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1 | Name | Site | End Date | Requested | Received | Goal Met? | URL | Description (Edited for Length) | Marked as Citizen Science | Type | |||||||||||||||||
2 | White Earth Nation in Minnesota: Water Monitoring to Ensure Healthy Wild Rice | Experiment.com | 11/26/2014 | $6,500.00 | https://experiment.com/projects/white-earth-nation-in-minnesota-water-monitoring-to-ensure-healthy-wild-rice?s=discover | White Earth Department of Natural Resources is only able to monitor 15 lakes annually, out of over 300 square miles of lakes and rivers. This project will allow White Earth residents to monitor the rest of those lakes and rivers. We will work with the White Earth Nation to understand how land use changes, pollution, and climate change impact the chemistry of the lakes where tribal members harvest Wild Rice. Members will collect and analyze data using easy-to-use sensors and a database we build with their help and input. Wild Rice is food, economic opportunity, and a cultural touchstone; understanding the lakes it grows on will help people protect it. It is important that the measurements are taken by people who know and care about the area and that the data is community owned. Community meetings will ensure community partnership in all stages of the project. New low-cost sensors mean that even people who are not professional scientists can collect good quality data needed to make decisions and protect wild rice. We also need money to build a friendly, easy-to-use, easy-to-maintain data base. Supporting a student is a good way to get work done and help advance education. Travel is essential because face-to-face interaction builds trust. Stretch goals include curriculum materials for students and tools to help community members analyze the data. | Community-Based Environmental Research | ||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Solving Critical Water Issues on Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota | Experiment.com | 12/6/2014 | 5000 | https://experiment.com/projects/solving-critical-water-issues-on-pine-ridge-reservation-south-dakota?s=discover | The population of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota possesses one the highest cancer clusters among Native Americans and the United States at large. Metal contamination from well water is suspected to be a major contributor. This project will develop an understanding of the broader scale hydrology, aquifer chemistry, and geology across 2 burrows within the reservation to determine the extent of metal contamination. Previous water analyses were focused near the city or the piped rural water project, rural wells and aquifers have not been characterized. Very little information is accessible to the tribal members so they have reached out to us to help them. We are a small non profit that requires 100% grant funding for our projects. Our program is working will all the active groups that are concerned about water quality. This united effort will provide an overall sampling strategy, GIS mapping of the data, and hydrological mapping to understand water quality across the reservation. This project is Phase I of five phases that will quantify water quality across the entire reservation. | Community-Based Environmental Research | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Discovering Dynamic Tide Pool Conditions in Washington State | Experiment.com | 12/13/2014 | 2000 | https://experiment.com/projects/discovering-dynamic-tide-pool-conditions-in-washington-state?s=discover | What conditions do marine life in tide pools cope with on a yearly basis and do the unique physical traits of the tide pool's region influence tide pool conditions or how marine life use these microhabitats? Additionally, we want to use the knowledge gained through this project as a launching point for a mobile app that could allow citizen scientists to log data about tide pools and identify species in the intertidal zone. Citizen scientists need simple water quality meters to get basic abiotic measurements of the tide pools. Our budget accounts for maintenance of these meters. Purchasing water quality meters will be our main focus for the launch of our project. The app is a complementary project but ultimately not part of our primary budget. We will work on developing it without expenses and reevaluate that if we were to exceed our goal. | Community-Based Environmental Research | ||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Something is wrong on the Internet: What does the science blogger do? | Experiment.com | 11/14/2014 | 1000 | 1525 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/something-is-wrong-on-the-internet-what-does-the-science-blogger-do?s=discover | he goal of this project is to understand how science bloggers choose what to write about. What makes them write about Ebola? Gender inequality in science? Bad science on the internet? I'm doing interviews and a survey to find out. My survey of science bloggers includes over 70 intriguing questions. I need to offer a small financial incentive to help science bloggers, who often make little money despite their important task in the science news ecosystem, complete my survey. If I reach my funding goal with this project, I will be able to compensate the first 200 science bloggers who take my survey at least $5 each. I'll do this via Amazon e-gift codes revealed to each participant once they complete my survey. | Publications | ||||||||||||||||||
6 | Crowdcuring the blues: People, technology, and research against depression | Experiment.com | 7/15/2013 | 10000 | 10000 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/crowdcuring-the-blues-ending-depression-for-good?s=discover | Depression is a single label used to represent mental problems with a wide diversity of distinct biological roots. The challenge of discovering and understanding the true roots of depression is complex but critical if we hope to end the suffering that millions still face daily. We are developing an infrastructure to collect, organize and interpret data in a way that can be accessed and analyzed by scientists (including citizen scientists) and researchers across the globe. | Other | ||||||||||||||||||
7 | Does remote computer training help expand STEM enrollment in East Africa. Is so, how? | Experiment.com | 3/28/2014 | 3271 | 3509 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/can-free-and-remote-computer-training-expand-stem-enrollment-in-east-africa?s=discover | Kenyan and Tanzanian secondary school students are learning computer science directly through MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and remote mentorship training by networks of volunteer web developers. We want to answer the question "Do MOOCs or mentoring or some unique combination of both lead to a rise in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) graduates in East Africa?" | Education | ||||||||||||||||||
8 | Creating youth historians: how can history increase urban students' academic literacies | Experiment.com | 10/29/2013 | 2500 | 3100 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/creating-youth-historians-how-can-history-increase-urban-students-academic-literacies?s=discover | Brilliant children in urban schools all across the country continue to achieve at low academic levels, particularly in history. To address this, educational research has relied on macro-level policies that fail to explore what actually matters: the learning processes of urban youth. The Youth Historians in Harlem (YHH) study explores how using historical process methodologies and a youth-driven, community-focused curriculum can engage disengaged students, and improve the critical thinking and academic literacy skills needed for success. | Education | ||||||||||||||||||
9 | Leukippos: An open synthetic biology lab in the cloud | Experiment.com | 7/4/2013 | 799 | 800 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/leukippos-an-open-synthetic-biology-lab-in-the-cloud?s=discover | Help us take open science to London! We submitted two papers produced by our synthetic biology lab to the International Workshop on Bio Design Automation that will take place this July in London, and got accepted. But we need your help to cover the registration fees, and travel costs for one of our members. Please lend us a hand and support open science! All funding will go towards purchasing parts from which the chromatograph will be assembled. | Equipment and Supplies | ||||||||||||||||||
10 | ChromatogaDIY: Open-source chromatography effort | Experiment.com | 4/3/2014 | 1210 | 1427 | https://experiment.com/projects/chromatogradiy-open-source-chromatography-effort?s=discover | ChromatograDIY is a Gas Chromatograph I am building from scratch. I am using open-source firmware and software for electronic equipment control/data acquisition such asArduino-based micro-controllers and OpenChromsoftware. I am documenting all the steps I take to achieve this on the blog ChromatograDIY. Parts manufactured are built at the non-profit makerspaceTX/Rx Labs in Houston, where I am a member with a rented workspace. | Equipment and Supplies | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | Toward a thermostatistics for complex systems | Experiment.com | 8/27/2014 | 1500 | 1885 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/toward-a-thermostatistics-for-complex-systems?s=discover | Let's grow a community of researchers and science-lovers who are passionate about understanding complex systems. We will be working on an adaptation of Thermostatistics together for this purpose! Your contributions will provide a year-long runway for a collaborative infrastructure as well as educational materials for this emerging field. Apart from the community infrastructure your contributions will support, the majority of the funds raised will go toward the formation of a Complex Thermostatistics library (to be located initially at the Radius.com headquarters in San Francisco) as well as the development of educational materials for this field in the form of two video productions with separate audiences. The first video series will consist of 4 popular science videos covering the four laws of Thermodynamics, delivered at a fourth grade level. These videos will be given away to the public for free as a thank you to all our supporters. The second video series will consist of 10 "Khan academy"-style videos summarizing important insights gained from the purchased references, delivered at an upper-undergraduate level. These videos will be distributed initially to contributors before their contents are distilled into open-access publications. | Education | ||||||||||||||||||
12 | Can we trick cyanobacteria into growing faster | Experiment.com | 10/16/2014 | 200 | 200 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/can-we-trick-cyanobacteria-into-growing-faster?s=discover | Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic organisms that can be used to produce liquid biofuels. One of the biggest challenges with using cyanobacteria is that they grow rather slowly. Can we use plant hormones to increase biomass production in cyanobacteria cultures? Our group needs funding mainly because we are high school students who do not have an excessive amount of disposable income. Also, our lab is running over 16 different research projects so the amount of funding our school can provide to us is quite limited. Without this funding it is unlikely that we will be able to complete our research. | Other | ||||||||||||||||||
13 | Can anle138b delay the onset of genetic prion disease | Experiment.com | 9/28/2013 | 8000 | 17217 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/can-anle138b-delay-the-onset-of-genetic-prion-disease?s=discover | We learned in December 2011 that Sonia carries the D178N 129M mutation that causes fatal familial insomnia, a genetic prion disease. Since then, we've launched a personal quest to cure prion diseases. We changed our careers to become scientists, started a scientific blog, CureFFI.org and a non-profit research foundation, Prion Alliance. Prions - infectious proteins - cause fatal, untreatable neurodegenerative diseases. A promising new compound looks like it may be able to delay onset. Will it work against genetic forms of the disease? Funds will be spent on labor costs, mouse space and laboratory supplies. | Other | ||||||||||||||||||
14 | What's the condition of your lake, river, or coastline? Support SPLASSH and find out | Experiment.com | 8/12/2014 | 1973 | 2126 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/what-s-the-condition-of-your-lake-river-or-coastline-support-splassh-and-find-out?s=discover | SPLASSH will capture and share the vast amounts of information about water that is collected by students, citizen scientists, and researchers so that we may understand the current conditions of our lakes, rivers, and coastlines. Clean water is crucial to a healthy environment and economy. Our mission is to inspire water conservation so that we may better protect our waterways for the future. The raised funds from this campaign will fund the development of a gamification feature for SPLASSH (http://splasshdata.meteor.com) and aide in the dissemination of this highly engaging citizen science outreach tool, which will revolutionize the way we think about water. | Community-Based Environmental Research | ||||||||||||||||||
