The winners of the Center's prize will be disclosed in the spring of 2024, with the top recipient receiving a substantial $100,000 prize and two distinguished awardees receiving $50,000 each to bring their research proposals to life. Interestingly, it appears that 'Better Up' might be running low on creative ideas and is willing to pay for control over others' innovative concepts. They are requesting authors to surrender their intellectual rights in exchange for the use of their ideas.
This practice is not uncommon, as many universities and conferences also ask authors to relinquish their rights, often without compensation. In some cases, authors are even charged fees to present their papers at conferences.
Furthermore, 'Better Up' seems to be hosting an exclusive event with a waiting list that requires a work email and optional phone number, indicating their desire to control who attends. Among the listed speakers for this event, six out of eight are 'Better Up' leaders, but notably absent is El Chimpo. It remains uncertain whether El Chimpo will be excluded from the event, leaving one to wonder why he's kept on staff if he won't be showcased in front of prominent attendees.
Prince Harry is expected to return to New York City to attend the awards ceremony. However, it's worth noting that the kind of qualified individuals who can propose and execute a study, complete with data analysis, are typically already affiliated with research institutions, universities, or large corporate entities. These individuals are unlikely to commit 18 months of their time for 'Better Up' without adequate compensation or benefits. It appears that 'Better Up' is keen on writing a PR post on Business Wire to solicit ideas from the public, raising ethical concerns about a private company funding research and seeking to partner with the project, which is typically handled by granting institutions that provide researchers with more autonomy.
Questions also arise regarding who will oversee the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for the research. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the fact that 'Better Up' received a substantial $10 million from the government last year, despite having no verifiable address. Their papers are officially categorized as Software as a Service (SaaS), leading to suspicions that they might be harvesting data and selling it to the Department of Defense, a potentially criminal activity given the use of tax dollars.
These allegations come at a time when Prince Harry is reportedly grappling with a significant realization regarding his strategy against the royal family. The discussion began when 'The Insider' accused the couple of trying to capitalize on their royal connections now that their star power appears to be waning. 'The Insider' also criticized Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for allegedly behaving poorly, prompting experts to question the couple's increased interactions with the press, just a year after they criticized the royal family for similar behavior. Talk TV's royal editor, Sarah Houston, has criticized the Sussexes, suggesting that if they genuinely wish to reconcile with the royal family, they should refrain from making headlines in the media.
