As federal and state funding sources grow scarce, an SIU researcher is hoping crowdfunding may help bridge the gap.
SIU Fisheries Director Jim Garvey is using the site, “Kickstarter”, to try to raise money for a research project involving sturgeon along the Mississippi River.
He says as federal and state monies dry up, scientists are looking for alternatives:
“We still have a pretty good funding base from our federal and state partners, and I think we’ll continue to have those good relationships. But there are certain things that we want to do that they can’t necessarily fund, and when I looked at Kickstarter and the other crowdfunding sources out there, it sort of dawned on me that this is an opportunity that we should pursue.”
Garvey is hoping to raise $100,000 by July 3 with his Kickstarter campaign. The money would help fund a new study on sturgeon, looking at where and when they spawn.
Garvey says the information gathered here would help better protect the fish, and give researchers another key to unlocking how they interact with their environment.
