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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Crowd-funded micro-grants for genomics and big data: An actionable idea connecting small (Artisan) science, infrastructure science, and citizen philanthropy
OMICS A Journal of Integrative Biology, Volume 17, No. 4, Year 2013
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Description
Biomedical science in the 21st century is embedded in, and draws from, a digital commons and "Big Data" created by high-throughput Omics technologies such as genomics. Classic Edisonian metaphors of science and scientists (i.e., "the lone genius" or other narrow definitions of expertise) are ill equipped to harness the vast promises of the 21st century digital commons. Moreover, in medicine and life sciences, experts often under-appreciate the important contributions made by citizen scholars and lead users of innovations to design innovative products and co-create new knowledge. We believe there are a large number of users waiting to be mobilized so as to engage with Big Data as citizen scientists-only if some funding were available. Yet many of these scholars may not meet the meta-criteria used to judge expertise, such as a track record in obtaining large research grants or a traditional academic curriculum vitae. This innovation research article describes a novel idea and action framework: micro-grants, each worth $1000, for genomics and Big Data. Though a relatively small amount at first glance, this far exceeds the annual income of the "bottom one billion"-the 1.4 billion people living below the extreme poverty level defined by the World Bank ($1.25/day). We describe two types of micro-grants. Type 1 micro-grants can be awarded through established funding agencies and philanthropies that create micro-granting programs to fund a broad and highly diverse array of small artisan labs and citizen scholars to connect genomics and Big Data with new models of discovery such as open user innovation. Type 2 micro-grants can be funded by existing or new science observatories and citizen think tanks through crowd-funding mechanisms described herein. Type 2 micro-grants would also facilitate global health diplomacy by co-creating crowd-funded micro-granting programs across nation-states in regions facing political and financial instability, while sharing similar disease burdens, therapeutics, and diagnostic needs. We report the creation of ten Type 2 micro-grants for citizen science and artisan labs to be administered by the nonprofit Data-Enabled Life Sciences Alliance International (DELSA Global, Seattle). Our hope is that these micro-grants will spur novel forms of disruptive innovation and genomics translation by artisan scientists and citizen scholars alike. We conclude with a neglected voice from the global health frontlines, the American University of Iraq in Sulaimani, and suggest that many similar global regions are now poised for micro-grant enabled collective innovation to harness the 21st century digital commons. © 2013, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Authors & Co-Authors
Ozdemir, Vural
United States, Seattle
Data-enabled Life Sciences Alliance Delsa Global
Canada, Montreal
Université Mcgill
Canada, Montreal
Mcgill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Badr, Kamal F.
Lebanon, Beirut
American University of Beirut
Dove, Edward S.
Canada, Montreal
Mcgill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
United States, New York
Columbia Law School
Endrenyi, Laszlo
Canada, Toronto
University of Toronto
Geraci, Christy Jo
Iraq, Sulaymaniyah
American University of Iraq
Hotez, Peter J.
United States, Houston
Baylor College of Medicine
United States, Houston
Texas Children's Hospital
United States, Houston
Rice University
Milius, Djims
Canada, Montreal
Mcgill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
South Africa, Cape Town
University of Cape Town
Neves-Pereira, Maria
Unknown Affiliation
Pang, Tikki Pangestu
Singapore, Singapore City
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
Rotimi, Charles N.
United States, Bethesda
National Human Genome Research Institute Nhgri
Sabra, Ramzi F.
Lebanon, Beirut
American University of Beirut
Sarkissian, Christineh N.
Canada, Montreal
L'institut de Recherche du Centre Universitaire de Santé Mcgill
Srivastava, Sanjeeva
India, Mumbai
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Tims, Hesther
Netherlands, Amsterdam
Independent Scholar
Khoueiry Zgheib, Nathalie Khoueiry
Lebanon, Beirut
American University of Beirut
Kickbusch, Ilona
Switzerland, Geneva
Institut de Hautes Études Internationales et du Développement,geneve
Statistics
Citations: 41
Authors: 16
Affiliations: 17
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1089/omi.2013.0034
Research Areas
Cancer
Genetics And Genomics
Health System And Policy