15 | Discovering Backyard Biodersity in South Dakota | Experiment.com | 3/7/2014 | 3000 | 3149 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/discovering-backyard-biodiversity-in-south-dakota?s=discover | Many people know that pollinators (especially bees) are in trouble due to habitat loss, improper pesticide use, diseases, and environmental changes. This program gives South Dakotans a chance to participate in pollinator research directly by observing and reporting pollinator activity in their own backyards. In return for their efforts, project participants will learn how to create and conserve pollinator habitat in their community. | Community-Based Environmental Research | ||||||||||||||||||
16 | Building a gel imager on a budget | Experiment.com | 2/24/2014 | 200 | 220 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/building-a-gel-imager-on-a-budget?s=discover | Does science always have to be this expensive or does it feel like we are getting ripped off sometimes? Gel imagers, like most scientific equipment, are cost prohibitive (read overpriced), but we are trying to build our own from basic equipment on a tight budget. We will document the process and the results for others in need of an economical gel imager to follow. | Equipment and Supplies | ||||||||||||||||||
17 | HiveBio community lab - education, resources, community | Experiment.com | 12/31/2013 | 6588 | 7428 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/hivebio-community-lab-education-resources-community?s=discover | HiveBio Community Lab is a citizen science organization focused on providing the Pacific Northwest with bioscience resources, education, and community. We offer classes, lab space and a community of like-minded individuals in exchange for a monthly membership. Your funds will be used to support 10 one month desk memberships and 4 runs of our Basic Molecular Biology course that teaches DNA isolation, PCR, and gel eletrophoresis to members. | Education | ||||||||||||||||||
18 | The DIG Field School: Hands on paleontology experiences for K-12 science teachers | Experiment.com | 7/7/2013 | 10000 | 10470 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/the-dig-field-school?s=discover | The DIG Field School helps make science exciting and relevant for students by giving teachers the chance to be part of real paleontology research and bring that research into their classrooms. Teachers dig up dinosaurs and other fossils, get professional development, and students get real inquiry-based science projects and activities - everybody wins! Wondering what exactly teachers do during the DIG Field School? Check out our video! See footage and photos from the field and hear from teachers from our 2012 Field School. | Education | ||||||||||||||||||
19 | Can we biologically extend the range of human vision into near infrared | Experiment.com | 10/14/2013 | 4000 | 4060 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/can-we-biologically-extend-the-range-of-human-vision-into-the-near-infrared?s=discover | Can human sight be augmented to see into the near infrared range through human formation of porphyropsin, the protein complex which grants infrared vision to freshwater fish? While the ability to see outside the normal range of human perception is, in of itself, fairly exciting, being able to do so without cumbersome electronic equipment is doubly so. The research results will be free, open source, and replicable by the layperson. Performed by Science for the Masses - We are a group of research minded individuals from a variety of backgrounds interested in exploring non-institutional open source science. We are interested everyone having access to the research materials and tools that are usually only accessible to large organizations like universities. Our team consists of professionals in research, the health care industry, and technical design. | Traditional Research | ||||||||||||||||||
20 | Urban Pollination: susain native bees & urban crops | Experiment.com | 1/11/2013 | 3500 | 3540 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/urban-pollination-sustain-native-bees-urban-crops?s=discover | To find out how pollinator services from bumblebees affect crop production in Seattle’s urban community gardens, we study cherry tomato yield. Cherry tomatoes can produce some fruits through self-pollination, but the number and size of fruits increases when they are buzz pollinated by bumblebees (honeybees and many other bees can’t buzz pollinate). We look at differences in pollination efficiency and bee abundance between different urban farming locations. Using the yield of cherry tomatoes as a proxy, we will determine which features of the urban landscape (land use, pesticide use, etc) most affect bee abundance and consequent urban crop yield. Volunteer citizen scientists, including P-patch gardeners and K-12 classrooms from all over the city, will grow 3 experimental tomato plants: an open-pollinated control (a regular plant), a self-pollinated plant (covered with a net so bees cannot pollinate flowers), and a plant that receives extra “buzz pollination” with a tuning fork | Yes | Community-Based Environmental Research | |||||||||||||||||
21 | Climate change threats to the American Pika | Experiment.com | 11/30/2013 | $2,000.00 | $2,000.00 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/climate-change-threats-to-the-american-pika/abstract | The American pika, a rabbit-relative that lives in the mountains of western North America, has been widely referred to as a "canary in the coal mine" for climate change. Adaptations that allow the pika to survive cold, snowy winters make them poorly suited to warmer temperatures and climate change has already caused some low elevation populations to go extinct. Models predict that, over the next century, climate change could cause pikas to lose as much as 90% of their range. But there is a large amount of uncertainty in exactly how threatened pikas are by climate change and more data is needed to untangle the the interacting factors that control pika distribution and abundance. My goals for this project are: (1) to collect biogeographic and behavioral data that will help create a more precise picture of how pikas will fare in the future, and (2) Working with Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation, I will teach a group of high school students about pikas and working as a conservation biologist durring a backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevadas. | Community-Based Environmental Research | ||||||||||||||||||
22 | Can we use ultraviolet light to identify bats with white nose syndrome | Experiment.com | 11/3/2013 | $2,150.00 | $2,160.00 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/can-we-use-ultraviolet-light-to-identify-bats-that-have-survived-white-nose-syndrome?s=discover | Bats exposed to the deadly fungal agent causing white nose syndrome exhibit a unique fluorescence under long wave ultra violet light. We seek to compare these bats with those who have not been exposed to this disease to establish ultra violet light as an accurate and non-lethal field tool for assessing bat exposure to white nose syndrome. John Gumbs (principal researcher) is a caver, cave rescue, technical rope rescue, and abandoned mine rescue provider. Has 23 years experience as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator (specializing in raptors and orthopedic surgery), works in an emergency room, and is self taught in wildlife and biology. Has worked with bat biologists for 10 years, and due to a fluorescent mineral background, came up with the idea of using UV to investigate Pd. | Traditional Research | ||||||||||||||||||
23 | Anthropawlogy: The Science of Humaneity | IndieGoGo | 8/12/2013 | $2,000.00 | $930.00 | No | http://igg.me/at/anthropawlogytrip/x | I'm a 22 year old from good ol' Philadelphia. I work in the Pennsylvania SPCA's shelter hospital where we care for victims of cruelty and neglect and maintain the health of animals waiting for their new homes. Shelters and rescues are evolving quickly and I want to document these changes and successful practices. With my findings I plan to: 1) Create an online database/forum that can be used as a communication tool between animal shelters and rescues. This will alleviate reoccuring problems in some shelters where others have overcome the same obstacle. This database can also be used to find sanctuary for some more urgent and specific cases. 2) Work tirelessly with dedicated volunteers and staff members to slowly test out and apply new programs/protocols/procedures to the PSPCA. These practices will be drawn from the analysis of successful systems throughout the country. Make donation care packages for each shelter/rescue from items that I will be gathering from several drop-off boxes throughout Philly (see below for list of drop-off sites). | Other | ||||||||||||||||||
24 | BIOARTNERGY: Festival of open science in Indonesia | IndieGoGo | 11/24/2014 | $1,500.00 | http://igg.me/at/bioartnergy/x | In BIOARTNERGY we combine biosciences with art in the form of installations, hands on workshops and various media work. We collaborate with many artists around Yogyakarta and once per year we try to show the bio-art produced by citizen science communities in our festival on Open Science and Art. By this campaign we want to share and publish our movement as students to give more education for public about the importance of bioscience in unique and creative way! | Science-Based Art | ||||||||||||||||||||
25 | Raising money for a 3-d printer | IndieGoGo | 5/10/2014 | $500.00 | $190.00 | http://igg.me/at/3dmadscience/x | Hi, my name is Jason Benson. I moonlight as a maker, tinkerer, and general creator of gadgetry. My projects in the past have ranged from musical instruments, to wearable computers, to virtual reality tools, and clock-work automatons. I've had a lot of jobs but my first career was as a 3d animator and designer. Back in those days I dreamed of someday being able to bring my 3d creations into the physical world, and now that looks like it is finally within my grasp. I've been watching the development of 3d printers for years, but they have always been far more expensive than I could hope to afford. Now though, there is one available at a low enough price that I just might be able to get it with a little help. With a tool like this I know I'll be able to take my tinkering and inventing to the next level. With custom printed parts there is no end to the trouble I could get into. | Equipment and Supplies | |||||||||||||||||||
26 | Neurobureau, art at HBM 2013 | IndieGoGo | 6/10/2013 | $6,500.00 | $3,845.00 | No | http://igg.me/at/neurobureau-hbm2013/x | The neurobureau is a non-profit organization that supports “open neuroscience” — embracing the ideas that data, methods, and ideas can be freely shared. We are mostly scientists working in the field of brain mapping, as well as artists and curators interested in the brain (see here for a list of members). Since 2011, we have tried to push the boundaries between art and neuroscience during the Human Brain Mapping (HBM) conference. The HBM is the largest scientific conference exclusively dedicated to the field of brain mapping, with close to 3000 scientists attending. We want to organize three events: a brain-art show, where established artists who work on the brain and the mind will display their work directly at the heart the conference. Some of the artists may attend to start collaborating with scientists. a brain-art competition, where scientists are invited to submit their most beautiful illustrations of the brain. a brain-art gala, where the winners of the brain-art competition are announced. | Gatherings | ||||||||||||||||||
27 | Hudson Praxis: Aquarium, art, and natural science center | IndieGoGo | 5/9/2014 | $10,000.00 | $10,365.00 | Yes | http://igg.me/at/HudsonPraxis/x | Hudson Praxis is a group of volunteers who are interested in helping to build an aquarium/history museum in Hudson, NY. We have filed for non-profit status and are considering potential board members and fundraising strategies. We have a fiscal sponsor and, thus far have received some small donations towards our mission. Currently, we are working to inform the city of our ideas and direction as we move forward with public outreach, fundraising, press packages, stakeholders conferences, investment presentations, feasibility study, etc. Our campaign is intended to raise funds to support professional fees associated with feasibility studies, community based idea/planning sessions, and concept development, all of which are critical to elements to moving forward with this project. | Buildings and Spaces | ||||||||||||||||||
