Research Outline

Life-Sciences/ Bio-sciences Online Communities

Goals

To identify a list of Biosciences or Lifesciences online communities, aimed at networking, providing opportunities for members, and growing the life sciences industry.

Early Findings

This preliminary research is aimed to revise the research presented earlier. The focus has been to search for online interactive communities related to the Lifesciences or Biosciences fields.
The following Communities have been identified:

- Global Communities

1. Life Science Teaching Resource Community (LifeSciTRC)

2. The Naked Scientists

  • The forum originated from the Cambridge University's Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) in 2001, created by Chris Smith. The Naked Scientists are a group of scientists, doctors, and communicators who disseminate scientific research to the general public, foster engagement and collaboration between scientists in the field of life sciences, medicine, and technology.
  • The forum is famous for its science podcasts for sharing scientific information. The forum has a closed community of contributing global members
  • The forum also offers a platform similar to a blog post where researchers in the life sciences community connect, collaborate, ask questions and help out each other.

3. IEEE Life Sciences - Life Sciences Technical Community

  • IEEE provides a life sciences portal to its community of life sciences researchers, which fosters networking, engagement, and collaboration with engineers, computer scientists, medical professionals, and researchers to advance the application of engineering and technology to the life sciences.
  • The IEEE Life Sciences Technical Community (LSTC) became operational in 2014. It seeks to create a virtual community for stakeholders that have interests in technology and its application in life sciences, including technology companies, hospitals, pharmaceutical company researchers, and university researchers. The community forum has social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn groups, aimed for sharing information and providing a discussion forum.

- U.S. state-based Bioscience Communities:

4. Indiana Health Industry Forum (IHIF):

  • The diverse members of the Indiana Health Industry Forum generate the collective voice of the state’s health and life science industry. The forum's mission is to connect key stake holders, enhance business networks, advocate for member interests, develop workforce skills, and provide strategic vision in the interest of growing the state’s health industry economy and reputation.
  • The forum also provides free and value-added membership for promoting life sciences interest in the state health industry.
6. BioCT is the voice of Connecticut’s bioscience industry []