FundScience Announces its Acceptance of Applications for Round One of Funding
03.4.10 by Sarah Deren
We here at FundScience are extremely excited to announce that beginning on Monday, March 1st 2010, we are accepting applications for our first round of project funding. Applications can be completed through the website and will be available until April 1st, 2010.
Whether you are a fledgling or an experienced researcher, we hope that you will send us your research proposals. All research proposals will be scientifically vetted and up to three will be chosen as the recipients of up to $50,000 in research grant money, or you can receive the use of CPU cycles from our friends at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center.
We are proud that we are now able to put one of our main goals into action, namely that of providing science funding to young researchers and their projects through public philanthropy. This will also allow us to continue with our aim of educating the public about science, as this will be an interactive process and we will be constantly educating about the research process and updating about the status of the chosen research projects.
We will also be writing blog posts about topics that are related to our chosen research projects so that everyone may learn more about the areas of science that are being researched and whet their appetites for discovering our wonderfully scientific world.
The best of luck to all of our applicants!
-The FundScience Team
Research Opportunities Unfortunately Nonexistant for Many
02.23.10 by Sarah Deren
We here at FundScience feel that there is often a lack of transparency within the scientific research community and would love to be able to remedy this problem by getting the public more involved. To that end, we are starting a pilot program to fund research projects.
I feel that getting the public interested in scientific research is a two-way street – not only do we need for the scientists to feel more accountable to the public for their work, but the public needs to become more interested in these issues that touch almost every aspect of our lives. By writing about many important issues that are currently being researched by the scientific community, I hope to be able to inspire you to become more curious about the world that surrounds you and more involved in the research processes that propel humankind forward.
An article was brought to my attention the other day that truly drives home the point of why an organization like FundScience is such a necessary commodity to have. This article, titled “The Matthew Effect”, appeared on SeedMagazine.com and really emphasizes the current importance of finding a better way to fund and investigate scientific research methods. In the article, author John Wilbanks writes,
The average age on first receipt of the most common “starter” grants at the NIH is now almost 42. This means younger researchers without the strength of a fame-based community are cut out of the funding process, and their ideas, separate from an older researcher’s sphere of influence, don’t get pursued. This causes a founder effect in modern science, where the prestigious few dictate the direction of research. It’s not only unfair—it’s also actively dangerous to science’s progress. (http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/the_matthew_effect)
He also goes on to explain why it is crucial to be able to move past a scientist’s “credentials” and to be able to see their work for how it can truly benefit the scientific community and mankind at large in order to better determine who should get funding for research proposals.
42? The thought that you may have to wait until middle age to receive a grant from a major research funding institute, such as the NIH, should be a very scary one for any researcher or scientist. The thought that many great and possibly life-changing research proposals are not being given the attention that they deserve because they are being written by those who don’t have the weight of a more experienced or cited researcher behind them should be equally scary to any person who is touched by scientific research in any way, namely everyone.
This is my invitation to you to get involved with scientific research at a grassroots level, and truly have an effect on how research is funded and reported. I hope that you will keep reading and get ideas on what inspires you and find a way to get involved with science, especially through the opportunities afforded you by FundScience.
If at any point, you have a topic that you would absolutely love to hear about, I invite you to leave your comments or feedback and I will be more than happy to oblige to the best of my ability. Happy discovering!
Science2009 Recap
10.19.09 by FundScience
The University of Pittsburgh’s Science2009 event took place on Thursday and Friday of last week. Despite inclement weather, the event was a success. The FundScience booth attracted approximately 50 visitors over the two days. These visitors included graduate students, postdocs and faculty members, all of whom shared very good ideas for funding implementation, the direction of the organization, the website/blog, and other issues. Of note, Dr. Victor Ambrose of the University of Massachusetts, Science2009 Plenary Speaker and winner of the Dickson Prize in Medicine, stopped by and had some very insightful and inspiring comments for us.
Dr. Victor Ambrose meets with FundScience cofounders David Vitrant and Mark Friedgan.
We appreciate the time all of our visitors took to share their ideas for FundScience development and their excitement for our cause! The University of Pittsburgh hosts these events annually, so we look forward to an even greater turnout for Science2010! In addition, watch this blog and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for announcements of our participation in other upcoming science events!
Science2009
10.13.09 by FundScience
The University of Pittsburgh’s Science2009 event happens this Thursday and Friday. The event is free and open to the public, and includes lectures on a variety of scientific topics, including cutting edge technology such as microRNAs, evolutionary biology, renewable energy, and infectious diseases. Anyone in the area should take a look and consider attending sessions they are interested in.