28 | Power up the voice of the scientific crowd | IndieGoGo | 6/11/2013 | $124,000.00 | $703.00 | no | http://igg.me/at/euroscientist/x | Guess why we need a new type of science magazine in Europe? After all, there are science sections in most newspapers and there is a variety of science blogs on the web. We need the Euroscientist precisely because, through such a forum, the science community can share their views on what matters to wider society at large. What is so unique about our idea is that it gives you, as scientists, an opportunity to directly express your opinions outside the constraining format of scientific publications, without having to battle the jungle of traditional media to be heard. Why does the world need this? Because it gives back to scientists an opportunity to engage in citizen journalism. Our vision is to ensure that the Euroscientist reflects, in an independent manner, the diversity of voices of the science community on matters related to European research, that are relevant to wider society. We are asking for your support to make the Euroscientist a collaborative and quality certified platform. In order to be able to involve content contributors, freelance science journalists, illustrators, photographers, and copy editors, etc., we are estimating the annual costs of the webzine at €100,000. If we do not reach this goal we will use your contribution to run the Euroscientist as long as we can. | Publications | ||||||||||||||||||
29 | Mozilla festival East Africa | IndieGoGo | 7/26/2014 | $10,000.00 | $2,863.00 | No | http://igg.me/at/mozfestea/x | We sought out your support to make the first-ever Mozilla Festival East Africa a success in 2014. We just concluded the event on July 13th, 2014 and it was awesome but we need your help, it was pulled off on credit since the campaign hadn't reached the goal yet. Opening the Mozilla Maker Party summer campaign, our festival has just led the charge on spreading web literacy and open source technologies to educators and students in East Africa. There are so many brilliant innovators in East Africa who have developed web solutions that could make this world even better, but they do not have a platform to show what they have done or to reach out for help. At the festival, we created visibility for existing innovation initiatives, brain storm on ideas and built prototypes for these ideas, formed teams, collaborations, and networks to drive these ideas to maturity. This was the first and largest annual festival of its kind in Africa. | Gatherings | ||||||||||||||||||
30 | Handbook of Gemmology | IndieGoGo | 12/28/2012 | $10,000.00 | $50.00 | No | http://igg.me/p/286847/x | I am seeking support to publish my new textbook about the science of gemmology and the identification of gemstones. Containing over 675 colour photographs, illustrations and diagrams from 130 different contributors, ‘The Handbook of Gemmology’ is divided into three distinct sections and is the most up to date gemmological reference book available today. The first section covers the science of gemmology, including the chemical nature of gemstones, their physical, chemical and optical properties, basic crystallography, the absorption of light, the spectroscope, polarized light, the polariscope, pleochroism, the dichroscope, colour filters, specific gravity, luminescence, magnification, thermal conductivity, imitation, assembled and synthetic gemstones, enhancements, mining, gem cutting and grading. The centre section includes over 125 colour plates by internationally renowned gem photographer Tino Hammid. These not only include photographs that were originally published by Modern Jeweler in the two books he co-authored with David Federman but also many new photographs. The third section covers gem identification and includes twelve chapters covering the identification of gemstones based on their colour and transparency plus natural, cultured and imitation pearls and advanced gem testing techniques. | Publications | ||||||||||||||||||
31 | Citizen Science and Sankofa Global | IndieGoGo | 11/21/2013 | $75,000.00 | $2,030.00 | No | http://igg.me/at/SankofaGlobal/x | Giving freedom to underrepresented students to build websites for information, access, and entry into S.T.E.M. careers. As a single mother of two daughters, I am committed to make that my girls, and all students, have every opportunity to increase their interests AND access to opportunities in the S.T.E.A.M. fields. My venture, The Sankofa Global Project, is making a difference in the lives of middle school and high school students. We are raising money for over 250 underrepresented students in the Bay Area of San Francisco to participate in Citizen Science Workshops. "Citizen Science" is a fantastic way for students to engage in scientific research projects. These nine-week workshops will give the students the freedom and the tools to engage in critical thinking and problem-solving, using creativity and collaboration, to explore education and career opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. The websites the students build, with the support of facilitators and volunteers, will reflect their interests in various educational, career, and global opportunities which they can share with their immediate communities, neighboring communities, and communities around the United States. Donated funds will go directly to support all Seven Citizen Science Workshops: · Program Development - Examples: Curriculum, Planning, and Implementation · Materials and Class Supplies for Students - Examples: Computing Devices, White Boards · Facilitators and Training - Design Thinking Workshops – Crucial! · Program Manager & Mentors - Accountability, Oversight, and Inspiration! | Education | ||||||||||||||||||
32 | Encouraging students to ask questions, publishing their scientific findings | IndieGoGo | 1/15/2013 | $5,000.00 | $2,500.00 | No | http://igg.me/p/216059/x | The Journal of Emerging Investigators is a new science journal dedicated to publishing the science research articles from middle and high school students. We provide students the opportunity to submit their research articles and gain feedback about their science and writing from graduate students and post-docs, with the ultimate goal to publish their findings in our open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal. The work submitted by students may come from classroom-based projects, science fair projects, or other forms of mentor-supervised research. | Publications | ||||||||||||||||||
33 | Designing & implementing the first Makerspace at a children's hospital | IndieGoGo | 5/27/2014 | $5,000.00 | $2,085.00 | No | http://igg.me/at/projectmach/x | Opening up the world of science and imagination at children's hospitals. Brandon is a bright and aspiring high school senior whose goal is to become an engineer. Unfortunately Brandon contracted Leukemia and was in the hospital for treatment. At the time, the hospital did not have the resources to support his educational goals, so they reached out to me after hearing that I was applying tangible learning tools in schools as part of my Ph.D. research. I provided Brandon with a "Mystery Box" comprised of a variety of digital and physical materials, such as an Arduino, LEDs, a string, a plastic cup, an eraser and LEGOs, and asked him to design and make anything he could imagine. Overnight, Brandon designed and built a nurse night-light that would sufficiently illuminate a patients bathroom, allowing nurses to determine if any trash needed to be disposed of, without turning on a bright light and waking the patient and others in the room. Brandon saw a problem and came up with a remedy using the materials at hand, just like an engineer. I am embarking on the design and creation of a Makerspace that can support creative and intellectually empowering experiences experiences for the patients, their families and loved ones. It is in this phase of design and creation that I ask for your help and financial support. This innovative, mobile, maker environment will have a variety of materials, physical and digital, to work with that can be taken around to the children. Children are invited to design, play and make things using the given materials. This mobile Makerspace will not only provide children with creative outlets and learning opportunities but also an occasion for the hospital to explore new avenues in patient care. | Equipment and Supplies | ||||||||||||||||||
34 | Science education for adults | IndieGoGo | 12/11/2014 | $7,000.00 | Ongoing | http://igg.me/at/scienceforadults/x | By supporting this campaign, you can help adults in our society become more scientifically literate. We at Via Productions create fun, relevant, and engaging ways for adults to learn about science, through live events like Science on Tap (a science lecture with beer), through our new podcast A Scientist Walks Into A Bar, and our YouTube channel featuring videos of our events. Since 2006, the Via Productions team has been educating adults through hundreds of events all over Oregon and southern Washington. We want to continue providing educational opportunities for adults in the Portland and Vancouver areas, as well as expanding our podcast and YouTube offerings so we can reach people all over the country and the world. | Education | |||||||||||||||||||
35 | Ice warriors quest for the inaccessible pole | IndieGoGo | 1/6/2015 | $117,750.00 | Ongiong | http://igg.me/at/north-pole-quest/x | Citizen science in the extreme. Be a part of the Last World First in the Polar Regions. In February 2015, the Ice Warrior Project is undertaking one of the most significant and ambitious polar expeditions of our time; to be the first expedition in history to reach the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility, carrying out crucial scientific research along our journey. The Ice Warrior Project is unique. Founded by Jim McNeill, an accomplished polar veteran with over 30 years's extreme expeditioning, the remaining team-members are ordinary people from all walks of life, with little or no experience of polar explorations, pushing themselves to their limits for the benefit of modern-day exploration and scientific advancement. To the very centre of the Arctic Ocean - for the first time in history The Northern Pole of Inaccessibility is defined as the most distant point from land; the very centre of the Arctic Ocean. Our transect is an 800 mile journey from the northern shores of Canada. As Scientific American put it: "Of all the places on the surface of the Earth, few are harder to reach than the appropriately named north pole of inaccessibility." It remains the last truly significant place in the Polar Regions yet to be reached by mankind. | Traditional Research | |||||||||||||||||||
36 | Rapid coral reef surveying for citizen science | IndieGoGo | 4/6/2014 | $500.00 | $810.00 | Yes | http://igg.me/at/reefhugger/x | Develop methods of rapid and extensive coral reef data gathering using GoPros. Coral reefs need our help! All of our help! Coral reefs are stressed from things like pollution, climate change, overfishing and disease, but some coral reefs cope with these things better than others. So, why is that? What is it about the coral reefs that can handle human impacts that is different from those that can't? Answering that question requires a LOT of data. More data than any scientific team can collect on their own. Luckily, coral reefs are adored and visited by divers all over the world, whose combined underwater time is astronomically large compared to coral reef ecologists. My dream is to equip every interested diver with a simple, readily available tool for data gathering - a GoPro! From just a video of a reef, we can learn so many things like who is there, what they're up to, how neighbors are interacting with each other and why they're there. These data allow us build a comprehensive model of how all of the interacting parts come together to be a functioning and beautiful coral reef ecosystem! | Yes | Community-Based Environmental Research | |||||||||||||||||
37 | Birds of the Grenadines: A synthesis of scientific & local knowledge | IndieGoGo | 5/25/2014 | $4,000.00 | $4,060.00 | Yes | http://igg.me/at/grenadines-birds/x | An initiative to document local knowledge from Grenadine citizens to create a comprehensive avian field guide for the transboundary Grenadine islands. The transboundary Grenadine islands are divided between the small island developing states (SIDS) of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada, and derive their economies largely from foreign tourism and fisheries. These 50+ islands and cays (the largest of which is only 32 km2) are biologically rich and diverse, yet extremely fragile and vulnerable to environmental change and developmental pressures. In an area where there is an increasingly intense demand for such little space, we strive to encourage both foreign and community-driven stewardship of species and their habitats. To do this, we are in the process of creating a comprehensive, user-friendly avian field guide, which includes scientific and local ecological knowledge (LEK) and folklore from Grenadine citizens, and showcases a collection of photographs taken within the Caribbean. This guide will be a valuable resource for training local bird monitors, educating the general public, promoting sustainable tourism initiatives, enhancing the overall conservation and management of Grenadine resources, and will be useful to both locals and foreigners with an interest in the avifauna of the region. Specific goals for this project are to: Preserve LEK and cultural heritage unique to the Grenadine islands; Instill a sense of pride, ownership, and community-driven stewardship for the natural resources of the Grenadines; Educate tourists about the natural history of the region, while promoting Grenadines-specific environmentally conscious and sustainable tourism initiatives; Produce a valuable resource for local participation in conservation and management initiatives (e.g. monitoring) by compiling several regionally specific multi-disciplinary datasets; and Continue the existing momentum of participatory research and community outreach in the region. | Community-Based Environmental Research | ||||||||||||||||||
