Science Startups and Basic Researchers Turn to Crowds for Funding

Having branded itself “the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects,” Kickstarter has become a hub for artists, writers, performers, and filmmakers to connect with philanthropists interested in underwriting their projects. But science is a creative endeavor too, and, like artists, inventors and researchers face dwindling support from traditional sources.

Two recent reports explain how Kickstarter and newer resources such as FundaGeek and Open Source Science Project are helping cash-strapped technology entrepreneurs as well as basic researchers get their ideas off the ground.

In Nature, Jim Giles recently reported:

"Crowd-funding — raising money for research directly from the public — looks set to become increasingly common. Established platforms such as Kickstarter are wooing scientists. And similar websites dedicated to connecting scientists with potential funders are being built, or have already launched."...