Make your null results discoverable.

Use the Null Compass to help write up your negative or null research findings in clinical medicine or biomedical science. Get a DOI for this work to qualify for a $500 USD microgrant!*

Start the Compass I have a code and DOI

Read the full microgrant terms and conditions.

The opportunity

A reward for making science better.

Null and negative findings are part of the scientific record - but too often, they never become part of the discoverable record. The Null Hypothesis Initiative is offering a limited set of $500 microgrants to researchers who take the full publication journey from Null Compass through to DOI, helping us understand more about the dark data that exists while making more of the scientific record available to future researchers.

Five hundred US dollars in an envelope on a biomedical laboratory bench
NULL HYPOTHESIS

In publication...

Hypertension 2 Jul 2026 H₀ supported publication

Brain Iron in Nucleus Accumbens and Cognitive Function in Preeclampsia

Boyao Chen, Meng Li […]

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is associated with long-term cognitive dysfunction, potentially linked to cerebral iron deposition. This study investigated striatal iron alterations using quantitative susceptibility mapping and their relationship with cognitive function in patients with preeclampsia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 321 participants, including nonpregnant and pregnant healthy controls, and patients with preeclampsia. Participants underwent the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Trail Making Test, and 1.5 T brain magnetic resonance imaging. Striatal iron content was quantified using quantitative susceptibility mapping reconstructed with a morphology-enabled dipole inversion algorithm. RESULTS: Preeclampsia patients showed poorer executive function (Trail Making Test part [A+B]: partial η 2 =0.170; part B: partial η 2 =0.100) and elevated nucleus accumbens magnetic susceptibility (all P <0.001). Age ( β =0.744, P <0.001) and hematocrit ( β =0.846, P =0.011) were independently associated with iron levels. In addition, significant interactions between nucleus accumbens susceptibility values and preeclampsia status were observed for log-transformed Trail Making Test co
Neurology® 9 Jun 2026 H₀ supported publication

Cerebral “Dirty-Appearing” White Matter in Relation to Cognitive Decline and Dementia Risk in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Ingmar Eiling, Sigurdur Sigurdsson […]

Cerebral “dirty-appearing” or “diffusely abnormal” white matter (DAWM) represents subtle white matter abnormalities that are associated with progression of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD), but the association with cognitive function and dementia is unclear. Our aim was to study the association between DAWM and cognitive function, long-term cognitive decline, and long-term dementia risk in community-dwelling older adults with limited baseline cSVD burden.
Neurology® 12 May 2026 H₀ supported publication

Functional Outcomes After Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction in Deep and Lobar Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Santiago Clocchiatti-Tuozzo, Adnan I. Qureshi […]

Intensive blood pressure (BP) reduction may reduce the risk of poor functional outcomes in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Whether these potential benefits apply similarly to lobar and deep ICH, 2 biologically and clinically distinct subtypes, remains uncertain. We tested the hypothesis that intensive BP reduction has differential effects on functional outcomes based on ICH location.
Neurology® 28 Apr 2026 H₀ supported publication

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Prevalence and Hormonal Contraception

Andrew Mihalache, Ryan S. Huang […]

Women's health advice in people living with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is inconsistent, primarily due to an enduring concern that hormonal contraception (HC), including oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) and hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs), might be associated with a higher prevalence of IIH. This systematic review and meta-analysis examines whether a meaningful association exists between HC use and IIH prevalence.
Neurology® 28 Apr 2026 H₀ supported publication

Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Incident Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Christos V. Chalitsios, Oliver Rudolf […]

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with a complex etiology. Although a range of genetic and lifestyle factors have been implicated, the potential role of environmental airborne pollution exposure is uncertain. This study examined the association between long-term ambient exposure to air pollutants and the incidence of ALS in UK Biobank participants.
Hypertension 1 Mar 2026 H₀ supported publication

Urokinase Promotes Redundantly Intratubular C3a-Formation But Not ENaC-Driven Hypertension in DOCA/Salt Kidney Injury

Marie Lykke Bach, Camilla Enggaard […]

BACKGROUND: uPA (urokinase-type plasminogen activator) inhibitors mitigate salt retention, plasmin, and complement activation in acute proteinuric kidney diseases. We hypothesized that in chronic kidney injury with albuminuria, uPA contributes to hypertension and complement-dependent tissue inflammation and injury. METHODS: Wild-type and uPA KO (knockout) mice underwent either sham surgery or unilateral nephrectomy, followed by insertion of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)- or sham pellets and a high (4%) or control (0.5%) sodium chloride diet for 21 days. Glomerular filtration rate was estimated by transcutaneous fluorescein-isothiocyanate–sinistrin, and arterial blood pressure was recorded continuously by indwelling femoral catheters. Urine was analyzed for albumin, plasmin(ogen), electrolytes, kidney injury markers (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin), and complement proteins (C3, C3a). Kidney tissue was examined for neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, epithelial sodium channel, C3, C3a, C5a, cytokines, inflammation, and macrophage polarization markers (CD16 + CD32 + , CD163 + ). RESULTS: DOCA-salt increased diuresis, Na + excretion, albuminuria, tubular injury
Circulation 6 Jan 2026 H₀ supported publication

Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Inhibition With Alirocumab: The CAVIAR Trial

William F. Fearon, Kosei Terada […]

BACKGROUND: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy is an important cause of mortality after heart transplantation (HT). Dyslipidemia is a major contributor to the development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy. The safety and effectiveness of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 inhibition to lower cholesterol and to prevent cardiac allograft vasculopathy early after HT are not well established. METHODS: In this investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter, double-blind randomized trial, participants were randomized early after HT to receive either alirocumab or placebo in addition to rosuvastatin. Before randomization and at 1 year, all participants underwent invasive coronary assessment, including angiography, fractional flow reserve, coronary flow reserve, the index of microcirculatory resistance, and intravascular ultrasound with near-infrared spectroscopy. Lipid values were assessed at baseline and at prespecified intervals. The primary end point was the change in coronary artery plaque volume from baseline to 1 year after HT based on serial intravascular ultrasound. RESULTS: A total of 114 HT recipients were included (57 assigned to alirocumab and 57 assigned to placebo). Base

3 Simple Steps

Use the Null Compass before writing up

Use Null Compass to register your research, get suggestions on publication direction, and receive your unique code.

If you are sitting on in vitro or in vivo biomedical/clinical research that resulted in null, negative or inconclusive findings (even if just replication efforts), start the Null Compass questionnaire.

Obtain a recognised DOI

Publish the work in a recognised journal or on a public preprint server and retain the DOI. The publication must reflect the registered research and include your authorship.

Eligibility and Limits

Biomedical research

Your work must be in vitro or in vivo biomedical or clinical research with null or negative findings.

Register first

You must register through Null Compass before your work is submitted for publication or pre-print.

A recognised DOI

The resulting publication needs a DOI from a recognised journal or public preprint server.

Authorship verified

CBMRT must be able to verify that you are an author of the qualifying publication.

One author, one grant

Only one author may receive a grant for each publication, and each person is limited to one grant in their lifetime.

Initiative discretion

All awards are subject to verification and CBMRT's discretion, are non-transferable, and stop once 200 grants have been issued.

Use it where it helps

A small grant can go a long way.

The $500 USD microgrant is intended for research-related use. Put it toward the next practical step, wherever that is in your work.

  • Promotion and outreach
  • Conference attendance
  • Research travel
  • Publication costs
  • Training
  • Software
  • Future research

Even research that was a methodological failure is useful to scientific record - someone who attempts to answer the same questions should be informed by the challenges that you experienced.

Start the Compass I have a code and DOI