38 | Exogen Bio - How damaged is your DNA | IndieGoGo | 3/26/2014 | $50,000.00 | $106,100.00 | Yes | http://igg.me/at/exogenbio/x | Gain access to leading edge information about the health of your DNA while helping advance science! We believe that everyone should personally know how their environment and lifestyle choices are affecting the health of their DNA. Exogen's campaign is a citizen science project that wants to give individuals like you access to leading edge technology to monitor your DNA for damage. Benefits to You. By participating in our citizen science campaign, you benefit by being one of the first individuals in the world to get state-of-the-art information about the health of your DNA. Why is this important to you? Scientists have linked DNA damage and poor repair to some cancers, neurological diseases, premature aging, and many other serious diseases. You might be surprised to learn that your DNA is constantly being damaged and broken. DNA damage can come from exposure to UV rays, medical x-rays, and chemical toxins. DNA damage can also result from lifestyle choices like diet and physical exercise. Your level of DNA damage may also be a reflection of your personal genetics. | Traditional Research | ||||||||||||||||||
39 | Sky Crystals - Unraveling the mysteries of snowflakes | IndieGoGo | 4/30/2013 | $15,000.00 | $25,516.00 | Yes | http://igg.me/at/skycrystals/x | Funding the production costs of a large 300-page hardcover book detailing the science, philosophy and photography of snowflakes. Photography is often a gateway to learning about the world around you. For as long as I have been a professional photographer, I have made the study and photography of snowflakes my winter passion. The project has taught me more than I could have imagined about physics, light, beauty and how we see the world. This book is the culmination of my snowflake project; I want to share all of my knowledge, images and inspiration with the world in a book that will last forever. The book will contain all of my snowflake images, and will detail every photographic and editing technique used in their creation – and I encourage you to try it for yourself! The book will also contain all of the science and physics of snowflakes that I can share without personally having a degree in molecular dynamics. I’ll keep the explanations easy to understand and graphic, but the science is fascinating and there are still many unanswered questions. The human mind will also be explored in this book, trying to unravel the mysteries of why we find snowflakes so beautiful and captivating. | Publications | ||||||||||||||||||
40 | Rocket Science | IndieGoGo | 7/30/2012 | $1,000.00 | $385.00 | No | http://igg.me/p/155127/x | I've invented rocket technology that will dramatically lower the cost of getting into orbit. Now, I want to test it. My name is Jesse Dutton and I'm a hacker. In an attempt to bring down the cost of getting into orbit, I've been hacking rockets. After three years of inventing and design, I'm ready to do some testing. My new rocket technology drastically changes the work-done-to-propellant-mass ratio of the rocket. This means that my rocket can be simpler (no crogenics or tank stirring, single stage to orbit, and no fancy materials). Simple means cheap. In this phase of the project, I'm raising money to prototype the engine, and test the thrust that it generates. I need $1000 to do this. Metal Shop work ($400) Pumps and other engine parts ($250) Hydrogen Peroxide ($150) Load cell, thermal sensors, and other test gear ($200) Anyone who donates at least $25 is welcome to come and participate in our large noisy test in the volcano fields that surround Flagstaff, AZ. If you can't make it to Flagstaff, don't worry. We will also be sending out DVDs of the engine test and project work to those who donate at least $25. Phase 2 of this project is to actually launch a rocket from the Gulf of Mexico. I will need $5000 to make that happen. If we don't raise at least $6000 during this campaign, we will do all the testing work above and then try to raise more money. However, we wanted to give people access to the phase 2 perks, which will be honored during phase 2, regardless of how we raise the money. | Yes | Device Creation | |||||||||||||||||
41 | Dotlens - The $10 smartphone microscope | IndieGoGo | 10/31/2014 | $12,000.00 | $3,156.00 | No | http://igg.me/at/dotlens/x | Bring science alive! We envision every student to have their very own microscope! Bring your very own microscope wherever you go! See things down to 1/100th the width of your hair! Yes, you can actually see SINGLE CELLS with your smartphone! To get started, attach the dotlens onto your smartphone camera! Dotlens: Works by attaching the lens directly onto your smartphone, no large barrels, no big attachments, just one single elegantly designed lens. Has an identical optical power as professional microscope lenses that cost ten to a hundred times more. Is easy to remove without residue. Contains a special hydrophobic and scratch resistant outer coating for easy cleaning. Is compatible with almost all smartphones and tablets. Use, and re-use, and re-use … there’s no limit to the number of times you can use the lens, and the adhesive does not weaken with time! | Device Creation | ||||||||||||||||||
42 | Yellow scope: A different type of science kit for girls | Kickstarter | 12/23/2014 | $25,000.00 | Ongoing | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/yellow-scope-science/yellow-scope-a-different-kind-of-science-kit-for-g?ref=nav_search | As scientists and moms, we believe every girl is a scientist at heart. We make rigorous science kits to spark her curiosity in STEM. We know that inside every girl is a scientist, but over time, girls pick up on societal cues that tell them that science is not for them - it's for boys. This message is reinforced in the toy aisle, where chemistry and physics kits are marketed to boys and pseudoscience "spa" kits are marketed to girls. At Yellow Scope, we want to build girls' confidence in science before they fall off the curve. Research shows that girls learn best when they can approach projects in a creative and open-ended way. That's why we designed our kits to engage both the scientific and creative minds of girls. The experiments are rigorous, and there is plenty of room for girls to draw their observations and doodle their ideas in their very own lab notebook. Our kit: 1) is targeted for girls 8 - 12 years old, when interest in science is most vulnerable 2) aligns with Next Generation Science Standards 3) includes supplies for dozens of experiments | Equipment and Supplies | |||||||||||||||||||
43 | Open science summit 2012 | Kickstarter | 10/7/2012 | $20,000.00 | $1,516.00 | No | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/openscience/open-science-summit-2012?ref=discovery | Since 2010, The Open Science Summit has united researchers, life science industry professionals, students, patients and other stakeholders to explore the future of collaborative science and innovation. 2012 marks the Summit's third year. We will continue to expand a discussion of what we can achieve together. It's a discussion that's evolved steadily for decades, but one who's urgency is coming into focus as never before. This conversation is concerned with the capacity of scientists to work together, and the obstacles they face. Ultimately, these obstacles affect all of us, so the conversation takes on meaning for scientists and non-scientists alike. The event features in-depth sessions on new models for drug discovery and clinical trials, personal genomics, the patent system, the future of scientific communication, publication, reputation, accreditation, funding, and more. | Gatherings | ||||||||||||||||||
44 | The SkyLight - design for global health & science education | Kickstarter | 1/2/2012 | $15,000.00 | $22,727.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/190596902/the-skylight-a-smartphone-to-microscope-adapter?ref=discovery | The SkyLight connects any smartphone to just about any microscope! The SkyLight is a sleek, minimalist adapter that connects smartphones to microscopes. The smartphone camera can then capture photos and videos for uploading, e-mailing, and sharing on the web and social media sites, as well as real-time viewing on the smartphone screen or via video-conferencing software. The SkyLight is the first of its kind, as there is no other available device that attaches any smartphone to any microscope. The SkyLight’s universal compatibility allows previously owned technology (microscopes) to be upgraded to the digital age with the use of a widely available technology (smartphones) – good for global health, science classes, and anyone else! | Device Creation | ||||||||||||||||||
45 | Black Rock observatory | Kickstarter | 7/17/2014 | $20,000.00 | $28,118.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marsroverartcar/black-rock-observatory?ref=discovery | We're building a real astronomical observatory for Burning Man 2014 and beyond, complete with giant telescope and science exhibits. Rather than build an observatory for research and measurement, we choose to build one for the public as art and a celebration of science. As modern astronomy moves ahead, the telescope is seldom used visually. Cameras and spectrographs have separated us from seeing the universe with our own eyes. We intend to show the public the joy, immediacy and beauty of our solar system and universe with telescopes. | Equipment and Supplies | ||||||||||||||||||
46 | 3-2-1 Ignition making science, creative, accessible, and fun | Kickstarter | 10/31/2013 | $7,065.00 | $9,106.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/853479407/3-2-1-ignition-making-science-creative-accessible?ref=discovery | We want your help to open the next 3-2-1-Ignition* pop up shop; 3-2-1-Ignition* is a new kind of science space; not a classroom, not a research lab, not a science centre and especially not a lecture theatre; we want to create a space where everyone, you and me and families and the general public can explore the wonders of science, the fun of investigation and the excitement of creative experiment. 3-2-1-Ignition* is a ‘New Curiosity Shop’. We take over an empty shop on a temporary lease (a 'pop up shop') to bring science and technology to the general public in a unique, creative, fun, artistic and therefore accessible way. Our target of £4,500 will enable us to take over an empty store and set up the next shop and run it for 2 weeks. There's a portable version too, that goes to Festivals, like Latitude and Shuffle, and conferences, public events. In both the pop up shop and the portable version we run simple experiments for the public to take part in, curate optical illusions to astound and amaze, display cabinets of curiosity and bring in science experts to run workshops and answer what the public want to know and find out about. And a pledge of £5,000 will bring 3-2-1-Ignition* to any location of your choice, that would benefit from a new way of engaging the public in Citizen Science ideas. | Buildings and Spaces | ||||||||||||||||||
47 | Open-access, free to publish, peer-reviewed science blog | Kickstarter | 7/30/2014 | $5,000.00 | $64.00 | No | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/876527012/open-access-free-to-publish-peer-reviewed-science?ref=discovery | This blog allows for anyone to engage in the scientific process of asking questions, conducting observations, and reporting findings. Science is awesome. Through experimenting and observing the world, we now know more about our universe than ever before and achieved things we couldn't have imagined several years ago. But science is not limited to people in laboratories; everyone has the potential to be a naive scientist. Have you ever had a question about the world? Maybe it was the efficacy of the latest health craze, or something more trivial like which coloured M&M is the strongest. Perhaps you decided to conduct an experiment to answer this question yourself; for example, maybe you tried oil pulling for a week, or bought a family sized pack of M&Ms and started crushing them together. If so, you just engaged in part of the scientific process! What we hope to create is a website that gives everyday scientist like yourself a platform to easily publish results in the form of short, entertaining blog report. This website will run on 3 key tenants: 1) Anyone is free to submit research on any topic, no matter how trivial, 2) Each post will be peer-reviewed and edited by two academics with a focus on the scientific process, and 3) published results will be freely accessible to everyone. | Publications | ||||||||||||||||||
