Where Science Meets the Crowd: A New Era of Research Support
For decades, peer-reviewed science relied almost exclusively on a narrow network of funding institutions—government grants, university endowments, and elite private foundations. While those remain crucial pillars of academic research, they are not always fast, flexible, or inclusive. The application processes are rigorous, competitive, and often biased toward well-established labs or researchers with proven funding histories. For early-career scientists, unconventional ideas, or cross-disciplinary teams, traditional funding can feel like an impenetrable fortress. Enter crowdfunding—an innovative model that has transformed how science is supported, accessed, and shared with the world.
Today, researchers are turning to crowdfunding platforms not just as a stopgap, but as a viable route to fund rigorous, peer-reviewed science. These platforms allow scientists to bypass gatekeepers and reach out directly to the public, building support through storytelling, transparency, and real-time engagement. Whether you’re an academic pursuing a new hypothesis, an independent scientist piloting a proof-of-concept, or a graduate student collecting vital data, there’s a growing list of platforms designed to support you. And if your project has undergone or will undergo peer review, even better—these platforms are looking to fund research that is credible, transparent, and impactful.
Experiment.com: The Pioneer in Scientific Crowdfunding
No discussion of crowdfunded science would be complete without highlighting Experiment.com, the first and most prominent platform specifically designed for science projects. Launched with the mission of democratizing research funding, Experiment.com gives scientists a space to present their hypotheses, methodologies, and goals directly to the public. What sets it apart is its academic structure: projects must include research goals, a detailed plan, and often pass through internal review by the platform team to ensure legitimacy.
Researchers from universities, field stations, and independent labs have used Experiment.com to raise funds for projects in ecology, neuroscience, medicine, and even astrophysics. Campaigns must be grounded in the scientific method, and many feature institutional partnerships or peer-reviewed protocols. It’s not unusual for projects here to raise anywhere from $1,000 to $25,000, with clear deliverables and open access publishing often built into the plan. One of the platform’s biggest strengths is its transparency—updates, findings, and final outcomes are shared publicly, which builds trust and fosters long-term engagement.
Consano: Crowdfunding for Peer-Reviewed Medical Research
For those focused on medical science, Consano is a niche platform dedicated to funding peer-reviewed biomedical research. Unlike broader crowdfunding platforms, Consano works closely with institutions and only lists projects that have been reviewed and approved by the researchers’ home institutions. This added layer of credibility appeals to donors who want assurance that their contributions are supporting serious, evidence-based work.
Consano features a wide range of projects, from cancer research to rare diseases, and has helped fund everything from early diagnostic tools to patient-focused treatment innovations. The platform emphasizes donor impact, often providing personal stories from researchers or affected individuals to humanize the science. By narrowing its focus to health and medicine, Consano has cultivated a passionate base of supporters who are often driven by personal connections to the causes represented.
Petridish: Connecting Science to Story
Though now folded into other ventures, Petridish was one of the early platforms that brought scientific research into the crowdfunding arena with a strong emphasis on narrative. Its legacy continues in platforms like Experiment.com, but the idea it introduced still resonates—science is compelling when told as a story. Many platforms today build on this by requiring researchers to present not just their methodology but their motivation, personal journey, and vision for impact.
This model—where storytelling meets scientific rigor—is key to the success of crowdfunded peer-reviewed research. It encourages scientists to think like communicators, breaking down complex ideas into digestible, engaging pieces for a broader audience. Platforms that prioritize narrative often see higher success rates, and researchers who can translate their passion into public language tend to outperform their peers when it comes to fundraising and building long-term supporter networks.
Kickstarter and Indiegogo: For Scientists Thinking Outside the Box
Although not science-specific, major crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have become popular launching pads for research-adjacent projects—especially those blending science with technology, education, or public engagement. If your peer-reviewed science has a product component, such as a wearable health tracker, environmental monitoring device, or educational kit, these platforms offer vast exposure and a built-in audience hungry for innovation.
Researchers considering these platforms should be ready to compete with tech startups and creative entrepreneurs. Strong visuals, compelling videos, and concrete deliverables are essential. However, when done right, science-based campaigns can thrive here. One notable example includes DNA sequencing kits for classroom use, developed by a team of synthetic biologists. Others have crowdfunded climate change simulations, space missions, and AI-powered research tools. While these platforms don’t vet for peer review, your credibility will come through in how you communicate your science—and transparency is key.
