Pozible projects lift-off

All five of Deakin’s latest round of Pozible research projects have achieved the funds required to proceed.

The Pozible crowdfunding system requires each project to reach its target by the due date - otherwise, the project is cancelled. Targets ranged from $5,000 (Diabetes Stigma) to almost $12,000 (Hips 4 Hipsters), and all five projects exceeded their targets.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Lee Astheimer said she was delighted at the project’s success.

“It is very satisfying to see the public showing their support for these worthwhile projects,” Professor Astheimer said.

“It is a tribute to all those involved that their enthusiasm was captured by the public, who will now get to share some of the excitement that comes from helping ‘make a difference’ through innovative research.”

Deakin was the first Australian university to use crowd funding to raise funds for research, through the “Research My World” project, initiated by Professor Deb Verhoeven last year.

Professor Verhoeven said that one of the key benefits of the program is that it helps to establish new connections between researchers and communities, giving the public direct input into research that matters to them.

The five projects were:

• Buddhist Life Stories of Australia
• CmyView
• Hips 4 Hipsters
• Kenya Healthy Minds
• The Diabetes Stigma: A Real Problem