48 | International Collegiate Science Journal | Kickstarter | 5/15/2014 | $3,500.00 | $6,220.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/108938845/international-collegiate-science-journal?ref=discovery | THE PROBLEM “Science allows us to see what our eyes cannot.” -Neil deGrasse Tyson But it doesn't always seem that way, especially when we flip through pages upon pages of technical jargon and hard-to-decipher figures in scientific journals. As a result, science is too often perceived as either too difficult to understand or too boring to care about. OUR SOLUTION We want to illuminate what science has the power to show us. We want to peel back the layers of jargon that separate the public from science and uncover the universal truths that are essential to humanity. We want to present science the way it’s supposed to be shown: exciting, cutting-edge, and accessible. The International Collegiate Science Journal is a revolutionary publication with a mission to translate science from obscure to captivating. We will write exciting articles explaining why our brain forgets names of people we just met, why it rains diamonds on Saturn, how you can travel to the Caribbean in a second through virtual reality, how we may be able to live for 200 years in the near future, and other interesting topics that you will want to read. Through an online and print magazine, we will create an environment where anyone can uncover science and discover all that it can do. This is not just a journal. | Publications | ||||||||||||||||||
49 | Astrophotography studio and observatory | Kickstarter | 4/3/2014 | $25,000.00 | $350.00 | No | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1440331807/astrophotography-studio-and-observatory?ref=discovery | I am a Space Studies major at the American Military University. I am a former U.S. Army Ranger and was faced with debilitating injuries that I have slowly fought through. During my recovery I fell back on a childhood dream to be an astronaut but given my physical condition that isn't likely to happen. So, I did the next best thing I brought things far out in space right here to me in the way of photographs. I have scrimped and saved every penny to make my dream come true. Now I want to share it with the world... to light the fire in the hearts and minds of young and old alike to the seemingly endless beauty that our cosmos has to offer. I actually do real science with my telescope but I want to show that it doesn't have to be all numbers and graphs and spectroscopic absorption lines. I want people to be able to enjoy my photographs and small educational snippets for free on my website and if you like what you see then and want to post on your wall then I will be happy to print, matte, and frame it for a modest fee. The other great thing about this endeavor is that it actually provides useful scientific data for astronomers across the world. I really don't do this for money or anything tangible; we love the beauty of the universe and want to share it with all of you in hopes that you will love it too. Overall, the purpose of this project is to create a studio/observatory providing public access to observing the cosmos all the while allowing you to memorialize your experience with unique photographs. Everything from mugs, regular photograph prints, posters, blankets, and even cellphone cases will be available. Each image is unique and taken just for you (no two images would ever be the same). These would also be available as gift options with custom engraved plaques and giftwrap available. Your contribution secures equipment, manufacturing capabilities (printing company), and software needed to make this all possible for you to have this one of a kind opportunity. | Equipment and Supplies | ||||||||||||||||||
50 | Photography of microscopy | Kickstarter | 1/12/2014 | $12,500.00 | $65.00 | No | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1012171456/photography-of-microscopy?ref=discovery | I want "the hidden science" to be more accessible to the public. I have a plethora of experience photographing local plants and animal (cicada, spider, & mosquito) tissues under the microscope, with intentions to broaden my search horizon, in an effort to capture the essence of many more organisms. As you can probably tell from my picture of the baby spiders, I could desperately use a better camera and editing software, worthy of such endeavors. I'd also like to have people from around the world send live plant specimens and preserved animal specimens (planning to reimburse their shipping costs) - hoping all of them make it intact. I've also been known to culture bacteria (from soil and infections from friends' pets) for identification and photographic purposes, as well. This endeavor may also help me clone some really old trees, too! I appreciate your time and consideration in this matter and bid ye a great day! | Publications | ||||||||||||||||||
51 | Science baby memory book - The human infant project | Kickstarter | 10/19/2014 | $11,011.00 | $13,872.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/218795024/science-baby-memory-book-the-human-infant-project?ref=discovery | Record your baby's first year FOR SCIENCE. Keep data and photos in a lab-style memory book designed by children's artist Tiffany Ard. The goal of this project is to produce a 1000-copy print run of my hardbound baby keepsake book for science-loving parents. Science is all about seeking answers to life's big questions. Babies raise a million questions just by existing: Do you have a name picked out? Boy or girl? Where did those gorgeous eyes come from? Is he sleeping through the night? How much did she weigh? Is he walking/talking/solving for X yet? Besides, raising a child is truly one big experiment. It's okay to feel like you're using trial and error to get your baby to go to sleep. So is everyone else. And more than that, I love science. I love babies. I wish something like this had been available when my kids were born, so I made it. | Publications | ||||||||||||||||||
52 | The Citizen Science Quarterly | Kickstarter | 1/2/2011 | $2,500.00 | $8,174.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/citizenscience/the-citizen-science-quarterly?ref=discovery | We'd like to create a magazine for the scientist in all of us. It will have simple How-To's, like extracting the DNA of a strawberry using kitchen materials. But on the next page could have a paper on the validity of using Bacillus Subtillus as a model organism. We'd feature extraordinary citizen scientists who are doing extraordinary things in abnormal labs (aka garages, closets, etc). We'd also give legal and safety tips to inform and protect citizen scientists from some of the dangers they could run into. Our goal is not to provide a large dividedend to shareholders. Our goal is to provide people with science related articles that are informative and interesting. Which is why we will be able to cover costs even though we are printing less than 1% of the magazines some of these failing but popular zines print. Plus...It really helps the bottom line when your entire staff are volunteers. And just a few of the possible topics we plan to cover: Personal Genetics Urban Agriculture Molecular Gastronomy DIYbio Open Science "Amateur" Chemistry Astronomy And sooo much more.... | Yes | Publications | |||||||||||||||||
53 | The Citizen Science Quarterly: Round 2 | Kickstarter | 1/28/2012 | $5,000.00 | $978.00 | No | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/citizenscience/citizen-science-quarterly-round-2?ref=nav_search | Help us convince the world that Everyone can and should do Science! Citizen Science Quarterly is a print magazine dedicated to sharing our love of science with everyone. We believe everyone can and should do science. And not just watered down science "projects" like a baking soda volcano. Too long has science been seen as something boring that only a few people in an ivy tower are able to contribute too. Citizen Science hopes to change that by helping people realize that anyone can and should be involved in making real contributions to science. | Yes | Publications | |||||||||||||||||
54 | miniPCR: A DNA discovery system for everybody | Kickstarter | 12/12/2014 | $20,000.00 | Ongoing | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/minipcr/minipcr-a-dna-discovery-system-for-everyone?ref=discovery | DNA curious? Open up the world of DNA science and exploration with a portable, powerful, and affordable PCR-based DNA Discovery System We live in a DNA world. DNA technology helps us diagnose disease, understand our ancestry and origins, establish guilt or innocence in our justice system, and test the water and food we consume every day. Yet DNA technology is still a black box for most of us. We've created miniPCR to open the world of DNA science to everyone, everywhere. To prepare, amplify (copy), and visualize your DNA: With the DNA Family Tree kit, extract your own DNA and make so many million copies of it (in miniPCR) that you’ll see it shine before your eyes (with miniPCR visualizer). Real-world biotech applications: Learn how DNA can be used to identify people, to detect bacteria in our food, to clone pieces of DNA from one organism into another, and more. Learn more about the world around you: Engage in citizen science projects such as DNA barcoding, sushi-gate, detect food mislabeling, and (as you get more advanced) use PCR to characterize and discover new animals, plants, and fungi. How DNA replication works (in our cells and in test tubes): PCR and our software will teach you how the chemistry of DNA allows our cells (and our miniPCR machines) to propagate genetic information. | Device Creation | |||||||||||||||||||
55 | Forging The Forge Downtown | Kickstarter | 6/21/2014 | $40,000.00 | $42,591.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wakerobotics/forging-the-forge-downtown?ref=discovery | Create a collaborative space to excite and engage families in our community in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). From the first day Wake Robotics, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, started 4 years ago, we've had the kind of demand that businesses dream of. Everywhere we go to share our excitement about STEAM the first question people ask is, "How do we join?!" Sounds like a great problem to have right? But it makes us sad! Right now, we don’t have spaces available in Jr Engineers Club or in 3D printing workshops, we can't welcome new robotics teams, we don’t have space to offer arduino classes or conductive playdough workshops. We can't even offer general memberships for Open Forge days. We don't like saying no! We are developing a space where a community of people of all ages can collaborate and engage with technology. We call it The Forge Downtown - a place that will allow us to stop saying no and find ways to invite you to join us! We've found facilities that work in downtown Cary, NC, a great landlord who wants to work with us (thanks, Loyd!). We now need to convert 6500 sq ft of that space from a paint/wallpaper store to maker/builder space with tools. Whether you are an accidental techie, a die-hard engineer, a technophobe, or a six year old curious about everything, The Forge Downtown will provide a fun and inviting environment to explore, learn, and create. We have been working hard and will continue in the upcoming months to make the new facilities a reality. We are excited about the new opportunities that will be available with a public space! | Buildings and Spaces | ||||||||||||||||||
56 | protocols.io - Life Sciences protocol repository | Kickstarter | 3/15/2014 | $50,000.00 | $54,600.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1881346585/protocolsio-life-sciences-protocol-repository?ref=discovery | A free, up-to-date, crowdsourced protocol repository for the life sciences. As scientists, we are constantly expanding the frontiers of research and knowledge. Yet, we are also constantly re-discovering knowledge that others have not had the time to publish and improving existing methods without the ability to share the improvements with the world. The mission of ZappyLab is to change this with the protocols.io repository. Imagine you spend 3 months instead of a week to do a simple DNA transformation in a new species. After much frustration and many cups of coffee later, you discover that you need to do it at room temperature instead of the 42-degree water bath. This is a tiny but critical detail in a common technique. Unfortunately, there is no effective way to let others working with this species know about your discovery. We started ZappyLab to create a free, central, up-to-date, crowdsourced protocol repository.And do keep in mind that we are just getting started. We are bursting with useful features that we want to include in Bench Tools (text-to-speech timer that announces "PCR timer completed" instead of buzzing, ability to troubleshoot your protocol by connecting to other researchers using it in the same species, and many, many others). Our protocol checklist will soon be on Google Glass and we are actively exploring hands-free devices and controls so that in the future, you will be able to use Bench Tools while pipetting in your gloves. | Publications | ||||||||||||||||||