FundScience will have a presence at Science2009 in the form of a booth where you can meet FundScience members and obtain more detailed information about our mission and our upcoming funding opportunities. We are excited to meet members of our community and share the progress we have made over the past few months, so please stop by and, as always, spread the word!
Science2009—Unplugged, the University’s ninth annual celebration of science, technology, and research, is coming on Thursday and Friday, 15 and 16 October, to Alumni Hall (with two special preview events on Wednesday, 14 October). Here are six great reasons to attend:
1. Highlighting the program will be plenary lectures by four distinguished scientists: Victor Ambros, PhD, of the University of Massachusetts Medical School; Michael Graetzel, PhD, of Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne; Cori Bargmann, PhD, of the Rockefeller University; and Bruce Beutler, MD, of The Scripps Research Institute.
2. Pitt and Carnegie Mellon researchers will present Spotlight Sessions on a dozen timely topics in which they are actively engaged. Likewise, five Science at Work Sessions will draw on expertise from local industry.
3. Some of the latest laboratory equipment that makes today’s research possible will be on display at the Science2009 Supplier Showcase from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, 14 October, at the Petersen Events Center.
4. The Opening Reception and Technology Showcase returns this year with a special exhibit of new technologies recently developed by local academic researchers. Come and mingle with them and potential investors, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, 14 October.
5. Maryrose Franko, PhD, of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute will be the featured speaker at a special professional development workshop designed especially for researchers in the early stages of their careers.
6. Two poster sessions highlighting recent research by students, post-docs, and faculty will be complemented this year by the Undergraduate Research Poster Reception.
For details, go to www.science2009.pitt.edu. All Science2009 events are free and open to the public.
| Posted in FundScience News, Research Resources | 1 Comment »
FundScience Collaborates with Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
08.11.09 by FundScience
FundScience and the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center(PSC) have agreed to work together on the common goal of broadening research resources available to scientists and the public. PSC provides university, government, and industrial researchers with access to high-performance computing (HPC), communications and data-handling technologies. As a result of the partnership with PSC, applicants eligible for the grants funded and facilitated by FundScience will have an option to qualify for access to PSC’s HPC resources. PSC will also provide computing resources for FundScience .
The FundScience grant application, which will be soon posted on the FundScience website, will include information required to receive a PSC starter grant. The donation is subject to the applicant qualifying for a FundScience grant and subject to final approval by PSC. FundScience is working on establishing similar partnerships with organizations across the country in order to service a broader population.
About PSC:
The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center is a joint effort of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh together with Westinghouse Electric Company. Established in 1986, PSC is supported by several federal agencies, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and private industry, and is a partner in the National Science Foundation TeraGrid program.
FundScience Receives $100,000 Donation
06.26.09 by FundScience
FundScience Receives $100,000 Donation
Pittsburgh, PA – June 21, 2009
FundScience, an organization dedicated to enabling public funding of scientific research projects, announced today that it has received its first corporate donation in the amount of $100,000. The donation was received from Check Giant, a financial services company. This initial donation will support first year operating costs and allow FundScience to carry out its central goals, including the funding of small research projects.
About FundScience
FundScience is an online charitable organization which aims to create an open platform for funding the research of promising young scientists. Its mission is to generate start-up funding for pilot projects while raising public awareness of basic research. Founded in 2008 by David Vitrant and Mark Friedgan with the goal of creating a virtual collaborative ecosystem for scientists and the general public, by drawing on the growing online giving market as well as social networking , thus promoting science education and reducing the average age of independent scientists. FundScience is based in Pittsburgh, PA, USA and is currently accepting public donations. For more information, visit http://fundscience.org.
Media Contact:
Getting The Public Invested in Science
06.25.09 by FundScience
Below is a reprint of our most recent press release. Read the actual press release here.
Getting The Public Invested in Science
Pittsburgh, PA – June 1, 2009
FundScience is an online charitable organization which aims to create an open platform for funding the research of promising young scientists. Its mission is to generate start-up funding for pilot projects while raising public awareness of basic research. The organization intends to fill a well recognized funding gap of the major players in research funding: the government, foundations and the private sector, which tend to focus on seasoned scientists. FundScience identifies itself alongside these groups but provides an unconventional source of funding by drawing on the growing online giving market as well as social networking.
