crowdsource funding for women researchers in science, technology, engineering, and math
OUR MISSION
We’re a crowdfunding web platform that funds the research of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Through fundraising, connecting researchers to networks of support, and providing a platform for exposure, we empower female researchers to take their careers, and their science, to the next level.
HOW IT WORKS
Each research project is created by the researcher behind it either independently or with collaborators. Researchers have complete control and responsibility over their projects. Researchers share their project with their community who can then contribute as little as $5 to the projects of their choice. All backers’ are charged upon donation.
WHY WE DO IT
We do it because we want to see her proposal turn into results! Despite her brilliant ideas, women and girls face an unjust hardship in joining the conversation. In the U.S., women only represent 24 % of the STEM workforce, we hold a disproportionately low share of STEM undergraduate degrees, and are far less likely than our male counterparts to work in a STEM occupation. In fact, new research shows that women receive far less funding and, if awarded, receive significantly smaller sums.
At Instrumentl we’re aiming to change this. Through crowdfunding we use the resources and passion of our community to dramatically increase the likelihood that her project will get funded while reducing the amount of time and energy she spends applying for competitive grants.