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Today we are launching a project that will greatly improve how life scientists and clinicians connect with F1000 services globally – and locally – and will give scientists interested in scholarly communication some exciting new opportunities and recognition.

This initiative, called F1000 Specialists, will allow enthusiastic users of F1000 services to become official, local representatives for F1000 at their universities, hospitals and institutions. F1000 Specialists can be either existing (Associate) Faculty Members or experienced users and authors of our services from the wider science and science communication communities.

We’re looking for life scientists and clinicians with a passion for science and the web – and we want to help them turn this passion into something they can get proper recognition for. F1000 Specialists will get to work more closely with our prestigious Faculty Members and our in-house staff with the aim of growing our community, developing our services, and ultimately improving the way we do, and communicate, science.

In return for helping F1000 connect with researchers at more institutions and to understand their needs, we are offering an exciting bunch of benefits. These include waivers and discounts on F1000 services – for Specialists and people they talk to about F1000 (see below). We envisage F1000 Specialists giving presentations, helping organize local events, distributing information, gathering feedback on our websites and sharing ideas on what we can do differently – and better. But we don’t want to be too prescriptive. If an F1000 Specialist has an idea of a way to reach researchers at their institute that we haven’t thought of, we want to hear about it. We like trying – and building – new things at F1000.

What you’ll do as an F1000 Specialist:
•    Connect with F1000 Faculty and Editorial Board Members at and near your institution
•    Be a local contact and advocate for F1000
•    Organize and give presentations on F1000 services
•    Help organize local events when F1000 staff are in your area
•    Spread the word at your institution and online
•    Test out new features of F1000 services
•    Provide and solicit feedback on F1000’s services and features
•    Help us understand how F1000 can best meet your, and your institution’s, needs
•    You tell us. If there’s an activity you’d like to carry out as an F1000 Specialist, let’s talk  about it

What F1000 Specialists get in return:
•    Free personal subscription to F1000Prime
•    Article processing charge waiver for F1000Research after you give your first talk
•    F1000 Specialist badge to put on your F1000 profile, and on your personal website
•    An excellent addition to your CV
•    The opportunity to visit the F1000 office in London or New York and meet the team, if you’re in the area
•    Invitations to F1000 receptions and events
•    Prizes for the most hard-working Specialists
•    Discounts and waivers on charges for F1000’s publishing services to give out at presentations
•    Expenses for food and drink at events you organize and, on request, for travel if you present outside your area

Through F1000’s provision of four distinct services for life scientists and clinicians we believe there are plenty of opportunities for F1000 Specialists to get some unique and valuable experiences from their role – and importantly to get more credit for their contributions to science that aren’t based on publishing papers.

Specialists are free to select the F1000 service(s) that are most relevant or interesting to them and their peers locally. We know scientists are busy, so the time commitment of F1000 Specialists – and which of the proposed activities they want to take part in – is flexible. Something as simple as recommending a good place to meet with Faculty Members (and Specialists) when F1000 staff visit a city could be valuable.

Amongst other things, F1000 Specialists will have the opportunity to test out new features and services we build. For Specialists who aren’t Faculty Members, we’ll soon be introducing profiles on the F1000 website, along with the option for any registered user of F1000 services to create their own profile – just to give you a glimpse into some of the changes ahead at F1000. We’ll also be developing the F1000 Specialists part of the F1000 website over the next few months. Meanwhile, Specialists can display the F1000 Specialist badge on their personal websites, and we’re planning the first F1000 Specialists meet-up in the autumn.

We have a lot of other ideas of how F1000 can keep innovating science communication. We’d love for more F1000 Specialists to be part of the F1000 community and help make these ideas a reality that they and their community want to be part of.

For more information, links to resources such as teaching presentations, and to apply to be an F1000 Specialist visit the F1000 Specialists website. You can also download the F1000 Specialists flyer. We can’t wait to hear from you.