FundScience has discovered a market that is excluded by the current funding process: young researchers needing small amounts of funding to initiate research projects and create the data necessary for accessing larger and more sustainable forms of funding. By communicating these funding opportunities to the general public in an accessible fashion FundScience can help these young researchers generate the funds necessary to get their research started. By providing opportunities for these researchers at an earlier stage in their career, FundScience can lower the average age of researchers receiving large funding grants, provide money for training, and get young researchers trained for the competitive grant writing environment. It aims to educate the public about science and the research process, from grant writing to funding, all the way to the results, enabling everyone to be a part of scientific discovery. FundScience will create an ecosystem for scientists to collaborate with each other and general public.
FundScience has engaged scientists from various fields to leverage the well trusted peer review process to vet submitted projects prior to public review. For projects determined as viable by peer review FundScience will provide a platform to enable active and open communication between the researchers and members of the community in order to engage the public in the details as well as enable these projects to receive donations. FundScience provides additional resources by publishing general interest science articles on its blog and is in the process of securing free access to tools to assist scientists in collecting and processing data.
Later this year FundScience will put out its first open call for projects.
FundScience has been established and managed by two former Carnegie Mellon roommates, David Vitrant and Mark Friedgan. In the first couple of months of the organization’s existence it captured the attention of many publications and was featured in Science, The Scientist, and was picked up by several blogs. Mark’s philosophy of leveraging open technologies to drive success in an online business can also be found in his recent interview with Forbes.com.
FundScience Enters Social Media
06.23.09 by FundScience
Social media is not new. Sites like MySpace and Facebook have been around for years, and social media is increasingly becoming a meeting place for professionals seeking to connect and network with other professionals from around the world. As science continues to move toward more openness, more and more scientists and research organizations are embracing social media for its limitless opportunities to network and share ideas. Collaboration is the most efficient method of doing science, and open science is the future of scientific research. Providing a mechanism for open science is one of the primary goals of FundScience. We will be discussing this topic much more on this site in the future. Until then, you can connect with FundScience on Twitter @fundscience and on Facebook.
More resources for scientists in social media:
Social Media for Scientists: Video Resources for Life Science Researchers (via San Diego Biotechnology Network)
Social Media for Scientists (via San Diego Biotechnology Network)
Social Media for Scientists (via Sciencebase)
Scientists and social media (via Pharma Strategy Blog)
Scientists Use Social Media (via The Scholarly Kitchen)
Twitter links scientists, writers, geeks and more (via examiner.com)
Spreading Science to the Masses
05.29.09 by Daniel Gaddy
One of the key goals of FundScience is to provide a fun, interactive method to educate the public regarding the science that directly affects their lives. Interestingly enough, a lot of other people are now attempting to do the same thing. I was listening to NPR’s Science Friday just now and host Ira Flatow was discussing DNA Art with two artists who incorporate DNA and genetics into their artwork. Furthermore, yesterday The Scientist had an article about GQ magazine’s “Rock Stars of Science” spread, which organizers “hope will help heighten the public’s awareness of these biologists and their work while showcasing the need for greater science funding.” In addition, last week Nature News profiled SciFlies, an organization very similar to FundScience. Their website has the following to say:
At SciFlies.org, we envision a world in which people have a better awareness of how science supports them sustains their well being. Our mission is to create a movement that connects people from all walks of life with scientists and researchers, and provides a vehicle for them to fund micro-research projects that expedite the discovery of new breakthroughs and advance scientific progress in labs across the globe.
Using social networks, video, new media, and other online tools, we want to broaden the experience of discovery for everyone, especially young people. Getting kids excited about careers in science, technology, engineering and math is a great way to ensure the competitiveness of our nation and improve the quality of life for people everywhere.
We believe scientists are heroes. If you do too, please investigate the work of the scientists and researchers showcased on this web site and support them with a donation.
This suggests that many groups within our society are independently coming to the conclusion that science is interesting and needs increased public awareness. More importantly, funding for science is an absolute necessity. It is time for the scientific community to embrace modern, “outside-the-box” methods of funding, including avenues such as FundScience and SciFlies. Public funding for scientific research is a largely untapped reservoir. While some segments of our society may be resistant, I think the majority are thirsting for science, technology, innovation and information. The problem is reaching these people, and letting them know how they can participate and help. This is where organizations such as FundScience come in. However, in order for us to grow and be successful, we need your help. Spread the word about FundScience – tell your friends, family and coworkers about us. You can now follow us on Twitter @fundscience and we are working on moving into other social media sites. Finally, we are now accepting public donations, so if you feel that what we are trying to do is important, please consider supporting us.
Getting some press
11.26.08 by Mark
We’ve recently been written up in The Scientist. Alla Katsnelson did a short piece on us for The Scientist’s community and we’re getting positive responses in other blogs and media. We have some much more interesting news mentions coming next week though.