The non-profit SciFlies initiative is being released this week under the direction of the University of South Florida's David Fries, a researcher and inventor at the College of Marine Science. For a pledge of $10 on the website SciFlies.org, the public can support research projects they find important and relevant while helping scientists bridge the difficult funding gap between initial experiments, prototypes and fully-funded studies.
This way, the funding model that helps build small businesses in developing nations, creates revenue for public television stations in the US and even helps budding film directors get their movies made can now be used by scientific researchers to get their projects funded.
The newly released SciFlies – refined from the first-generation test site created last year – has incorporated more detailed scientific protocols for validation of submitted projects. Proposed research projects are now vetted through a panel of scientists through the participation of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of the world's largest scientific groups and publisher of the journal Science.
The peer review process ensures that the projects on SciFlies are scientifically sound and viable prior to posting to the public. The public also will have the opportunity to engage with other unconventional or high-risk projects in a special section of the site set aside for ideas which have not been submitted to peer review.
Throughout the project, donors will be kept up-to-date with progress and findings, allowing the project to build a community of followers. Designed to be an engaging experience in itself, potential donors can peruse projects until they find one that piques their interest. Supporters also can read researcher profiles, view videos and learn more about the research they might want to support. The effort includes an interactive community through the SciFlies' Facebook page.
SciFlies will feature projects in a range of disciplines, from cancer research to environmental issues to funding for new technologies which could lead to new products.
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