About
Our Mission
Our mission is simple: To enable the public to fund pilot research projects. Accomplishing this goal has immense benefits. First we’re providing research funds to a whole new generation of researchers that are our future. Secondly we’re walking the public through the scientific process, from grant writing to funding, all the way to the results. Finally we are creating an ecosystem for scientists to collaborate with each other as well as the public on shaping future research projects.
What Are Our Goals?
- Enabling public philanthropy through tactical funding of small pilot research projects up to $50,000.
- Educating and walking the public through the research process by providing direct interaction between researchers and their donors.
- Applying open source methodology to aid program participants in the research process through simple collaboration tools.
How We Plan To Accomplish Our Goals:
- Creating full transparency of how funds are spent both for FundScience and donor funded projects.
- By separating our operating from our donor supported research funds FundScience will be able to invest a higher percentage of donated funds.
- FundScience will be using social networking tools to bring donors and researchers together and spread our message through grassroots efforts.
- Requiring grant winners to give back to their sponsors and the community in the form of monthly progress reports and question and answer sessions.
Our Hopes and Dreams for FundScience
Without repeating our mission, we just want to say that we hope that we can make science more understandable and accessible to everyone. We hope that we can foster an environment where people get together to solve the tough challenges our society faces in terms of a brain drain and technological advancement. And we hope we can give some of the decision making skills to the public and away from the NIH and other large corporations. Who knows maybe in a few years with the help of the public we can fund our own drug trials, create our own research institute and spin off our own technologically advanced socially responsible biotech companies. We should realize that none of this can be achieved by a single individual and that the input of thousands and millions of people would help this cause become a force to be reckoned with. Think back to how opensource software began, and see how much of a run for its money this movement is giving to Microsoft, Oracle, etc
Our Founders
David Vitrant
Executive Director
Executive Director
David Vitrant has been a scientist for over 10 years now. Working in a variety of fields and labs over the years. Currently he is in his last year of Graduate School in the Department of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh. As a CMU alumnus and scientist he is used to working in interdisciplinary fields and is the driving force behind FundScience. In his years as a researcher he noticed several things that led him to FundScience
- Younger researchers were not being encouraged to stay in their research fields and become innovative (oversaturation).
- Science is a very closed and anti-collaborative in many aspects.
- There needed to be more interaction between scientists of all types and the public.
Mark Friedgan
CTO
CTO
Over the years Mark has been a software developer, consultant, manager and executive. In that time he has learned when technology works and when it doesn’t. He has dealt with both successful and failed start-ups and is eager to apply successful entrepreneurial principles to the world of science. There is a clear need in science for alternative means of funding and publishing. I am confident we can create a platform for both.
Board of Directors
Dr. Saleem Khan
I am excited about being involved with FundScience because of its potential to bring scientific/medical research to common people! Although many private foundations and charities currently fund research, there is a need for a more intimate involvement of common people in all aspects of such research. A long-term benefit of this approach will be the development of a personal stake for people in FundScience from the resulting benefits to society in large such as new treatments and cure for many serious diseases. I cannot wait to get involved in launching this initiative!
Mr. Alex Goldstein
Alexander Goldstein is currently a Managing Partner at Pangea Ventures, LLC, a real estate private equity fund. Before joining Pangea Ventures, Mr. Goldstein cofounded CashNetUSA (www.cashnetusa.com). CashNetUSA has quickly grown to become one of the online leaders in payday loan services. In 2006, CashNetUSA was acquired by Cash America International, Inc. (NYSE:CSH), one of the brick & mortar leaders in short-term lending. Alexander believes that applying principles that makes a startup successful can work in the scientific process. By providing a small amount of seed funding, younger researchers can test new ideas. At the same time, we will be able to foster collaboration between researchers and encourage interest from the general public.
