iNeuron: Kickstarting STEM education using the iPhone

The website Kickstarter.com has emerged as a hip and viable way for individuals or organizations to get money for their underfunded projects or ideas. The excitement of crowdfunding has spilled over into the world of science and technology but practicality and sustainability for this sort of funding model remains in question.

Kickstarter-like websites, such as Microzyra.com and Petridish.org, strive to help STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) researchers fund the initial stages of their new and innovative research projects. Microzyra and Petridish have already successfully helped to fund a significant number of research projects (60+ according to their websites). Is crowdfunding an appropriate medium to fund basic laboratory-based research projects or can these sites be better utilized?

I think the best utilization for STEM crowdfunding is to help transition science or scientific discoveries to commercial products. Products that will have a more direct and immediate impact on society (ie., medical device prototypes, science education).

This is best exemplified by iNeuron, a current Kickstarter program released by Andamio Games. iNeuron is a new iOS-based application that elevates neuroscience education to a new standard by turning an Apple device into a multiplayer interactive mobile game. Ideal for the high school setting, this app teaches basic neuroscience principles using story-based challenges in combination with network-based student-to-student interactions (ie., gaming). Pilot studies have shown iNeuron to improve the retention of basic neuroscience concepts within high school students (if interested in testing out iNeuron, you can get in on their beta-testing phase here.).

iNeuron was developed under funding secured by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as part of the Innovative Neuroscience K-12 Education program (Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR). Thus, rather than use the Kickstarter campaign to fund the development of iNeuron, Andamio Games is leveraging social media campaign to help expedite the public release of  iNeuron along with its widespread distribution through iTunes.

Campaigns like iNeuron make the best use of the new science crowdfunding phenomenon. Microzyra, Petridish and Kickstarter should be leveraged for projects that help established research or technology transition toward a more commercially viable and available product. As such, if the iNeuron Kickstarter program can achieve its funding goal it is likely that you will see this app appear in iTunes start as quickly as the end of 2013!