Overview
Former U.S. Navy pilot and UAP advocate Ryan Graves is joining the UAP Science Advisory Council, according to information associated with an XPRIZE-related announcement published by Paradigm on Oct. 6, 2026. The announcement did not provide additional details about the timing of Graves’ appointment, his specific responsibilities or whether his role has been formally finalized.
The development comes as XPRIZE Chairman Peter Diamandis explores the creation of a potential competition focused on evidence of technology of non-human origin. The initiative, described by people involved in the discussions as a possible “XPRIZE for aliens,” would focus on objects or phenomena near Earth rather than the search for microbial or intelligent life on distant worlds.
A Potential XPRIZE for Alien Technology
According to the report, Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb is advising Diamandis on the proposed prize. Loeb said the central objective would be to identify technologies that could not be attributed to known human sources. “The basic point is to identify technologies that are of non-human origin in the form of objects near Earth,” he said.
Loeb also said that funding remains the principal obstacle to launching the competition. He indicated that a potential funder had been identified but declined to name the person until an agreement is finalized. Any prize would also require approval from the XPRIZE Foundation’s board. Since its creation in 1994, the organization has offered large financial awards for scientific and technological breakthroughs, with prizes generally ranging from about $5 million to $100 million.
Neither Diamandis nor the foundation responded to requests for comment cited in the report. As a result, the prize remains exploratory rather than an officially launched XPRIZE competition. No eligibility rules, evidentiary standards, judging procedures or funding commitment have been announced.
Graves’ Role in the UAP Debate
Graves is a prominent figure in the modern UAP discussion. A former Navy fighter pilot, he testified before Congress in 2023 about encounters reported by military personnel and helped establish Americans for Safe Aerospace, an organization that advocates for improved reporting, investigation and transparency regarding UAP incidents.
His reported appointment to the UAP Science Advisory Council would add an experienced military aviator and witness advocate to a body focused on evaluating claims surrounding unidentified aerial phenomena. The council is led by Loeb, who has also advised the Trump administration on UFO-related issues, according to the source report. The supplied announcement does not explain the council’s membership structure, authority or relationship to government agencies.
Graves characterized the proposed prize as “a tremendous indicator of how this conversation has matured and advanced.” His participation reflects a broader shift in the subject’s public profile, although it does not itself establish that any reported UAP is extraterrestrial or technologically non-human.
Scientific Scrutiny and Evidence Standards
Diamandis has increasingly expressed interest in UAP evidence. In a September essay, he wrote: “I am not asking you to believe. I am asking you to look. The evidence is there. The people coming forward are credible. The correlations are statistically significant. The government is preparing.”
The proposed prize and Graves’ council role come amid efforts by researchers, former officials and advocates to move UAP discussions toward systematic analysis. For such an initiative to gain scientific credibility, investigators would likely need independently verifiable physical evidence, transparent testing methods and conclusions that withstand peer review. At present, the XPRIZE concept remains under discussion, and no publicly confirmed evidence of alien technology has been presented.
