How would you describe the current US funding climate?

Credit: Lehigh University

Securing funding for research is the most difficult — and most frustrating — part of a job that I otherwise love. The funding climate is very bad. I think that the effort needed to obtain research funding is no longer proportionate to the money that you get, and I believe that this is true for many people. I have enough funding from the US National Science Foundation, the US Department of Energy and Lehigh University to work until the end of 2018. It is enough to support five postdocs and graduate students — the size of my lab for the past four years.

What projects will donors be supporting?

My group is developing nanoporous materials for use in greenhouse-gas reduction, catalytic converters, air and water purification and energy storage.

How much of your time do you spend writing grant applications?

More than half. I have applied for five to ten grants each year, including federal, state and private-foundation grants — basically, any opportunity that presents itself. I have more publications than one might expect relative to the number of personnel and dollars I have.

How did you decide to sell discount cards?

I wanted to pursue a crowdfunding model, but I did not want to use a platform such as Kickstarter. Instead, I wanted to use my own university website as the crowd-funding platform.

Why?

Kickstarter allows technology projects if they create a consumer product, but that is not a typical outcome of basic scientific research. And often, crowdfunding campaigns offer perks for different levels of donations. In researching my options, I found these discount cards, which are valued at US$10. But, depending on how often one uses them, they can actually save the cardholder more than $10, and they ship easily and inexpensively. Supporters can also give a charitable donation. Often, funding organizations and the public seem to expect science to refund society immediately. That is difficult to achieve, because scientific research is a long-term endeavour. But with this card, I can return the value to society — or at least to the donor.

How many have you sold so far?

Not very many. Fewer than 50. But I have had a few people also give donations.

What is the campaign's biggest challenge?

Getting the word out. I am hopeful that talking to the press will work as an advertisement that could spread further through social media.

What do your colleagues think of the idea?

The feedback has been positive — basically, people are saying that I'm showing ingenuity. One colleague in my department has changed his website to be able to receive donations, too.

Would you contemplate moving to another country, where funding might be better?

That is a complicated question in several ways. I am settled here for personal and professional reasons. And leaving is a complex decision that would involve more than solely funding concerns. I have colleagues in other countries who say it is not easy to find funding where they are either. But if funding in another country were dramatically improved, for example, I would consider it.

What is the outlook for your future funding?

To me, the tunnel seems to be getting darker rather than brighter. That is something that scares me. I've got 25 years ahead of me. If it gets even worse than now, that is a scary prospect.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.