The largest sources of funding have been from contracts and grants from NIST, the U.S. Dept of Ed., and the National Science Foundation.
At the time, the major search engines were doing a poor job of directing web users to exhibits at Library of Congress, PBS, Discovery Channel and other sites.
[24][25][26] This directory was discontinued in 2003 once search engines became powerful; and it was no longer feasible to include all major online exhibits.
The museum is widely cited in academic, student, professional, and general writing.
[27] IDEA has published research on exhibit design and usability, and advocated for the format as an effective approach to draw in visitors to complex, multidisciplinary topics.