What is ScienceShip?
ScienceShip is a platform for founding scientific projects. The aim of this innovative and unique Website is to build public-private and private-private partnerships between business and science. Basically, science is the public side of partnership, whereas the private side is represented by business and individual scholars and scientists. For more, see: “About Us”.
What is crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is funding project by raising monetary contributions from a large number of people (donors, sponsors, supporters) who want to support a specific project in exchange for a reward. The rewards which can be offered are, e.g. acknowledgements in an article/book, tickets to an event, regular news updates, or gifts.
ScienceShip features scientific and inventive projects which can be funded by individual contributions and/or by companies interested in the project results/ the venture.
What is gamification?
Gamification is the concept of applying game-design thinking to non-game applications in order to make them more fun and engaging. ScienceShip hosts many game-like features, including competitions and scientific projects.
What is the main idea behind financing scientific projects using crowdfunding?
Buying rewards you support scientific Projects. By clicking 'Pay', you acknowledge that you understand that you are contributing to a work-in-progress in a Project and not making a direct purchase. Rewards are managed by the Project Organisers and cannot be guaranteed by the ScienceShip Service Provider. Your click also acknowledges that you agree to the “Terms of use of the Scienceship.com Website – regarding crowdfunding”.
How many Projects can be submitted by a single User?
Each person can run a maximum of two projects at the same time and twelve projects in total a year. These limitations are due to our concern for the quality of projects carried out at ScienceShip.com
What is the maximum number of rewards which could be bought by a single User in a particular Project?
The maximum crowdfunding financial support from one User per Project is EUR 15 000 (total value of Reward/Rewards bought in one Project).
What is the maximum value of a single reward which can be purchased in one scientific crowdfunding project?
The Organiser of a crowdfunding Project may determine the price of each reward to a maximum amount of EUR 15 000.
And the minimum value of an reward is EUR 5.
What is the maximum value of prizes purchased by a User in a single crowdfunding Project?
One user in the particular crowdfunding project can buy rewards of a value not exceeding the amount of EUR 15 000.
What is the maximum budget (collection goal) of a single crowdfunding Project?
A crowdfunding Project can have the maximum budget (collection goal) set in at approximately EUR 420 000 (depending on the current exchange rate).
The minimum budget per Project on the other hand is set at EUR 500 (depending on the current exchange rate).
Who can run projects at ScienceShip.com?
Every registered User who is over 18 years old can submit a project proposal. The research applicants can be individual researchers and/or organisations such as research institutions or companies. Employment in a scientific institution is not required to apply for funding.
Are there any restrictions concerning the location for adding projects?
ScienceShip.com is an international Website. There are no restrictions in terms of of the location from which you can add projects. The only important aspect is that the User who runs the Project in a particular country has verified whether the methods of crowdfunding are consistent with applicable law.
What is the cost of starting a Project?
Running a project at ScienceShip.com is free. The fee of about 6% is charged during crowdfunding process on each transaction received by the Organizer of the Project. There are also costs associated with PayPal’s or TPay.com commissions (details can be found in the Terms of Use of ScienceShip.com and in section: "Fees and payment security" - http://scienceship.com/en/payment-security) and concerning preparation and delivery of the Rewards.
Must the Projects be limited to a specific range of topics?
There are no limitations in the scope of Projects. Every scientific Project can be launched on the ScienceShip platform. Projects can be verified by the ScienceShip’s Scientific Council.
What criteria must the Project meet to be launched on the ScienceShip.com Website?
Prior to the launch on ScienceShip.com, the Project is evaluated by the Scientific Council or Experts with regard to its meeting the Terms of Use of the Website. Our team of experts, excelling in their areas of expertise, guarantee a substantive verification of the submitted ideas. Only positively assessed Projects will be launched on ScienceShip.com
What is maximum time of a funding campaign?
The maximum Project duration is 90 days, while the minimum Project duration is 20 days.
What happens if a funding campaign doesn’t reach its goal?
ScienceShip.com adopts the "take what you earn" principle. This means that if at a specific time the Project hasn’t reached the collection goal, all the money will be paid to the account of the Project Organiser.
However, the Project Organiser is obliged by the Terms of ScienceShip.com to spend the raised funds only on purposes related to that Project.
What if a funding campaign reaches its goal before the end of the time limit?
Funds are collected until the end of the originally defined dead;ine. It may happen that the Project will obtain funds which exceed the originally estimated budget. In this case, the entire amount will be transferred to the account of the Project Organiser who is obliged to spend the entire amount only on purposes related to the Project.
Can I make changes in the Project after the launch of the funding campaign?
You cannot introduce any changes in the Project once the funding campaign has started. Only the Service Provider can make such changes.
However, the Project Organiser may communicate with the community of ScienceShip.com by adding notes to the Project.
What is the "total support" option of available for setting up the Project?
When preparing the Project description on ScienceShip.com, the Project Organiser can select the "total support" option. This means that before the Project is launched in the crowdfunding mode, the ScienceShip team will be looking for business investors willing to finance the entire initiative.
If such an investor is found, then the ShipScience.com team will support scientists in the negotiation of cooperation agreements between the investor and the researcher/scientist.
If we won’t be able to find a business investor, then the Project will be directed to the regular, crowdfunding path.
Who provides rewards in crowdfunding Projects?
By clicking on “Pay”, you acknowledge that you understand that you are contributing to a work-in-progress in a Project and not making a direct purchase. Rewards are managed by the Project Organisers and cannot be guaranteed by the ScienceShip Service Provider. Your click also acknowledges that you agree to the “Terms of use of the Scienceship.com Website – regarding crowdfunding”.
Who can post Competitions on ScienceShip.com?
Scientific competitions can be posted on ScienceShip by companies and private investors.
What is the cost of starting a competition?
Starting a competition indeed involves fees. Please see the "Fees and payment security" section (http://scienceship.com/en/payment-security).
Can you post Competitions to recruit workers for R&D departments?
Of course, a company can post a job offer for a researcher position, e.g. in the form of a competition, test or a specific scientific problem to be solved.
How to create an account on the ScienceShip Website?
To sing up/register, click on the "log in" button available in the top right corner of the Website pages, and then select "sign up" and follow further instructions.
Is the ScienceShip.com available as a mobile application?
The ScienceShip.com platform is available on mobile devices, however we didn’t prepare a dedicated mobile app.
How can I contact with you?
You can contact us via the contact form which is located in the footer of the Website (the "contact" link).
How can I report safety concerns?
In case of any security issues please contact us via the contact form which is located in the footer of the Website (the "contact" link).
