Marmot Study Secures $100,000, Extending 60-Year Research 1 Year After Trump Cuts
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 18
Marmot Study Secures $100,000, Extending 60-Year Research 1 Year After Trump Cuts
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 18
Summary
More than $100,000 in new donations has kept a 60-year marmot study in the US West alive for another year after federal funding cuts left it near termination.
About $88,000 came in two weeks from a supporter-created Solana meme coin, $OnlyMarms, while the project’s OnlyFans account raised roughly $6,000 and drew additional outside donations.
The researchers turned to unconventional fundraising after Trump’s administration slashed science support, froze more than $700 million in grants and shifted priorities toward AI and robotics over life sciences.
Project leaders said the internet-driven cash is a temporary fix, not a replacement for stable public funding, though another $300,000 could fund a PhD student for four years.