[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/EW-12-06-13-Crowdfunding-for-Science.mp3|titles=EW 12-06-13 Crowdfunding for Science]
Social media has made it easier than ever to connect with people, share information, and raise awareness. This has led to new forms of fundraising, among them crowdfunding.
The premise is simple. Using a crowdfunding website, an individual or organization creates an advertisement that explains the merit of what they are trying to do. Most pleas have a video segment and a sliding donation scale that offers a premium to the largest contributors.
Projects are promoted via social media, then, with just a few clicks, anyone in the world can offer financial support. In 2012 alone, crowdfunding raised $2.7 billion dollars for causes ranging from disaster relief to the financing of independent film projects.
Scientists are beginning to harness the power of crowdfunding for environmental science.
The tactic has proven helpful to newer researchers looking for seed money. Major government grants from agencies like the National Science Foundation are extremely competitive and often go to scholars with a track record.
Websites like microryza.com and petridish.org allow emerging scientists to cast their funding net broadly. Creative projects get off the ground, giving scholars a stepping stone to traditional funding sources.
And, due to its social nature, crowdfunding makes the process of scientific discovery accessible. Interested donors not only support projects financially, but they are engaged in the research process through project updates and photos.
It remains to be seen if crowdfunding for environmental science can generate more than start up funds. But its ability to harness the interest of the masses has great possibilities.
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Web Links
Crowdfunding: What’s in It for Scientists?
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2013/09/30/crowdfunding-whats-in-it-for-scientists/
Scientists calling on the crowd for funding
Top 10 Crowdfunding Sites For Fundraising
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chancebarnett/2013/05/08/top-10-crowdfunding-sites-for-fundraising/
Photo, taken on September 13, 2011, courtesy of DonkeyHotey via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.