GoFundMe: Grassroots Science in Action
While GoFundMe is most commonly associated with personal fundraising, it has also served as a platform for grassroots scientific projects—especially those related to public health, environmental justice, and education. For peer-reviewed projects that have urgent, community-focused goals, GoFundMe offers a way to tap into local or cause-driven networks that may be deeply invested in your work.
Scientists using GoFundMe often rely on their immediate communities—students, patients, residents, or local advocacy groups—for support. For example, a marine biologist might crowdfund equipment to study coral bleaching on a local reef, engaging divers, beachgoers, and environmentalists in the process. If the science is peer-reviewed and community-centric, GoFundMe becomes a powerful tool for mobilizing people around urgent action, especially when linked with advocacy or policy outcomes.
Benefunder: Bridging Donors and University Researchers
Benefunder is a philanthropic funding platform designed to connect high-net-worth donors with researchers at top academic institutions. While it doesn’t operate as a traditional crowdfunding site, it represents a different kind of crowd: individuals and foundations looking to support peer-reviewed science at scale. Benefunder works behind the scenes to match donors with research causes they care about, helping researchers build long-term funding relationships.
What makes Benefunder unique is its emphasis on storytelling and donor engagement. Scientists create robust digital profiles that explain their research in accessible terms, backed by peer-reviewed credentials. These profiles are used to connect with donors who want to fund serious, long-term research. For established researchers or those affiliated with universities, Benefunder can complement smaller crowdfunding efforts by offering access to major philanthropic networks looking to invest in breakthrough science.
uBiome and the Rise of Platform-Specific Campaigns
Before its closure, uBiome became an example of how companies can host internal crowdfunding campaigns to support specific research themes—in their case, microbiome studies. While uBiome’s operational issues were widely criticized, the concept they popularized remains valuable: platform-specific campaigns can create a focused ecosystem for funding and executing peer-reviewed science.
Today, newer initiatives and labs are adopting similar models, where a platform acts not just as a fundraiser but as a collaborative research hub. These platforms often incorporate peer review, data sharing, and open-access publication into their design. They blur the line between academic publishing and crowdfunding by allowing the crowd to fund, follow, and engage with research all in one place.
Evaluating Credibility and Scientific Rigor
With so many platforms to choose from, how can researchers and donors evaluate which ones prioritize scientific credibility? One key indicator is whether the platform requires or encourages peer review. While some, like Consano and Benefunder, formally require institutional vetting, others like Experiment.com implement internal scientific reviews or ask researchers to share affiliations and credentials.
Donors looking to fund credible projects should look for transparency: Is the methodology clearly stated? Are there citations or previous publications? Are affiliations and ethics board approvals provided? Researchers, in turn, should be honest and open in communicating their process, limitations, and expected outcomes. Trust is the currency of crowdfunding, especially when the subject is science.
Matching Platform to Purpose: How to Choose Wisely
The best platform for your peer-reviewed science project depends on your specific goals, audience, and scope. If you need a few thousand dollars to launch a pilot study, and you want to reach a broad public, Experiment.com may be ideal. If you’re raising funds for medical research tied to personal stories or patient communities, Consano may offer the right audience. If your project involves a product or creative component, Kickstarter or Indiegogo could give you the visibility you need. And if you’re aiming for high-value donors interested in long-term collaboration, Benefunder might be your best bet.
Choosing the right platform is about more than fees or features—it’s about alignment. Where does your science fit? Who are your ideal backers? What kind of storytelling will resonate with them? When you answer these questions honestly, the right platform often reveals itself.
Fueling the Future of Research—Together
Scientific crowdfunding isn’t just about filling funding gaps—it’s about rewriting the script. It allows researchers to reclaim agency over their work, to connect directly with people who care, and to build new kinds of relationships between science and society. It fosters transparency, invites collaboration, and accelerates innovation. And when peer-reviewed research meets passionate public support, the result is not only funding—it’s momentum.
Whether you’re an early-career scientist struggling to get a grant, an established researcher with an exciting side project, or a citizen scientist ready to make a difference, there is a platform ready to support your vision. The future of research is collaborative, inclusive, and driven by more than just academic prestige—it’s powered by the crowd, one breakthrough at a time.
