1. Research Crowdfunding on OWL
OpenWorldLab provides a dedicated crowdfunding platform engineered specifically for scientific research, laboratory infrastructure, student fellowships, field expeditions, open-source scientific software, and public interest science. Browse active projects on the Campaign Directory.
Unlike generic crowdfunding sites, OWL combines scientific peer validation, transparent budget itemization, and Stripe Connect destination charges to give backers full confidence in where their contributions go, all governed by our Fundraising Policy.
2. Custody & Stripe Connect Architecture
OpenWorldLab is not a bank, broker, escrow agent, or financial institution. We never take custody of contributed funds into a platform wallet. All transactions are processed by Stripe via direct Stripe Connect destination charges.
- Each Group connects its own legal Stripe account verified by Stripe KYC/KYB.
- When a backer contributes, funds settle directly into the group’s verified Stripe account (minus the platform fee).
- OWL maintains an immutable transaction audit log for transparency and compliance.
Scientific Backer
Public Supporter / Institution
Payment Rails Accepted:
Visa · Mastercard · AMEX · Apple Pay · Google Pay · SEPA
Stripe Connect Engine
Instant Destination Charge
5% fee absorbs all Stripe credit card processing fees
Direct payout to university, institute, or lab legal entity bank via connected account KYC/KYB.
Covers Stripe processing fees, compliance checks, and platform infrastructure.
3. Funding Models
A campaign uses one of two funding models. Under both, each contribution settles to the group as it arrives, and nothing is held back until the goal is met.
All-or-nothing funding is not offered yet. OWL cannot currently hold contributions and refund them if a goal is missed, so a campaign that falls short keeps what it raised and backers are not refunded automatically. See the Fundraising Policy.
Flexible Funding
Keep What You Raise
Refund policy managed directly with creator group
Best suited for:
- Lab consumables, daily reagents, and recurring supplies
- Open-ended student fellowships and travel stipends
- Modular projects where any raised amount advances scientific progress
Incremental
Fundable Budget Components
Each contribution settles as it arrives
Best suited for:
- Expeditions with separately costed legs
- Multi-stage hardware engineering and prototype builds
- Budgets where backers want to pay for a specific item
4. Campaign Lifecycle & Statuses
Every campaign moves through clearly defined lifecycle states from initial drafting to completion:
Draft
Project Story & Budget
Creator Requirements:
- Verified ORCID credentials
- Itemized budget & milestones
- Video abstract / lab photos
In Review
Risk Tier Due Diligence
Active
Accepting Backers & Pledges
Live Operational Flow:
- Real-time funding progress
- Milestone updates to backers
- Direct Stripe bank payouts
Completed
Deliverables & Permanent Archive
Post-Campaign Transparency:
- Deliverables & preprints posted
- Backer tax receipts generated
- 5-year retention AML audit log
| Stage | Status Badge | Accepts Contributions | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draft | Draft | — | Creator drafting project story, budget lines, and cover media. |
| In Review | In review | — | Submitted for mandatory OWL compliance and scientific review. |
| Changes Requested | Changes requested | — | Reviewer returned with feedback (e.g. clarify ethics, safety, or budget breakdown). |
| Rejected | Rejected | — | Submission declined by compliance reviewers for failing safety or eligibility requirements. |
| Active | Live | Approved, publicly listed, and actively accepting backer contributions. | |
| Paused | Paused | — | Temporarily paused by creator (page remains viewable, checkout is disabled). |
| Compliance Hold | Frozen | — | Compliance freeze (sanctions verification or payment provider hold). |
| Funded | Funded | — | Reserved for all-or-nothing campaigns, which are not offered yet. |
| Completed | Completed | — | Campaign reached its end date and closed automatically. Funds already settled stay with the group. |
| Closed | Closed | — | Terminated after a compliance freeze was confirmed; its contributions are refunded. |
5. Compliance Review & Risk Tiers
No campaign can accept money until it has been human-reviewed and approved by an OWL compliance officer in accordance with our Fundraising Policy.
Reviewers evaluate scientific legitimacy, safety, budget sanity, and international sanctions compliance. Each campaign is assigned an internal Risk Tier:
Low Risk
Standard university lab consumables, student society projects, software tools.
