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We love funding builders who are working on projects simply because they want to learn and make an impact while doing so. Oftentimes, Bagel Fund is the first grant our applicants have ever applied for. With anything, googling “best practices for X” can get you really far. But to make things easier, here are snippets from other first time grant writers who received funding for their projects.

If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected].

Best of luck and happy building!

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What & Why

Example 1: Gene Editing CRISPR

I'm working to develop a novel CRISPR delivery method in plants to work towards price parity in gene-edited crops. Gene-edited crops have awesome potential to produce better foods with customization and precision. But in order for these products to be successful, I believe that they require price parity with conventional food products, a current technical hurdle due to the slow nature of CRISPR processes.

Currently, It can take at least 8 months to develop a single trait through conventional CRISPR delivery - an incredibly inefficient process for companies working on many plants at once. My hypothesis is a CRISPR delivery method into plant tissue instead of cells. By inserting the CRISPR machinery directly into tissue, the need for the extremely slow development from cell -> tissue is omitted, which can shorten timelines significantly (up to 80%).

If we can crack this inefficiency in current plant engineering processes, we can also crack the cost. More efficient, lower cost CRISPR processes can pave the way for the successful adoption of these more sustainable, resilient, and higher quality food products.

Example 2: High Altitude Weather Balloons

Currently, I am building StratoSoar MK3. This will be my third year of research in autonomous, high-altitude aviation. StratoSoar is a low-power, adaptive UAV that will be dropped from a weather balloon at approximately 10,000 feet, with plans to reach even higher altitudes soon.

The main goal of StratoSoar is to fly to selected GPS coordinates efficiently or choose a closer, more realistic landing site without human interaction. The current aim for StratoSoar is to operate on a single 300 mAh 5 gram LiPo battery for a 3+ hour flight. Currently, the two main uses I am thinking of include an educational kit or a platform for the study of aerodynamics of the stratosphere (of which very little exist). Other ideas include reusable radiosondes, remote medicine/parcel/etc. delivery, and atmospheric monitoring.

Budget

Example 3: Timetable iPads for Schools

• Waveshare 7.3 inch 7-color ePaper Display (around $75, need)
• Another similar ePaper Display from a competitor (around $50-$100)
• Raspberry Pi Pico or ESP32 (around $10, need)
• Accessories for the Microcomputer (around $20, need)
• 3D Printing Material (around $30, need)
• Materials for the case (e.g. screws, around $15, need)
• A better soldering iron than my cheapskate basic one (around $60-$80, want)

Example 4: Medical Aid Hearing Devices

• Custom Plastic Housing: $18.99