57 | Neuroscience for the people: Bring DIY Science to the world | Kickstarter | 10/10/2013 | $10,000.00 | $14,314.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mcb80x/neuroscience-for-the-people-bring-diy-science-to-t?ref=discovery | We're a non-profit HarvardX Neuroscience MOOC (massive, open, online course). Help create a community of citizen scientists with us! Thanks to our amazing backers from around the world, we have reached our goal! Every dollar we raise now will go towards expanding our experimental community of citizen scientists. If we hit 20k we can DOUBLE our pilot group! Help us reach our goal so we can enable a global group of at least 100 citizen scientists to conduct neuroscience experiments at home. $10,000 will allow us to give this pilot group of MCB80x students 100 SpikerBoxes, "bioamplifiers" that allow them to hear and see spikes (i.e. action potentials) of real living neurons in invertebrates (like worms), at home. We want to bring experimentation that would usually happen in closed laboratories, at great cost, into the hands of many! We will provide a place for our experimental group of citizen scientists to ask questions, conduct experiments collaboratively and engage with the public on mcb80x.org, our HarvardX course website. Can an online course have a hands-on, real-world lab component? Yes! MCB80x is an open-source, free Neuroscience course that is launching as part of HarvardX -- an initiative to put Harvard courses online, augmented by the latest technology that the web has to offer, free for the world to explore. Part of our course is DIY science experimentation. We’ve partnered with Backyard Brains, who create open-source hardware kits for neuroscience experiments, to be able to provide as many students as possible with SpikerBox kits in preparation for the course launching in October. We use the SpikerBox kits in our course to demonstrate fundamental concepts and we invite students to join in. All of the money we raise on Kickstarter will go towards buying kits for as many registered MCB80x online students (or groups of students) from around the world as possible. Our goal is simply this: we want to create a community of citizen scientists with you and engage the public with scientific methods and practice. Public Engagement Turning a course like Fundamentals of Neuroscience into a innovative and engaging MOOC is expensive, and we have done everything we can to keep the course free for all users. We wish we had an endless supply of money to provide free SpikerBox kits to all of our students, but we don’t, so this is an experiment! This Kickstarter campaign is our attempt to engage the wider public in issues of access. We want to be able to provide SpikerBox kits to students in a way that also engages the public in a DIY, reflexive and individually responsible fashion: that's where your support comes into play. | Equipment and Supplies | ||||||||||||||||||
58 | ManyLabs: Sensors for Students | Kickstarter | 7/1/2013 | $5,000.00 | $22,153.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/petersand/manylabs-sensors-for-students?ref=discovery | We are creating a collection of sensor kits for science classrooms. Each kit will be accompanied by web-based interactive lessons that incorporate live sensor data. These interactive lessons will guide students through using the sensors and exploring scientific concepts. In addition to these lessons, each kit will have a teacher's guide. We will provide full support and documentation for teachers. We will also provide connections between the lessons and the Next Generation Science Standards. We think technology should help teachers, not replace them. Ultimately we want to build an entire ecosystem of hardware, software, and content for teaching math and science. We want to support citizen science, open data, and data literacy. We want to build a community of people who are excited about this kind of teaching. This project is a first step and we'd be happy to have your support. Stretch goals: $7500: We will provide free public access to our sensor plotting tool. This gives you live plots (time series, histograms, and scatter plots) of data from one or more sensors connected to an Arduino. It has built-in support for dozens of different sensor types. You can save, share, and download your data. (You will still need a full-access account to access the complete set of interactive science-subject-specific lesson content.) $10,000: We will add new lessons and new kits. We've reached this level and added the kits. Details below! $15,000: We will create a citizen science data sharing platform. This will have a public API so that people can upload data from sensors anywhere in the world. We have a prototype of this system, but need to spend time improving it before it's ready for public use. | Education | ||||||||||||||||||
59 | Crawl-Space Computing with Connel | Kickstarter | 8/17/2013 | $3,000.00 | $4,100.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/767046121/crawl-space-computing-with-connel?ref=discovery | A book and software library to make the lost art of Wide Computing - from science to robotics - available to everyone. Deep Computing (the modern standard) focuses on namespaces and abstract algorithms, hiding the "plumbing" as much as possible. Wide Computing is a contrarian model that focuses on data flow, timing and physical realities, exposing the "plumbing" that connects independent working parts. (This is why I refer to a crawl space.) If you have ever noticed that getting things to talk reliably is the major hassle in a working program, then Wide Computing can be your friend. Suppose I want to do some temperature and humidity sensors, or some space-probe radio reception, or drive a little tracking actuator? Right away: what app can I use? And what OS will it require? And what programming language? On what CPU? And can it accept my data or link up to my output? And if I get all that working, let one little thing change and it goes off the rails... Wouldn't it be great if we could just take up the data as a simple list, and send out the commands as simple timed numbers, and get each part working, and have them all talk to each other with ease and never need any attention? Well, it's easier than you think. My product Connel (pronounced kuh-NELL), based on decades of experience, will get you there in little baby steps. | Publications | ||||||||||||||||||
60 | Baghdad community hackerspace workshops | Kickstarter | 9/18/2012 | $27,500.00 | $29,471.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bilal/baghdad-community-hackerspace-workshops?ref=discovery | Baghdad was a hub of art, science & ideas. Inspire that attitude again by sharing hackerspaces with Iraq. We've been getting questions about why it's important to run a popup hackerspace and why we're asking for 27,500 dollars. GEMSI works to create a cascade of hackerspaces across the Middle East and North Africa. We do this by supporting the development of short term and long term spaces. Our efforts start with temporary spaces and workshops to do community discovery and connections then leads to supporting the development of a year round space. This Kickstarter supports all this work but is focusing on our work this fall for Iraq. By our efforts in Beirut we are working to discover the translation of hackerspaces to the Middle Eastern cultural context which we hope to share with Baghdad. Beirut is also where we are running a comic hackathon at the hackerspace to illustrate the Iraqi stories. Lastly part of our funds have been allocated to a micro loan that Middle Eastern hackerspaces can apply to to help with the hackerspace build out. With our current funding efforts GEMSI is trying to step up and seriously consider the sustainability of our project and long term impact on the region. You should probably read this exposition on why I think hackerspaces are awesome. Why they are growing globally. And for an overview of the Middle Eastern hackers and hackerspaces. | Buildings and Spaces | ||||||||||||||||||
61 | Astronomy on the road | Kickstarter | 5/5/2011 | $8,000.00 | $8,076.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/astroontheroad/astronomy-on-the-road?ref=discovery | I will share telescope views of the skies with people all over the country, turning people on to science and sparking curiosity and awe. I have been involved in sidewalk astronomy and public science education for years and want to take science around the country in 2011 and 2012. I need your help funding a powerful yet portable night-sky telescope, solar telescope, and fuel for transporting the telescopes between locations. By contributing, you take an active part in giving thousands of people the opportunity to see firsthand the universe in which we live, turning young minds on to the power of science and sparking curiosity and awe in adults. All funds raised will go entirely toward free science education. Astronomy On The Road will provide free views of the skies in schools, libraries, and on city streets all over the United States. The program will be on the road for at least one year, and at its end all equipment will continue to be used for public education. | Equipment and Supplies | ||||||||||||||||||
62 | Open Science Tracker | Kickstarter | 12/25/2010 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/86514518/open-science-tracker?ref=discovery | Knowledge is the most valuable thing on the planet and becomes more valuable each time you share it. Support an Open Science torrent tracker. BitTorrent is popularly used for sharing media like movies, music and TV. We believe it is also the perfect tool for getting a wide range of scientific data and tools into the hands of anyone with an interest in science. No matter their background or physical location. Using torrents we would like to create a open and constantly updating library of scientific data, knowledge and tools. We are coming to you not only because we need money to cover server costs but because we'd like our first members to be people who believe enough in the open sharing of science to support it with their hard earned money. | Other | ||||||||||||||||||
63 | BROBOT: Open-Source Robotic Drummer - Sci-Fi Fantasy Band | Kickstarter | 8/12/2012 | $2,000.00 | $2,285.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/poleshadow/brobot-open-source-robotic-drummer-sci-fi-fantasy?ref=discovery | Meet BROBOT the robotic drummer from the future. Help make our science fiction fantasy come true! Brobot as you see him in the video is the prototype of our midi-controlled robotic drum set. He is entirely open-source which means YOU can build one! All of his software will be available for free and his hardware list will be completely public. Brobot is a great project for DIY hackers and musicians. Our goal is for Brobot to be a full-sized drum set with the speed, power, and finesse of a human drummer, and to make Brobots available to anyone with some DIY skills! | Science-Based Art | ||||||||||||||||||
64 | BioCurious: A Hackerspace for Biotech. The Community Lab for Citizen Science | Kickstarter | 9/23/2010 | $30,000.00 | $35,319.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/openscience/biocurious-a-hackerspace-for-biotech-the-community?ref=discovery | A hackerspace is a place for collaboration, learning, and community support. The model has been wildly successful for IT and hardware, lets try BIO! BioCurious? Experiment with friends. What ideas would you come up with if you hung out with a molecular biologist, a mechanical engineer, a computer programmer and an artist - and happened to be sitting next to a lab? Biological and genetic knowledge is growing fast. The way forward in an increasingly cross-disciplinary area is through collaboration. Recognizing this need, we brainstormed BioCurious, a collaborative labspace where, together, we learn, socialize, research and make the tools that will change the change the face of biotech. BioCurious puts biotech in the hands of Makers, creators with the passion requisite for innovation. BioCurious will offer: 1) Education, Outreach, Community building events. Science was once a cultural activity, carried out by wealthy “gentlemen scholars” who had the leisure and material resources to experiment. The 20th century saw an unprecedented centralization of science around an industrial model. The plummeting costs of enabling technologies has brought meaningful biological research back within reach of the independent citizen scientist. From Bio-Art to BioFuels, the wave of next generation biotech applications is set to transform our culture and economy. BioCurious will be Ground 0 for this revolution. 2) Entrepreneurship Incubation, Mentoring, Angel Investment. The Bay Area is home to many networks that help entrepreneurs launch web businesses with a shoe-string budget and a dream. Similar support infrastructure does not yet exist for biotech ventures. Until recently, biotech has required large start up costs. An ecosystem of mentorship and a network of investors who understand the possibilities for lean-biotech-start ups to leverage shared resources and amplify their creative efforts to have disproportionate commercial impact, does not yet exist. BioCurious will catalyze the formation of this system. Your support will help us acquire the remaining needed equipment and secure the deposit of 3 months rent for a lab in a ~3,000sqft industrial building in Silicon Valley. | Buildings and Spaces | ||||||||||||||||||
