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Letter from the Chairman Letter from the Chairman For our inaugural annual report, I am thrilled to describe the tremendous progress that eLife Sciences has achieved during its first year of operation. In June 2011, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Max Planck Society, and the Wellcome Trust announced eLife Sciences – a disruptive, refreshing new model for the publishing and dissemination of cutting-edge scientific research. It is built on digital technologies, and driven by the needs of academic science, the research community, and the broader population interested in science. The mission of eLife Sciences is to establish a leading journal for the publication of advancements in the life and biomedical sciences, using active researchers to assess the science efficiently and quickly, and leveraging the power of digital media to bring the work to life and make it openly accessible in multiple dimensions to a global audience. The Board is very proud of the eLife Sciences team’s accomplishments in 2012, including the initial development and operation of the journal and the! warm and open reception from the research community. Critical to eLife Sciences’ success has been the driving force of our talented academic editorial team. Led by Editor-in-Chief Randy Schekman (University of California at Berkeley, USA), and Deputy Editors Fiona Watt (King’s College, London, UK) and Detlef Weigel (Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Germany) the team has devised an open and transparent editorial process that has been welcomed by the scientific community. This process ensures that new submissions are assessed swiftly and fairly, and that the editorial feedback after peer review is focused on essential revision requests. The eLife Sciences staff, based in Cambridge, England, have also put together a leading-edge publishing platform that delivers a rich, intuitive digital content experience and was launched with eLife’s new website in December 2012. It has been eLife’s goal to quickly attract the highest calibre of content and to build a reputation for excellence in editorial standards. Given that eLife is competing with established and influential venues for the most important scientific work, this is a considerable challenge. It is, therefore, hugely gratifying that well over 100 research articles that meet our high standards of excellence have already been published mid-way through 2013. Subjects range from structural biology to human perception, from plant-predator interactions to public health, and each article is accompanied by an eLife Digest to make these stories more accessible for the broader public interested in science. eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd is a limited liability non-profit non-stock corporation incorporated in the State of Delaware, USA, with company number 5030732, and is registered in the UK with company number FC030576 and branch number BR015634 at the address Suite 203, Sheraton House, Castle Park, Cambridge CB3 0AX. It is important to remember, however, that the eLife Sciences project is about more than launching a journal. It is about exploiting the potential of a new medium to communicate and share the results of scientific research. The digital medium has had profound and widespread effects on the way we conduct our lives, and yet has had limited impact on journals and research communication in general. Indeed, this area has been severely limited by the paradigm of the printed medium and outmoded print-based business models. The eLife Sciences Board will also therefore assess the progress of the initiative in terms of how journals and publishing practices change more broadly. This Annual Report includes the audited accounts of eLife Sciences Publications Limited. Consistent with the far-reaching ambitions of the project, the founders have committed more than £15 million to its launch and development. We would like to acknowledge the important contributions to the eLife Sciences Board from two colleagues who have moved on to other positions: Sir Mark Walport, who led the W ellcome Trust for 10 years and was instrumental in the conception and early life of the project; and Elizabeth Marincola, who chaired the Board for our first year. Sir Mark is currently the UK Government’s Chief Science Advisor, and Elizabeth has become the CEO of the open-access publisher, PLOS. We wish them both well in their new endeavours. The Board could not be happier with the start that eLife Sciences has made, and we congratulate all involved, most especially the researchers who have taken part – as editors, reviewers or authors – in this unique opportunity to transform the dissemination of knowledge and stimulate scientific innovation. Toby Coppel Chairman, Board of Directors eLife Sciences To view the complete eLife Sciences 2012 Annual Report, please visit 2012.elifesciences.org. ELIFE SCIENCES PUBLICATIONS, LTD. Form 8868 Application for Extension of Time To File an (Rev. 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You can electronically file Form 8868 to request an extension of time to file any of the forms listed in Part I or Part II with the exception of Form 8870, Information Return for Transfers Associated With Certain Personal Benefit Contracts, which must be sent to the IRS in paper format (see instructions). For more details on the electronic filing of this form, visit www.irs.gov/efile and click on e-file for Charities & Nonprofits. Part I Automatic 3-Month Extension of Time. Only submit original (no copies needed). A corporatimonm rmeqm umirem dm tmo mfilme mFom rm m 9m90m -mT manm dm rem qm umesm timngm am nm amutmom am tmic m6m-mm omntmh mexm tem nmsimonm -m cmhmecmkm thmism bmoxm amndm cm ommmplmetme m m m m m Part I only I All other corporations (including 1120-C filers), partnerships, REMICs, and trusts must use Form 7004 to request an extension of time to file income tax returns. 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CASTLE PARK CAMBRIDGE UNITED KINGDOM m m m m m m m m m m m m Enter the Return code for the return that this application is for (file a separate application for each return) 0 1 Application Return Application Return Is For Code Is For Code Form 990 or Form 990-EZ 01 Form 990-T (corporation) 07 Form 990-BL 02 Form 1041-A 08 Form 4720- (individual) 03 Form 4720 09 Form 990-PF 04 Form 5227 10 Form 990-T (sec. 401(a) or 408(a) trust) 05 Form 6069 11 Form 990-T (trust other than above) 06 Form 8870 12 % The books are in the care of I PAUL KELLY I I % Telephone No. FAX No. m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m I % If the organization does not have an office or place of business in the United States, check this box X If this is for a Group Return, enter mthme mormgam nmization's four digit Group Exemption Number (GEN) m m m m m m m . If this is for the whole group, check this box I . 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