UCLA Researchers Launch OnlyFans Marmot Channel to Fund Study

Facing federal science budget cuts, a team of ecologists at the University of California, Los Angeles created an unconventional fundraising platform. Professor Daniel Blumstein and his colleagues opened an OnlyFans profile called “OnlyMarms,” posting non‑adult videos of yellow‑bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) from the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado. The account, which accepts free subscriptions and voluntary tips, retained 20 % of revenue for the platform and directed the remainder to laboratory supplies.

In its first month the profile generated roughly $650, while later reports indicated that it has raised several thousand dollars, including $5,000 in subscriptions and additional donations from meme‑coin campaigns. The researchers say the money helps keep a decades‑long marmot population study running, though it does not replace federal grants. The idea was sparked after Blumstein watched an Apple TV+ series about a mother using OnlyFans to support her child, leading him and graduate student Emily Renkey to adapt the model for scientific research.

The project also aims to raise public awareness of animal behavior research, offering viewers a glimpse of marmot social interactions, burrow activities and seasonal habits.