A few months ago, the Lafayette Journal & Courier ran a story about Purdue University turning to crowdfunding Zika research. Funding sources in higher ed are special. Grants from federal and other agencies require the submission of sometimes lengthy proposals. The approval process is slow and bureaucratic. Private sector funding can indirectly bias fields of study (why would a company fund a study that is expected to be bad for the company?) or at least lead to accusations of bias.

There are benefits to a crowdfunding model for academic research. Getting the public involved in the process means they’re interested, which is good for scientific literacy. Crowdfunding can be a powerful tool for raising a large amount of money.

On the other hand, we already have a crowdfunding model for research: the tax-supported National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, etc. Basic research generally lacks the pizzaz to attract large amounts of crowdfunding, but it is a key foundation for higher-level research.

As the article pointed out, a crowdfunding pitch on the heels of a major fundraising campaign is a bit of a sour note. But overall, using crowdfunding to augment research is an appealing idea. I just worry about the day that researchers become dependent on it.