15 replies to this topic

[caliban]

• If you are a scientist, a student of science or otherwise interested in contributing to this initiative please click 'TO CONTRIBUTE'
  
• If you are none of the above but would like to sponsor the initiative (directly or indirectly with your LongeCity membership) please click 'TO SPONSOR'
  
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Science section revisited - thoughts for discussion

Objectives & features of a consolidated LongeCity 'science section'

• Database of friendly experts
• Friendly peer review
• Funding news
• Guest Articles
• Grant writing
• High quality discussions
• Job adverts
• Journal club
• Linking project students with supervisors
• Monthly lecture
• Networking
• News from community projects
• Reviewing project proposals
• Sharing papers
• Sharing protocols
• Sharing research materials

Some of these we already do to some extend.

How will we identify 'expert contributors'? -- Anyone who has a degree and/or is recommended by an existing expert.

Some sections/threads will have restricted access to maintain 1) quality or 2) confidentiality
RE1: Stricter moderation standards will apply in the public sections
RE2: Ultra-sensitive discussions should just be initiated here and then taken into private conversation

Resource implications:
- the grant programme should continue (if we can get the microglia project funded)
- there may be some room for small incentives (guest articles, presentations)
- we might look at getting someone to adminster this 1day/week

Edited by caliban, 12 May 2011 - 10:43 PM.

[brokenportal]

As your pinned about topic in this forum states:
"If you find an idea in the forum below that you really like, please RATE and comment on the topic to bring it to the attention of others. Those wishing to pursue one of the ideas floated below, can introduce a new post in the project suggestions forum, linking to the preceding discussions in this forum."

So lets get an outline worked out here and then I look forward to seeing this in proposals. We'll set a deadline for implementing it. I'll be volunteering there to help install the sections and pinned topics and section restrictions and all of that.

[VictorBjoerk]

The science section proposal, made by me in cooperation with Sven.

I hope that it brings the different points closer together and that we can make the science section a successful tool in developing Longecity.

Feel free to discuss.

/Victor

Attached Files

•  science section detailed proposal.pdf   275.79KB   229 downloads

Edited by VictorBjoerk, 03 April 2011 - 03:48 AM.

[caliban]

Thanks, this is now shaping up into a framework.

Key to this is people and contacts, we need to ID relevant contributors and stakeholders, please add any names that come to mind.

draft Timeframes:
announcement: April 8th
public consultation: until May2nd
review of feedback: until May6th
action plan: by mid-May
Coordinator appointed, launch: early June

Terribly busy, atm, if you want to suggest a draft announcement text below, please be my guest:

[caliban]

Automatic message


This topic has been moved from "Action! -> Suggestions & Project Ideas -> Ideas " to "Action! -> Suggestions & Project Ideas -> Project Proposals".

[caliban]

Draft proposal metrics

Proposal: Science Initiative Revisited
Team Leaders: s123/caliban
Leader workload: 120 min/ week
Team Members: variable
Members workload: variable
Members only? - No (but restricted access)
Funding Required? - Yes
Funding Level: $17.500
Metrics for evaluating success or failure:
Contributors, projects funded, matched funding, regular publications, no & quality of discussions, no of student projects, feedback
Milestones / Interim Steps:

• announcement: April 8th
• public consultation: until May2nd
• review of feedback: until May6th
• action plan: by mid-May
• Coordinator appointed, launch: early June

Impact: 9/10
Confidence & Competence: 6/10
Failure risk: 4/10
Legal/financial/reputational risk: 8/10
Team Coordinator Oversight: 10/week
Board Oversight: frequent

[caliban]

There are just a few more days for general feedback on this initiative!

I would encourage all Members to share thoughts, views and ideas, this is the one cluster of activities that will likely determine Longecity's focus for the rest of this year and beyond.

[caliban]

Draft letter to contributors.

