When the federal research grants stopped coming, one team of scientists found an unlikely backup plan: OnlyFans.
No, not that kind of content.
Researchers behind one of the world’s longest-running wildlife studies have launched an OnlyFans account dedicated entirely to yellow-bellied marmots—adorably round, highly social rodents that have been studied in the Colorado Rockies for more than six decades.
The account, appropriately named OnlyMarms, features photos and videos of the furry creatures doing what marmots do best: eating, lounging, chirping and generally looking like oversized potatoes with legs. Subscribers can leave tips, with the proceeds helping fund the research.
It’s a funny idea born out of a much less funny reality.
The project, led by UCLA ecology professor Daniel Blumstein, has tracked generations of yellow-bellied marmots since 1962, making it one of the longest continuous studies of wild mammals anywhere in the world. The decades of data have helped scientists better understand everything from animal behavior and communication to how wildlife adapts to climate change.
For years, much of that work was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation. But after repeated funding rejections—and broader cuts to federal research funding over the past year—the team found itself looking for new ways to keep the project alive.
OnlyMarms was one answer.
The account is run by graduate student Emily Renkey, who sorts through wildlife camera footage to post both entertaining and educational videos of the marmots. The page has already raised enough money to cover essentials like the bait researchers use to safely attract the animals for observation.
“I’m just posting the videos I think will get the most ‘aws,’” Renkey said. “But my favorite is when I find footage of a particular behavior and I can use that to educate people.”
The lab hasn’t stopped there. They’ve also partnered with a Colorado brewery on a “Marmot Tears” IPA, with proceeds supporting the research, and this summer they’re launching Fat Marmot Week, a tongue-in-cheek competition inspired by Alaska’s wildly popular Fat Bear Week. Fans will vote for the plumpest marmot later this summer.
As ridiculous as it sounds, Blumstein says the situation highlights a bigger problem. Instead of spending their time writing papers and conducting research, scientists are increasingly forced to become marketers, fundraisers and social media creators just to keep long-term projects alive.
“Ultimately, we should be spending our time writing papers, not thinking up out-of-the-box ways to get funding,” he said.
Still, Renkey sees an upside. If an unconventional platform gets more people interested in science—and helps keep decades of research going—it might be worth the awkward conversations that come with telling people she runs an OnlyFans account.
“I don’t know if I agree with the idea that scientists shouldn’t have to be opportunistic and creative,” she said. “I think that’s a lot of what science and research is.”
At least in this case, it’s all PG. Just very, very chunky marmots.