Medium Risk
Independent labs, international fieldwork expeditions, hardware capital items >$50k.
High Risk
Dual-use technology, gene editing, large financial goals. Requires enhanced diligence.
6. Who Can Fundraise, and Who Can Do What
Two separate questions decide fundraising access: whether the group is eligible to fundraise at all, and which members may perform each fundraising action.
Group Eligibility
Fundraising is not open to every group by default during the initial release.
University-affiliated groups (groups linked to an institution in OWL’s registry) can start campaigns and payout onboarding immediately.
Other groups can request access through the Fundraising Waitlist on our contact form; OWL enables fundraising on the group once approved.
Banned or archived groups can never fundraise, and an existing campaign stops accepting contributions.
Member Privileges
Fundraising is split into eight independently grantable privileges rather than one “finance” switch.
Draft, edit, and submit campaigns for review.
Post campaign updates to backers.
View the contributor list and, separately, export contributor data as CSV (donor PII).
Issue refunds and manage payout accounts, which move money and connect a bank account.
Owners and Admins hold all eight by default.
7. Payout Onboarding & Entities
To accept contributions, groups must complete Stripe Connect Onboarding. It asks two things first: the country the organisation receiving the funds is registered in, and what kind of organisation it is.
Payouts are currently available to organisations registered in 42 countries. Stripe decides which, and which organisation types it accepts in each. A group registered anywhere else can't set up payouts yet. The country is where the organisation is registered, not where its members are based.
- Charity or non-profit: Registered with a charity regulator or equivalent. Many universities, including most in the UK, are charities.
- University or public body: Only offered where Stripe has a separate category for public bodies. Elsewhere, choose the type the university is registered as.
- Company: University spin-outs and private research enterprises.
- Individual: For groups that are not a registered organisation. The account holder is personally responsible for the funds.
| Country of registration | Organisation types accepted |
|---|---|
| Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom | Charity or non-profit, Company, Individual |
| Thailand | Company, Individual |
| United Arab Emirates | Company |
| United States | Charity or non-profit, University or public body, Company, Individual |
8. Platform Fees & Calculations
- All-Inclusive Platform Fee: Standard 5% (500 bps) platform fee on funds raised. It includes Stripe's card processing fee, which OWL pays out of the platform fee, so a $100 contribution reaches the group as $95.
- "Backer Covers Fee" Option: A group can set its campaign so the 5% fee is added on top of each contribution. Backers then pay slightly more and the full amount they entered reaches the group.
- Minor Unit Precision: All financial arithmetic is computed in integer minor units (cents/pence) to prevent rounding errors.
9. Itemized Budget Breakdowns
Backers demand financial transparency. Every campaign must specify an itemized budget:
- Up to 30 budget lines with clear labels and costs.
- Optional explanatory notes per line (e.g. Reagents batch for CRISPR-Cas12 assay).
- The exact sum of all budget lines must match the total Campaign Goal Amount.
10. Backer Experience, Receipts & Privacy
- Payment Methods: Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and European localized payment rails (iDEAL, Bancontact, SEPA).
- SCA Compliant: Full 3D Secure verification for European and international security compliance.
- Privacy Control: Backers can choose public attribution or select Anonymous Backer to keep their profile hidden on the public campaign wall.
- Receipts & Contribution History: Backers can manage past donations and download tax receipts from Settings > Contributions. You can also view rankings on the Leaderboard.
11. Refunds, Disputes & Freezes
- Flexible Funding: Because funds settle to the receiving group's connected account, refund requests are managed directly through the campaign's Contributions management dashboard.
- Partial & Full Refunds: Contributions can be refunded either in full or partially (for example, goodwill adjustments). The dashboard clearly displays the original contribution, any refunded amount, and the net remaining balance.
- Transparent Ledger Updates: When a refund is processed, campaign progress counters and the public backer wall adjust automatically to reflect the actual net funds received.
- Missed Goals: A campaign that ends below its goal keeps what it raised. Contributions are not refunded automatically on that basis.
- Audit Trail & Retention: In compliance with international financial standards and our Fundraising Policy, all transaction records, partial refunds, and dispute logs are immutably preserved in the audit trail.