Dear
I’m writing to seek your help in strengthening the science focus of the LongeCity.org website.
Over the last decade, the ‘Immortality Institute’ forums have seen many learned and informative discussions on life-extension science. Young minds who got inspired to take up science in pursuit of life extension have by now graduated, early-career researchers have moved to more senior positions. We have funded small scale scientific projects, supported students, scientific publications and conferences. We are proud of this history, and proud of the many friends with scientific knowledge, including yourself.
Now is the time to step these efforts up significantly and put them on a more stable footing. Partially to this end, to strengthen this organisation’s credibility or at least to avoid negative associations for young researchers whose scientific careers are still precarious, we initiated the name change to LongeCity. As a next step, we would now like to consolidate scientific output and support. We plan, among other things, the following:
• A database/social network scientific expertise: to help professionals connect and collaborate across the globe.
• A facility for friendly, informal but confidential peer review for draft publications, grant applications, pitches, but also term papers etc for younger members.
• Helping to match students with established academics for internships, collaborative writing etc.
We also hope to aim for some ‘official’ publications: still sourced from the community as usual, but commissioned and edited. These shall include:
• A regular podcast interview
• A regular featured article
• Moderated ‘journal club’ type discussions
These activities will interface with the modes financial support that we still aim to leverage with maximum effectiveness. Those who contribute to these activities will also be asked to review and advise on the grant-giving and fundraising efforts related to science support to ensure that resources are spend well.
I should clarify that we are not doing anything new: this effort is simply a more organised approach to consolidate various activities that have been going on at some stage. We are also NOT setting out to compete with anyone! Many bigger and different organisations are doing great work in this field. LongeCity has a particular niche, precisely because we are a very grass-roots, informal community, but we only ever aim to support and complement the efforts of others.
We would be grateful if you could confirm your basic interest in contributing to this initiative and share any thoughts and ideas that you may have.
You can do so in this thread:
If you click ‘Yes, to contribute (or support)” that does not mean that you commit to anything in particular at this point. It will only mean that we will keep you in the loop regarding further developments, and check with you at a later stage what particular activities you would enjoy contributing to or participating in.
Please share any further thoughts or ideas you may have in that discussion thread, or if you prefer via email to support@imminst.org.
We very much hope that you will support this initiative in whatever way you deem best, and we are confident that with your help we can build LongeCity up as a valuable resource for our common cause and for you personally as well.

[caliban]

Potential recipients of the draft letter are listed here:
http://www.longecity...ntists-contact/ (Members only)

Non-members feel free to suggest names below, or via PM.

[kmoody]

I would be happy to contribute to this as needed. Please contact me by email directly at kelsey.moody@gmail.com as my visiting of these forums can be irregular.

[brokenportal]

From this topic: http://www.longecity...m-of-mortality/

Creating a list of researches, needed fundings for their projects and the payment details for the fundings is easy
and needs only an intusiast.

The researches and the bank accounts for the research projects can be listet in a HTML file and placed in one of
the free servers, such as: webs.com or cjb.net or another one from the many many more free servers

Then a simple topic named something like "funding longevity and immortality researches" containing the link to this
web page will be enough to be done the project proposed from Brandon Danaher,

P.S. I don't mind creating such a web site or giving help for the creation of such a web site.

Seivtcho has posted some other insights and things that seem conducive to the science initiative too. I have invited him to this topic.

[AdamSummerfield]

Since I cannot start a topic in Community Science I'll post this here. I am applying for various Master's courses, all of which will be research projects in ageing. Am I eligible for funding from Longecity?

[Mind]

Since I cannot start a topic in Community Science I'll post this here. I am applying for various Master's courses, all of which will be research projects in ageing. Am I eligible for funding from Longecity?

Yes. We evaluate grant proposals on a case-by-case basis. There is a natural tendency to support high quality established researchers/labs, but no one is excluded. Since you have been around the LongeCity scene for long time, you might have an extra edge in receiving funding (via member vote).

[AdamSummerfield]

Okay. So I should make a funding proposal once I have decided which course I will take?

Edited by AdamSummerfield, 31 January 2013 - 12:31 AM.

[Mind]

Okay. So I should make a funding proposal once I have decided which course I will take?

You should apply for a grant when you have an age-related research project ready to go.

[AdamSummerfield]

I have a research proposal now, do I need anything else?