UAB crowdfunding raises over one million euros in support of research and social actions

The UAB crowdfunding programme has surpassed its goal of reaching one million euros in donations to help projects related to research and social actions and commitment. Since it was started in 2019, the University has launched and aided in the creation of over fourteen crowdfunding campaigns, in which thousands of people and entities were able to collaborate directly with transformative initiatives. The campaigns received a total of 5,370 donations, raising a total sum of €1,080,000.

"This figure is much more than just a number: it is how society demonstrates its trust in the research and social commitment of the UAB. Crowdfunding connects us with citizens and helps us foster projects that have a direct impact on society", highlights Xavier Ramos, vice-rector for Economics at the UAB.

Among the projects that have received funding thanks to the donations made are initiatives related to health, the conservation of the environment, social inclusion and the protection of heritage. There are currently six projects underway and eight have already finalised.

The three campaigns which received the greatest amount of donations have the same struggle in common: the search for treatments for rare genetic diseases affecting children. Thanks to the support of people and, particularly, of the families, the objective of developing a gene therapy for spastic paraplegia type 52 (SPG52)—a disease affecting only 55 children in the world—has managed to raise over €620,000, making it the campaign with the greatest number of donations. Another project is dedicated to the Wolfram Syndrome, a rare and highly severe neurodegenerative disease, which has raised over €180,000, and research into finding a gene therapy for adenylsuccinate lyase deficiency (ADSL), which raised more than €110,000.

The UAB crowdfunding programme offers personalised support to the University research groups, from the ideation to the dissemination and management of the campaigns. This resource has been consolidated as a complementary route for competitive funding, fostering citizen participation in research and establishing direct connections between the university and society. "Crowdfunding forces us to make our research more visible and make it more understanding, and to put the focus on the impact it can have on the lives of people", Xavier Ramos explains.