Crowdfunded Research May Be Wave Of Future As Government, Foundation Funding Dries Up
In related news, some members of Congress are concerned that the incoming Trump administration will not support greater funding for the National Institutes of Health.
East Bay Times:
It Takes A Village For Science? UCSC Researcher Turn To Crowdfunding To Fund Projects
Stymied by futile attempts to fund research into the lead poisoning of eagles, a UC Santa Cruz scientist has resorted to asking for contributions online. “It’s a little frustrating to not get traction because I feel like we’ve done so many good conservation things with the science we’ve done,” said Myra Finkelstein, a wildlife toxicologist. “I do science that can directly be used to help animals.” Finkelstein is hardly alone. Researchers facing a severe shortage of government and foundation funding are increasingly using “crowdfunding” as a way to get their projects off the ground. (Derouin, 12/12)
McClatchy:
Some Lawmakers Want More Money For Medical Research But President-Elect Trump May Not Agree
With a stroke of his pen on Tuesday, President Barack Obama will commit billions of dollars in federal funds to boost medical research, including money for Vice President Joe Biden’s “moonshot” to cure cancer. But the budget increase for the National Institutes of Health authorized in the 21st Century Cures Act is smaller than hoped for by some conservative lawmakers, including Rep. Kevin Yoder and Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas and Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt. The three Republicans say the bill doesn’t go far enough, and they’ll keep working to build up the NIH’s budget. (Wise, 12/12)