Effectiveness of $250 to $1000 USD Microgrants for Open Science Hardware

General
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I have seen several posts about microgrants for hosting events, but I do not see any related to doing open science (hardware) research and development. How effective are microgrants at progressing open science research and open science hardware development? In this context, I am considering $250 to $1000 USD to be microgrant size.

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In 2022, we launched the “GOSH 2022 Collaborative Development Program”:

Phase 1 funding breakdown:

  • New Project Track: Up to USD 2,000 per project, for up to five projects (up to USD 10,000 awarded in total).
  • Established Project Track: Up to USD 4,600 per project, for a total of up to five projects (up to USD 23,000 awarded in total)

Phase 2 funding breakdown:

  • New Project Track: Up to three projects from Phase 1 will be approved for Phase 2 funding based on progress evidenced by submitting an interim report. Up to USD 7,600 per project, for up to three projects (up to USD 23,000 awarded in total).
  • Established Project Track: Up to three projects from Phase 1 will be approved for Phase 2 funding based on progress evidenced by submitting an interim report. Up to USD 18,000 per project, for up to three projects (up to USD 54,000 awarded in total).

Experiment.com also launched a program called Low-Cost Tools for Science, where some projects that GOSH funded also got some funding.

From my perspective:

  • The microgrants can be helpful if the OSH is not a side project (your team already has a salary) and the team has good technical expertise.
  • The microgrants usually work well in the Global North. Supply chain, regulations, and economic context widely vary in the Global South, increasing the cost of the components/reagents on average.
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To add additional resources to finding resources for micro grants, you should look into Eire Ventures ($500), Bagel Funds ($500), and 1517 Fund Medici Grant ($1000).

From personal experience, I think a major benefit from these micro grants (besides getting the money to support your work) is you’ll hone in on your mission/motivation for building the open-source projects. Plus, you’ll talk to interesting people and join a community specific to the micro grant where you can connect with more like-minded individuals.

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