Request for Proposals

Humane Fish Slaughter

We're inviting engineers, academics, and innovators around the world to take on this problem.
Early-stage ideas are welcome.

Total Funding Pool ~$7 million USD
Initial Deadline July 1, 2026
Honorarium $4,000 per application that meets quality standard*
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The Challenge

Since 2014, Coefficient has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars toward scientific research. We've funded groundbreaking work on computational protein design, novel methods for malaria eradication, technical AI safety innovation, and cutting-edge strategies for pandemic prevention.

We now see an opportunity to accelerate progress on another pressing challenge: improving the welfare of fish during slaughter. Over 100 billion farmed fish are slaughtered each year. Only ~0.5% of those, the salmon, are currently reliably stunned before slaughter using either percussive or electrical methods. For the more than a trillion wild-caught fish, slaughter is even worse: none have the middling option of ice-slurry slaughter, instead left to asphyxiate in air or low dissolved oxygen in onboard tanks.

We're soliciting proposals for technologies and prototypes that materially improve the welfare of fish at capture and slaughter, rendering pre-death insensibility instantaneous, long-lasting, verifiable, and scalable. We're placing particular emphasis on:

Funding & Scope

We expect to spend roughly $7 million USD on this RFP over the next year, and could spend substantially more depending on application quality. We welcome proposals of varying sizes and scopes, from exploratory research to advanced prototype development (i.e. up to ~TRL 7-8).

We encourage applications from across the R&D ecosystem:

Successful teams will likely be somewhat interdisciplinary, combining expertise in biology, electrical/mechanical engineering, aquaculture, and/or animal welfare science. Whether this is your area of expertise or a new problem you're interested in tackling, we encourage you to apply!

How to Apply

Applications will remain open until July 1, 2026. The first step is to submit a 2,500–3,000 word Letter of Intent (LOI).

1
Submit Letter of Intent
By July 1, 2026
2
Selected applicants invited to submit a full proposal
5–30 candidates
3
Full proposals due
September 30, 2026

Your LOI should cover:

Resources to help you prepare

Applicants whose submissions meet a minimum standard (or rank among the top 125, whichever comes first) will receive a $4,000 honorarium*.

*Honorarium payments are subject to eligibility under applicable law and completion of any required due diligence/compliance screening.

Apply Now Save your progress and resume any time

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a background in fish welfare or aquaculture to apply?
No. Many of the most promising approaches will likely come from people new to this problem. We welcome applicants from mechanical, electrical, maritime, and process engineering, chemistry, food processing, and adjacent fields, whether or not you've worked on fish before.
Can I apply as an individual, or do I need to be at an institution?
Both are welcome. We accept applications from individuals, universities, research institutions, small or large companies, and public sector research organizations.
Can I apply from outside the United States?
Yes. Applications are welcome globally, with the exception of jurisdictions subject to applicable sanctions or other legal restrictions. Non-U.S. organizations may need to complete a compliance review and provide supporting documents before a grant can be made.
Can I save my application and finish it later?
Yes. The application form auto-saves your progress, and you can return to your in-progress submission from the same browser. We recommend using the same device throughout to avoid losing data.
When will I receive the honorarium if I qualify?
Honoraria are issued after the application review window closes and we've assessed which submissions meet the quality threshold. Payment is subject to eligibility under applicable law and completion of any required due diligence/compliance screening.
What happens after I submit my LOI?
We'll review submissions in bulk after the July 1 deadline. From qualifying LOIs, we'll invite 5–30 candidates to submit full proposals by September 30, 2026.
What's expected of me as a grantee if I'm funded?
By default, the only required written report will be at the end of the grant period. Most grantees check in informally with their grant investigator about every six to twelve months, typically over a video call, with no required slide deck or formal presentation.