Become a 2026 ELIXIR-UK Ambassador

As an ELIXIR-UK Ambassador, you take on a recognised role representing a national life science research infrastructure. Ambassadors are trusted connectors who help shape conversations around FAIR data, open science, and digital research infrastructure – both within their organisations and beyond.

For many people involved in ELIXIR-UK activities, having ELIXIR-UK visibly behind them has been key to being heard, trusted and gaining a stronger voice in their institutions and communities.

As an Ambassador, you will:

Acting as an ELIXIR-UK Ambassador gives you recognised backing when engaging colleagues, leadership and peers. This can make it easier to start conversations, influence practice and advocate for FAIR and open research locally, nationally and internationally. 

“As part of ELIXIR-UK, I gained influential power at my institute for RDM. It gave me more authority. I’m no longer a single voice saying we should care about RDM. Instead, I have the ELIXIR-UK community behind me. Don’t underestimate that value!“

The ambassador role is a visible, externally recognised position that demonstrates leadership, initiative, and community engagement — experience that is valuable for promotion cases, funding applications and career progression.

“I obtained funding in partnership with my university, in collaboration with ELIXIR-UK as a Fellow.”

Your activities and contributions will be highlighted through ELIXIR-UK communications, helping you build a profile that extends beyond your immediate role or institution. You will also become embedded and visible inside the larger European Research Infrastructure of ELIXIR with a network of ~250 organisations. 

“I loved the supportive and positive environment.“

Ambassadors are connected to each other and to ELIXIR-UK communities, endorsed services and influencing voices. You are not operating in isolation, but as part of a wider network with shared goals and mutual support. You will have an opportunity to network with peers across the country thanks to drop-in sessions and ambassador events. 

“I appreciate having a community of practice that I belong to.“

Through the role, Ambassadors develop skills in advocacy, facilitation, communication, capabilities that are increasingly important across research, research infrastructure and industry. You will be able to put theory into practice with materials, narratives and advice from senior leaders to advocate for  ELIXIR-UK-aligned interests.

“ELIXIR-UK brings cohorts from different disciplines, fostering interesting conversations and offering a great learning experience.“

How ELIXIR-UK supports Ambassadors

ELIXIR-UK provides the structural support needed for Ambassadors to be effective, including:

  • Clear briefing on ELIXIR-UK priorities and messages
  • Access to shared materials, merchandise and examples of good practice
  • Regular touchpoints with the Coordination Office and other Ambassadors
  • Funding to deliver agreed activities (e.g travel to conferences, rent space for meetings, pay catering).  

In exceptional circumstances, and where clearly justified, we can also fund direct staff costs, such as administrative or facilitator support, where it can be demonstrated that the activity would not take place without this support. We cannot fund indirect staff costs, such as general overheads or staff time unrelated to the activity

Expectations

The ELIXIR-UK Ambassador role is designed for individuals who want to or already take an active, visible role in their community.

As an Ambassador, we expect you to:

  • Act as a positive and credible representative of ELIXIR-UK
  • Deliver at least one activity in line with the budget over the course of a year
  • Engage with the Ambassador cohort and ELIXIR-UK through quarterly calls.
  • Share learning and outcomes from your activities, including a short impact report

The time commitment is flexible and will vary based on the proposed activities, but Ambassadors should commit to attending quarterly online meetings over the course of one year and to completing at least one activity.

We are particularly interested in people who would like to work on the  following,  but not limited to, themes:

  • FAIR data and reproducible research practices
  • Data stewardship skills and career pathways
  • AI for life sciences
  • Visibility and uptake of ELIXIR-UK services and communities

Timeline

The ELIXIR-UK Ambassador Programme runs on an annual cycle.

  • Call opens: mid October 2026
  • Application deadline: mid November 2026
  • Notification of outcomes: Early December 2026
  • Onboarding session: December 2026/January 2027
  • Ambassador term: Up to 12 months from onboarding

Successful Ambassadors will be invited to an onboarding session shortly after selection and can deliver activities either throughout the year or as a single focused project.

Who are we looking for

We are looking for people who:

  • Are curious, motivated and trusted within their research or professional communities
  • Have an interest in FAIR data, open science, data stewardship, bioinformatics or digital research infrastructure
  • Are keen to build connections across organisations, disciplines or sectors
  • Want to develop their influence, leadership experience and professional network
  • Must be part of a member organisation or have an active collaboration with ELIXIR 

We welcome applications from people at all career stages and from a wide range of roles, including research technical professionals.

How are Ambassadors selected?

Applications are reviewed through a structured but lightweight process, designed to be fair and transparent.

We prioritise fit, credibility and potential impact over technical knowledge or academic track record. We’re looking for people who are genuinely motivated, trusted within their communities, and have a realistic idea of what they want to do as an Ambassador.

What makes a strong application?

  • Have a clear sense of where you want to make an impact and who you want to reach
  • Can point to an existing connection to a community (formal or informal)  that would benefit from ELIXIR-UK engagement
  • Propose one or two focused, realistic activities within the budget and timeframe
  • Show genuine motivation linked to impact, not just a professional opportunity

Selection is carried out by a review panel convened by ELIXIR-UK, with appropriate expertise and no conflicts of interest.

We aim to fund a cohort of Ambassadors with diverse backgrounds, roles, disciplines and regions, reflecting the breadth of the UK life science community.