Bat1K encourages use of the genomic data we generate ahead of public release, in a collaborative fashion. The policy for pre-release data use and instructions on how to become a Bat1K collaborator can be found here.

1. Bat1K Project: A project is Bat1K if it agrees to this policy, and ultimately aims to achieve the 3.4.2.Q40 (c.s.m.Q40: contiguous/scaffold/map-chromosome/Qscore) assembly metric. This is at least a contig N50 of 1Mbp; a scaffold N50 of 10Mbp; >90% contains mapped to chromosomes; a consensus accuracy of Q40 or better. Furthermore, a project is Bat1K if it agrees to place all the data in the public domain post first publication, and all core participants identify as Bat1K members.
   1a. Bat1K projects and their species targets will be visible at the Bat1K website in the members-only section, with an indication of methodology, expected timeline, flagship paper plan and core participants
   1b. Access to Bat1K genomes will be possible for Bat1K members following submission of an application to be assessed by the executive committee (See point 3 for procedure). Early access to Bat1K genomes will only be granted upon agreement with the Bat1K embargo policy, which requires that no publications including the Bat1K genomic data can be made within 18 months of assembly of said genome, or publication of the flagship paper – whichever comes first
2. Core Participants: Core participants are defined as the funders/grant recipients that fund the sequencing efforts, individuals that contribute to the official assembly, annotation and analysis of the genome, sample-providers that provide flash-frozen tissues for high-quality DNA extraction, and scientific proposers of a given project.
   2a. At the outset (where possible), core participants of any Bat1K project are identified and set. Core participants for each project will be listed on the members only section of the Bat1K website. Core participants will be expected to be co-authors on the flagship publications for each subproject. Authorship on secondary publications will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis (see also 3e).
3. Collaborations: In order to strengthen the impact and publications of a project, parties interested in collaborating on a scientific aspect of a project are welcome to apply to join a project as a collaborator:
   3a. Parties interested in collaborating on Bat1K projects should complete the online Collaboration Proposal form which can be found in the Bat1K members area. If you are not already a member of Bat1K, you can sign up here.
   3b. Collaboration proposals will be considered on a rolling basis by the Bat1K executive committee. The decision to accept a collaboration proposal for a project is made by the executive and core participants of the project.
   3c. A collaborator has access to all data as it is produced with the provision that they must guarantee to safeguard the data and that they do not release findings or data derived therefrom prior to the publication of the project’s primary paper.
   3d. A collaborator sees all project communications and is invited to all project meetings.
   3e. The work or findings of a collaborator may be included in a project’s primary paper at the decision of the core participants.  Indeed this is the desired outcome.  However, if a collaborator’s findings are not to be included, then they are free to produce an independent manuscript subject to coordinating submission with respect to a project’s primary/first paper.  They may not publish any finding based on the data prior to the first flagship paper for the project. If collaborators make use of data relevant for multiple projects, this applies to the flagship papers for all relevant projects.