Sook Chung, a professor and research scientist at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) in Baltimore, knew that sequencing the genome of Maryland’s iconic blue crab would be the key to the species’ continued role in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and economy. However, traditional sources like state and federal grants rarely fund this type of early-stage inquiry.
This need sparked what would eventually become the IMET Angel Investors. Founded by Mike and Trish Davis in 2015 to support the blue crab genome project, this visionary donor group has evolved and today continues annual funding of early-stage environmental research, where the return on investment is the potential for further discovery and exponential impact of success.
"It is philanthropy that enables scientists to answer early key questions and obtain critical proof-of-concept results that can then be used to leverage support from traditional funding agencies," said Lois Colaprete, UMCES Vice President for Advancement.
In Chung’s case, funding from the Angel Investors meant achieving the first full genome sequence for the blue crab in 2021. In 2024, the group has funded a record $400,000 in new projects furthering research in the use of microalgae to reduce carbon emissions, blue crab sustainability, and fish and oyster population health.
This engaged philanthropy also inspires meaningful connections between donor and scientist.
"Mike and Trish Davis, and all of our IMET Angel Investors, have been so generous with funding as well as their time and energy," said IMET’s director, Russell Hill. "They are actively engaged in project selection and follow the progress of the science very closely, encouraging IMET scientists to start several new and important projects that would never have seen the light of day without their commitment."
Inspired by the success of the group at the Baltimore lab, original IMET investors Jeff and Kristyn Eckel took the idea to another UMCES research facility, the Appalachian Lab in Frostburg, Maryland. In its 2024 inaugural year, donors to The Appalachian Laboratory Investment Network (TALIN) funded three projects totaling $300,000 that promise to provide solutions to important environmental issues in the Appalachians. Funded projects included a system to map, monitor, and assess risks to biodiversity in near real-time; work to amplify naturally-evolved adaptations in brook trout to make them better suited to warmer climates; and acquisition of a unique and state-of-the art compact mobile radar system for quantifying the movements of birds, insects and bats in the airspace.
"Time is of the essence for the natural world," said Jeff Eckel. "TALIN investors heard pitches on a Tuesday and funded them by Friday the same week, a welcome change for scientists weary of the long lead time from idea to funding."
Following on the idea that the most effective use of donations to solve environmental problems is to put the funds into the hands of scientists, public donations to the UMCES’ Endeavor Fund for Innovative Science similarly provides small jump-start grants to the university’s faculty members and students to get promising ideas off the ground. In 2023, The Merrill Foundation generously funded a proof-of-concept project for the UMCES' Chesapeake Global Collaboratory initiative that has proven to be another productive use of forward-thinking philanthropy.
It is not possible to put a price tag on the return on these investments – in the world of environmental research, a single discovery can spark further innovative initiatives and exponentially magnify the impact of each gift.
The real return of this thoughtful philanthropy is in the priceless addition to the understanding of what is happening in our environment, leading to the real-world answers the research uncovers. An investment in science is an investment in vital solutions.
Learn more about the Appalachian Laboratory, the IMET Angel Investors and the blue crab genome project.