65 | LaunchingBalloons.com weather ballon/rocket launch | Kickstarter | 8/15/2014 | $2,000.00 | $563.00 | No | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866419750/launchingballoonscom-weather-balloon-rocket-launch | We are a science organization attempting to launch a hobby rocket from 120,000ft. With your help we can make this possible! We are a group of friends dedicated to taking stunning pictures of Earth from space using cameras attached to the bottom of our custom-made weather balloons. Starting as a hobby we have grown into a small organization attempting to make a difference in the scientific community. With each launch we are trying to push our limits as well as build awareness for our main goal which is creating a community for people to share and teach each other how to pursue any of their scientific hobbies. Whether its weather balloon launches, a high school science project, or a college level engineering project. We want a place where everyone can come to learn and expand their world view. Learn more about us and comprehensive info about previous launches at www.launchingballoons.com. We are attempting to take the next step in our launches and send a weather balloon to 120,000 feet and firing a small hobby rocket at that height. This will be our first attempt at making it to 120k feet as well as firing a rocket from near space. | Equipment and Supplies | ||||||||||||||||||
66 | ExploraLab: Affordable, edge of space, science experiment | Kickstarter | 8/2/2014 | $5,000.00 | $1,182.00 | No | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/463334209/exploralab-affordable-edge-of-space-science-experi?ref=discovery | ExploraLab is an affordable, 3D printed payload carrier that will take your science experiment to the edge of space and back. Payload carrier that can be lofted into the air by balloon. | Device Creation | ||||||||||||||||||
67 | Citizen Science wetlands restoration project | Kickstarter | 5/31/2014 | $2,800.00 | $177.00 | no | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hoveysmith/citizen-science-wetlands-restoration-project?ref=discovery | Introduce a pilot world-crowd-sourced citizen science project to use inert waste to construct flexible barriers for wetland protection. This year I will be presenting a new approach for mitigating damage and partly restoring wetlands at an international conference. Using locally sourced inert waste materials, flexible offshore barriers can be created to help dissipate the energy from storm surges, foster the reestablishment of shellfish and vegetative growth and serve as sediment traps to help rebuild damaged wetlands. I am seeking funding to present a pilot project using sand-filled glass bottles at the CEER (Coastal Ecological and Ecosystem Restoration) Conference to be held in New Orleans on July 28, 2014. This presentation will illustrate what might be done by groups of citizen scientists who would investigate the innumerable variables of placing flexible storm-barrier structures made of different materials in varying habitats all over the world. This is an ideal project for schools as it incorporates geology, chemistry, materials science, biology, ecology, engineering, observation, problem solving, measurement and the use of the scientific method. A favorable feature of crowd research, particularly that done by school children with a lot of imagination and few inhibitions, is that some completely unexpected results are likely to emerge. A unique aspect of this project is that these results will be reported to a central database where it will be available to researchers which will enhance participation because the citizen scientists' work will have real significance in advancing wetland conservation and restoration. It is likely that this work will ultimately be incorporated in many thesis and dissertations. These projects will be publicized in a dedicated blog, quarterly newsletter and presented annually at one or more scientific conferences. | Yes | Community-Based Environmental Research | |||||||||||||||||
68 | Yellowstone Wolf: Project Citizen Science | KickStarter | 4/16/2013 | $7,000.00 | $17,888.00 | Yes | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/504644378/yellowstone-wolf-project-citizen-science?ref=nav_search | We are proposing to create a citizen science website that would act as a central hub for collecting and displaying visitor photos and accompanying data on wolves in Yellowstone. Our proposed site would allow the public to upload their photographs of wolves and describe when and where they saw the animals as well as their suspected identity and pack affiliation. We would then cross-check these photos for quality and validity and extract the data necessary to answer questions about pack composition, individual histories, and individuals’ infection status with sarcoptic mange, a mite infection that causes hair-loss and increased mortality. The site would in turn act as an educational tool for the wolf-watching community and general public, displaying photographic histories of individual wolves, maps of territory ranges, information on pack compositions and genealogy, as well as highlighting some of the Wolf Project’s most recent research. | Yes | community-Based Environmental Research | |||||||||||||||||
69 | Crowdsourced health studies | Rockethub | 2/5/2012 | $1,990.00 | $230.00 | No | http://rkthb.co/4563 | To validate citizen science as a movement, we need to be publishing papers in recognized scientific journals, especially open-access journals which would allow anyone to learn more about citizen science. In this project, we have written an overview of citizen science health studies to be published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. This paper is important because it provides an overview of citizen science health efforts to date including studies from PatientsLikeMe, 23andMe, Quantified Self, Genomera, and DIYgenomics. How You Can Help: We need $1,990 in order to publish this paper in the journal (JMIR open-access fee description). Please join us in making a donation towards advancing the progress of scientific research! | Yes | Publications | |||||||||||||||||
70 | Mothing in Milwaukee | Rockethub | 5/29/2013 | $600.00 | $600.00 | Yes | http://rkthb.co/24074 | By contributing to this fund, you will help to purchase new/update mothing equipment for moth surveys in the city of Milwaukee as well as various nearby locations (such as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Field Station). I am interested in using these surveys to gather information on local moth species (photographic ID, abundance, range, size, life cycle patterns, invasive presence) in efforts to stimulate long term monitoring, which can help us recognize potential change within populations. Most of these moth surveys will be conducted as a part of an upcoming citizen science project at Milwaukee's Urban Ecology Center. As my personal research will be conducted at the UWM Field Station for the next few summers, I also plan to contribute to the field station's moth data set.This project will support online moth databases by submission of data to organizations such as Project Noah, DiscoverLife, Butterflies and Moths of North America. | Yes | equipment and Supplies | |||||||||||||||||
71 | The Plight of the Pika | Rockethub | 5/15/2013 | $4,938.00 | $3,605.00 | No | http://rkthb.co/18782 | Due to their sensitivity to heat, pikas make great indicator species to record changes in the environment. As overall temperatures warm, pikas have few options but to either relocate to elevations that are cooler, typically upslope, or perish. Researchers in the United States are beginning to see both of these scenarios happen with pika populations moving ~500 feet upslope or dying out completely. The results from our research will hopefully better identify important habitats, areas of connectivity and refugia for pikas in Montana as the climate changes. Support from Rockethub will allow me to expand the number of citizen scientists involved in the Montana Pika Survey by 1) increasing the number of public lectures given on pikas, 2) updating training materials, 3) managing volunteer data, 4) volunteer outreach, and 5) travel expenses. While these may seem like mundane tasks they are all vital to create and maintain a successful program. Research has shown us that increased exposure, training, and feedback lead to higher quality data from volunteers. If people are better informed and engaged, they are more likely to care about the outcome of an important issue. | Yes | community-Based Environmental Research | |||||||||||||||||
72 | The Red Fox in Colorado: Unique Native or Fur Farm Escapee? Why It Matters. | Rockethub | 6/3/2013 | $5,000.00 | $640.00 | No | http://rkthb.co/22590 | Research Objective: To determine the composition and distribution of native and non-native red fox populations in central Colorado across directional, elevational, and urban gradients. Why is this important? With so little known about the Rocky Mountain red fox, it is important to find out where it lives and how expansive the non-native red fox population is. Your generous contribution will support the collection and analysis of genetic data that provides critical information to: 1.) Serve as a baseline to determine whether non-native red fox expansion or any other host of factors could be affecting the distribution of the native Rocky Mountain red fox over time. 2.) Serve as a springboard for research toward understanding the Rocky Mountain red fox niche, ecology, and overall response to climate change, non-native red fox populations, and changes in the landscape. 3.) Provide information toward potential red fox management plans appropriate to the red fox lineage. 4.) Ascertain the effective population size of the Rocky Mountain red fox through genetic analysis to assess the need for further conservation assessment. Methods: Genetic material of red foxes will be collected through a variety of procedures along a dauntingly large study area that extends approximately 190km from Crested Butte to Denver, Colorado (see photo) from an elevation of approximately 3657m (12,000ft) to 1730m (5675ft). Genetic samples are collected through non-invasive means that do not hurt the red foxes, which are hair snares with photo survey, den searches, and scat searches (see photo). Particularly helpful is a citizen science component in which Colorado citizens can report red fox sightings via the website www.ifoundafox.org. These reports allow the two person field research team to search the reported areas for scat or dens. In addition to using standard genetic methods, mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite markers will be analyzed to determine genetic diversity, population connectivity, and effective population size. I will also use historical fur trade documents from all towns in the study area for reference, and Geographic Information Systems software to analyze the relationship between genetic results and landscape features. | Yes | community-Based Environmental Research | |||||||||||||||||
73 | Transforming the Way We Publish Research | Rockethub | 12/16/2011 | 11000 | 1565 | No | http://rkthb.co/3755 | We want to change the way research is communicated, both amongst researchers, as well as with health practitioners, patients and the wider public. Inspired by Beethoven, we want to build a research version of his repository and try to tackle the question "What if the public scientific record would be updated directly as research proceeds?" Our project aims at providing a technically feasible solution: open-access articles that evolve along with the topic they cover. This would allow researchers, research funders and the public to stay up to date with research in their fields of interest. It would save researchers time because when they write their results up, they could make use of the context provided by the existing articles, and outreach would be built in from the beginning, rather than being perceived as an extra burden that comes after a traditional publication. It would also save funders time because monitoring research progress would amount to checking the change logs of the respective articles. It would also save patients time, especially when a disease makes their clocks tick faster. Last but not least, it would open the doors for science as a spectator sport, and allow for enhanced interaction between citizen science and more traditional approaches to research. | Yes | Publications | |||||||||||||||||
