The Pivotal Questions Initiative identifies research questions where resolving uncertainty could substantially improve funding decisions in global health, animal welfare, and other cause areas.
Start with a question relevant to your work. Each project connects research, expert assessments, and open questions to funding or policy choices. Workshops support that continuing work.
Wellbeing Measurement Workshop
CompletedCan WELLBY-based cost-effectiveness estimates be trusted for funding decisions? This workshop, held in March 2026, examined the reliability of wellbeing measures and whether DALYs and WELLBYs can be meaningfully compared. A curated summary, beliefs elicitation responses, and background resources are now available.
Cultivated Meat Workshop
Workshop heldWhat will cultivated meat cost at commercial scale, and what would that imply for animal welfare funding? Explore the working synthesis, compare cost assumptions, or contribute a forecast.
Plant-Based Substitution Workshop
Early PlanningHow much do plant-based alternatives substitute for animal products—especially chicken? This workshop examines cross-price elasticity evidence and its implications for animal welfare funding.
AI Safety & Governance Evaluation
Discussion GroupShould The Unjournal expand into evaluating AI safety and governance research? This working-group discussion covers strategic focus, timely evaluation methods, and a specific question: whether to pursue the Ord RL Scaling evaluation.