13 February 2026
The Specify Collections Consortium (SCC) is excited to announce the launch of our updated membership model, designed to better support institutions and collections engaged in biodiversity and geology data management.
What has changed:
- All membership levels now include database and asset hosting as a core benefit.
- Institutional levels now better reflect organizational size, offering clear pathways to influence and governance.
- Reorganized Collection-level memberships and a new, project-based Student Membership for graduate students.
What this means for you:
- New members will join under this model immediately.
- Existing members can either transition to the new model now or remain on your current plan (including previously scheduled price adjustments). Options for existing members can be found here.
This new model, detailed in the SCC Membership Rights and Responsibilities, was developed to better sustain the open‑source infrastructure at the heart of the SCC and to ensure that every member, regardless of scale, can meaningfully contribute to and benefit from the community. By updating the structure, the SCC aims to support long‑term software innovation, strengthen collaborative governance, and provide institutions with a clearer understanding of the value and impact of their membership. The revisions also emphasize the shared responsibility of sustaining Specify software, used across hundreds of collections worldwide and ensuring the continuity, scalability, and global reach of the Specify community.
In essence, the updated model reflects both the growth of the SCC community and our collective commitment to advancing research collections cyberinfrastructure. It strengthens our long‑standing commitment to a community‑driven, open‑source collaboration by offering clearer pathways for engagement, expanded support options, and greater opportunities for influence through governance. It reflects input from our Board of Members and the Specify community, ensuring that organizations of all sizes can meaningfully participate in advancing research collections cyberinfrastructure worldwide.
We look forward to welcoming current and new partners into this next stage of collaborative growth. For questions or discussions about which membership level is best for your organization, contact us at membership@specifysoftware.org.