74 | School of Ants | Rockethub | 12/16/2011 | 6000 | 715 | No | http://rkthb.co/3827 | The School of Ants project is a citizen-scientist driven study of the ants that live in urban areas, particularly around homes and schools. With the help of thousands of people across North America we are mapping the native and introduced species that live right in our backyards! As more ants populate the map, we are discovering species that are new to science as well as documenting known species in places they have never been recorded previously. Using these new records we are able to examine how changes in our landscape, such as urbanization and a changing climate, are affecting other communities such as the ants that share our gardens, sidewalks and parks. Citizen scientist ant collectors do more than just collect the ants; they record the location and habitat where they found the ants, as well as the date, time and weather. These important field notes are entered into our online database and each collection is assigned a code number. When the ants arrive to the School of Ants team, we use the code number to associate the ants with the data online. Then we: 1) Sort the ants into different species 2) Prepare the ants to be part of the NCSU Entomology collection by putting them on insect pins and labeling them 3) Identify each ant species 4) Enter the species and the collection data into the Ant Map | Yes | community-Based Environmental Research | |||||||||||||||||
75 | LUNARSAIL: An Open-Source Cubesat and Solar Sail Lunar Orbiter | Rockethub | 12/21/2013 | 3000 | 30 | No | http://rkthb.co/33918 | LunarSail is a cubesat-based space mission established by the Aerospace Research & Engineering Systems Institute, Inc. – a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization dedicated to promoting space exploration and STEM education through hands-on educational projects and public outreach. LunarSail is an effort to demonstrate the ability of a spacecraft under solar sail propulsion to navigate itself into a lunar trajectory and insert itself into Lunar orbit. A primary objective of the LunarSail mission is to serve as a testbed for cubesat operations beyond low Earth orbit and applications requiring cislunar or interplanetary rendezvous. LunarSail will take advantage of the cubesat platform to conduct a first of its kind mission to use a solar sail to send a spacecraft to the Moon and then utilize the sail’s unique characteristics to navigate into lunar orbit. We are looking to raise a second round of financing via crowdfunding. Earlier this year, we successfully raised substantial funds with this mechanism and that has allowed us to begin purchasing hardware for the project. Funds raised in this second round of crowdfunding will be geared specifically to obtaining the solar arrays and solar sail for the spacecraft. | Yes | equipment and Supplies | |||||||||||||||||
76 | Barcoding Alaska | Experiment | 9/12/2013 | 7000 | 7446 | Yes | https://experiment.com/projects/barcoding-alaska | We want to DNA barcode plants of the Alaskan wild with the help of citizen scientists and local Brooklyn students, at the Genspace Community Biolab. Half of the money will go towards completing the work from last year's collection, inculding lab supplies & reagents, and DNA sequencing serives. The work will be done by citizen scientists, students and DIYers during our Open Nights at Genspace, a community biolab in Brooklyn NY.The second half will fund transportation for our 2013 expedition. | Yes | Traditional Research | |||||||||||||||||
77 | Pieris Project: Using Citizen Science to Learn How Species Will React to Climate Change | Experiment | 11/2/2014 | 6000 | 3275 | No | https://experiment.com/projects/pieris-project-using-citizen-science-to-learn-how-species-will-respond-to-climate-change?s=search | This summer we launched a citizen science project that partners with the public to help collect a invasive butterfly–the cabbage white–from across the world to study how the environment affects the traits and genes of this butterfly. This research will improve our ability to predict how species respond to climate change. With help from the public, we have already collected samples from various habitats around the world. Now we need funds to do the science. The funds we raise will be used for 3 main purposes: 1) DNA sequencing - Every $40 allows us to sequence the genome of 1 more butterfly. The more we raise, the more we can sequence! 2) Chemical analyses of wing pigments (what makes the butterflies white). This will allow us to look at how agriculture (amount of nitrogen they eat) affects the color of these butterflies. 3) Produce "Backyard Genomic Explorer Kits." For this project to be successful, we need volunteers to send in butterflies from across the globe. These kits will make it so that anyone that wants to participate can. | Yes | community-Based Environmental Research | |||||||||||||||||
78 | A Community Biohacker Space and Education Center for Scientists of All Skill Levels and Ages | Experiment | 5/10/2014 | 6000 | 4310 | No | https://experiment.com/projects/a-community-biohacker-space-and-education-center-for-scientists-of-all-skill-levels-and-ages?s=search | We are building a functional lab located in Norfolk, Va suitable for amateur scientists and synthetic biologists alike. We believe in affordable access to scientific tools, citizen science, and science literacy. We are working to put science back into the hands of the individual through cheap workshops, low membership fees, training, and designing cost effective tools.We want to use $500 to subsidize membership fees for our group of five key members. These guys remain enthusiastic about BioLogik's goals and continue to help out time and time again. We want to use $1500 to help pay for a few months rent and another $1500 to buy new furniture such as cabinets for glassware and help pay for renovations such as installing our new sink and eyewash station. Another $1500 will pay for chemicals that will help to develop chemistry workshops, materials and reagents for synthetic biology classes and general gene splicing/transformation, and other supplies and equipment needed. Lastly we want to use the final $1500 to pay for legal assistance and other miscellaneous expenses involved in the official launch of BioLogik Labs as a community education center available to the public. | Yes | buildings and Spaces | |||||||||||||||||
79 | Wolverine Conservation through Citizen Science | PetriDish | 8/19/2012 | 9500 | 5486 | No | http://www.petridish.org/projects/wolverine-conservation-through-citizen-science | We know wolverines are highly sensitive to human disturbance. There is anecdotal information they rarely cross even 2-lane highways. Given highway expansion projects planned in wolverine range in the US and Canada, it will be critical to understand how growing transportation networks affect wolverine movement and gene flow within the natural connected habitat network they rely on for continued survival. The goal of our work is to noninvasively genetically sample the wolverine population in Central Canadian Rockies to assess whether gene flow and movement of individuals is blocked by a major transportation corridor. We surveyed the wolverine population during winter 2010-11, and will repeat the survey this winter (2012-13). We are collecting information on their occurrence (from cameras) and population genetics (from noninvasive hair sampling). However, funding limitations have hampered our ability to extract the most data from our extensive hair sampling effort. Our findings will be used to inform transportation practitioners planning the design of highways within wolverine range. During our winter 2010-11 survey, we skied over 2000 kms, working in teams of two, and more on long backcountry trips. By May, we collected thousands of the most beautiful and curious wolverine photographs you could imagine, AND 900+ hair samples, of which 125 were analyzed for wolverine DNA. Given the hard work we and the citizen scientists put into hair sampling: deep snow, bitter cold, and long work days with short daylengths, we must mine our data to it’s fullest. Because of budget constraints, last winter only analysed a fraction of the samples. The cost of DNA extraction, species and individual identification (and gender) is $95/sample. We are preparing for our final survey and season of sampling, which wil run from December through April. With our funding goal realized, we will be able to analyze 100 samples, double from last year. This will provide a more thorough and accurate genetic analysis of highway effects, and will make many hard-working volunteers smile at the end of the day. | Yes | community-Based Environmental Research | |||||||||||||||||
80 | The Quail Diaries: Seeing the Origin of Callipepla | PetriDish | 6/5/2012 | 2000 | 2371 | Yes | http://www.petridish.org/projects/quail-project | Climate variation and habitat loss are changing our environment. Species such as the four members of the Callipepla Quail genus, the California, Gambel's, Scaled and Elegant Quail, will either adjust to these changes or go extinct. To predict how these species might respond to change we seek to use current distribution and historical reconstruction to understand how each species responds to novelty in their habitat. Three of these four species, the California, Gambel's and Scaled Quail, are often encountered in the gardens of western and southwestern United States. The fourth member is the reclusive golden crested Elegant Quail, found only in northwestern mainland Mexico. Though they are close cousins, these species differ in their behavior and their ability to be introduced to new ranges. This indicates that they differ drastically in how they interact with their environment; in particular, in how they respond to changes in their environment. We will reconstruct the changes in geographic distribution of each of these four species over the past 100-200 years. To do this, we use data from museum specimen and archival records, data collected from field populations, and information gathered from the online citizen science database, Ebird. We will use sophisticated niche-modeling techniques to analyze the information about vegetation and climate and create a map of the ecology of the regions inhabited by Callipepla Quail. This map of will tell us how Callipepla Quail species occurrence changes as the ecology changes. | Yes | Traditional Research | |||||||||||||||||
81 | uBiome - Sequencing Your Microbiome | IndieGoGo | 1/1/2013 | 100000 | 351193 | Yes | http://igg.me/at/ubiome/x | uBiome is a citizen science project that allows the public access to cutting edge sequencing technology to understand their microbiome. Many studies have been done, but they haven't been done with YOUR data, yet. Using techniques used in the NIH’s $173 million dollar Human Microbiome Project, we can tell you what microbes are living in your body, compare you to others, and keep you up to date on research that applies to your data. What can I learn from this? You can see how your personal microbiome correlates with others, and how it correlates with actions you take. (With the uBiome Delta^5 kit, for example, you can sample all 5 areas at 5 timepoints and see how your microbiome responds to your experiments. For the more budget conscious, Quantified uBiome allows you to sample just your GI tract at 3 time points.) This kind of citizen science has never been done before, so we can't say: "Eat x, and your microbiome will be perfect!" However, we hope to provide as useful and actionable data as possible. How does it work? We send you a kit, you take a sample (painless, easy, and simple) and answer a scientific survey. We then send you a link to our website where we tell you what's in your gut (and/or nose, mouth, ear, genitals), how it correlates to other people in our sample, and relevant scientific studies that relate to your profile. (And, yes, the GI tract sample is poo from your toilet paper.) | Yes | Other | |||||||||||||||||
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83 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
84 | Total | $1,060,045.00 | $946,779.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
85 | Mean | $13,250.56 | $13,149.71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
86 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
87 | Yes | 43 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
88 | No | 27 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
89 | Ongoing | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
90 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
91 | * Search results and analysis as of 11/22/2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
92 | ** Euro-based projects redeominated at rate of 1.24 Euros per Dollar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
93 | *** British Pound Sterling-based projects redenominated at rate of 1.57 Pounds per Dollar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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100 |