes**: Conducted on [Easy Poll](https://near.social/easypoll-v0.ndc-widgets.near/widget/EasyPoll).
- **Certification**: Issued as a community NFT minted to the participant's account from the NRC DAO.

---

## Next Steps

### Course Registration

- **DAO Membership**: NEAR account holders can [join the DAO in the "researcher" group](https://marmaj.org/inside-the-near-research-collective-blockchain-elevated/).
- **NFTs**: Participants claim a [shard.dog](https://shard.dog/ncr) NFT as part of the registration process.
- those with "researcher" role AND have the NFT will be registered for the course (to be seen/displayed on BOS)

### Mentoring

- **Mentor Page**: A separate mentor page ([example](https://www.boshacks.com/#/ndcplug.near/widget/BOSHACKS.Index?tab=people&memberTab=hackers&memberTab=mentors)) exists to facilitate mentor-mentee interactions.
- Initially, Chloe will serve as the mentor for all participants. Guest lecturers may also serve as mentors as the program evolves.

### Extras

- **Transparency**: All bounties and funding are distributed on-chain, making them publicly auditable. This information will be displayed on [community dashboards](https://research-collective.near.social).
- **[Kudos and Dings](https://near.social/kudos.ndctools.near/widget/NDC.Kudos.Main)**: Kudos are used to give positive reputation, while Dings are used for negative reputation.
- **Research Article Writing Guide**: A collaborative guide for writing research articles will be available on [Web4 pages](https://thewiki.near.page/) at a later date.
- Post from NRC DAO with link to web4 pages?

## NEAR Certified Researcher Course Syllabus

## Course Duration - 10 weeks + 4
- **Start Date**: February 28, 2024
- **End Date**: May 8, 2024
- **Final Project Submission Deadline**: June 5, 2024

## Class Schedule
- **Frequency**: Weekly, every Wednesday - 10am AST
- **Last Lecture**: May 8, 2024
- **Final Project Hand-in**: On or before June 5, 2024

### Office Hours
- **Frequency**: Weekly, every Friday - 10am AST
- **Platform**: [NRC TG in NCR thread](https://t.me/ResearchWG/181)

## Learning Objectives & Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. **Grasp the Fundamentals of Blockchain, Web3, and NEAR Protocol**: Achieve a foundational understanding of blockchain, focusing on the NEAR Protocol, and gain practical experience in setting up a NEAR wallet and BOS profile. _(Class 1)_

2. **Utilize Techniques for Data Retrieval from Blockchain**: Become proficient in employing various tools like nearblocks.io and pikespeak.ai for data retrieval. _(Class 2)_

3. **Transform and Visualize Data**: Acquire hands-on experience with data visualization tools like Python and GPT-4 and learn how to transform blockchain data for specific use-cases. _(Class 3)_

4. **Apply Advanced Data Analysis Techniques**: Understand the use of AI for advanced data analysis. _(Class 4)_

5. **Identify and Evaluate Research Topics**: Develop skills for identifying potential research questions and evaluating their relevance within the blockchain ecosystem. _(Class 5)_

6. **Examine Specialized Blockchain Topics**: Understand governance models, DeFi mechanisms, NFT market trends, and the application of blockchain in gaming. _(Class 6)_

7. **Explore Advanced Cryptographic Concepts**: Gain a foundational understanding of cryptographic primitives and the applications and limitations of zero-knowledge proofs. _(Class 7)_

# Course Plan
## Module 1:
### Introduction to Blockchain and NEAR Protocol
### [Class 1](https://hackmd.io/23MmiNmXQ6WFW7zq_xYCHg) (February 28, 2024) : Foundations of Blockchain and NEAR Protocol
- Introduction to blockchain technology and the NEAR Protocol, concluding with practical exercises in wallet and BOS profile setup.

### [Class 2](https://hackmd.io/YWcydBmZR9qCSecd-x0_WQ) (March 6, 2024): Data Retrieval and Analysis (Methods for Blockchain Data Retrieval)
- Exploration of tools such as nearblocks.io, pikespeak.ai, and CLI calls to public RPC. Guest lecture by the Pikespeak Team.

## Module 2
### Data Transformation and Visualization
### [Class 3](https://hackmd.io/@doulos819/ncr-03) (March 13, 2024) : Data Transformation and Visualization Techniques
- Utilization of Python & GPT-4 for data visualization, with a case study focusing on transforming EasyPoll data.

### [Class 4](https://hackmd.io/ArsJs-oMTpu3DiYq26PxGw) (March 20, 2024): Advanced Data Evaluation Techniques with AI

- Introduction to advanced AI tools for complex data analysis for research.

## Module 3
### Specialized Topics in Blockchain

### [Class 5](https://hackmd.io/i8trDOxrQ5qeXUJVVFVNlQ) (March 27, 2024): Research Topic Identification ***(Identifying Potential Research Topics)***
- A brainstorming session to discuss and identify potential research topics.

### [Class 6](https://hackmd.io/JajWxv40Swm4cv_By3pNhw) (April 3, 2024) : Governance in Blockchain
- Examination of governance models, case studies, and data-driven insights.

### [Class 7](https://hackmd.io/_5YdqFWCRT--zbS2d2jNew) (April 10, 2024): Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
- Exploration of smart contracts, liquidity pools, and other DeFi mechanisms.

### [Class 8](https://hackmd.io/LPR1j3cTQgicYrUBLYU_og) (April 17, 2024): Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
- Analysis of market trends, valuation models, and data-driven insights.

### [Class 9](https://hackmd.io/6fPAX5_jSe6aVVkhtUBy2w) (April 24, 2024): Blockchain in Gaming
- Study of monetization strategies, user engagement, and data analytics in blockchain-based gaming.

## Module 4
### Advanced Research Topics
### [Class 10](https://hackmd.io/aY02lzK5Teu1JxFYdgSVpQ?view) (March 1st, 2024):

### Advanced Topics in Cryptography
- Introduction to cryptographic primitives and protocols.

### Zero-Knowledge Proofs
- Exploration of the applications and limitations of zero-knowledge proofs.

### Final Project and Certification
- **Final Project Hand-in**: On or after May 8, 2024
- **Final Project Submission Deadline**: June 5, 2024
- Weekly quizzes will be conducted on [Easy Poll](https://near.social/easypoll-v0.ndc-widgets.near/widget/EasyPoll).
- Certification will be issued as a community NFT minted to the participant's account from the NRC DAO.