Access to FIRST Services and Special Interest Group (SIG) resources are managed by groups at FIRST Portal. Some groups (like FIRST SIGs) are open for anyone to apply, other require that you be a FIRST Full Member or Liaison, or basically a volunteer in any other SIG or group. There are three possible ways to join a group:
- Request to Join, by filling up an application form;
- Join by Invitation, when the group managers send you an invitation;
- Join by Validating your E-mail Address, for special or legacy groups linked to mailing lists or event registrations.
Request to Join
In order to join a Special Interest Group (SIG) or any other available group at FIRST, you should apply to that group using its Request to Join form. Most FIRST SIGs have a link on their website description that leads to the Request to Join form at FIRST Portal. Applicants to the group will view the Request to Join button at the end of the group page, as well as on the three bar menu on the top right:
Although some groups are visible anonymously, in order to apply to the group you should Sign Up for a FIRST Portal Account and Sign In. When opening the form the applicant should se the configured questions for that group. Some groups and SIGs might require additional requirements and agreements, like TLP-Level Agreements or IPR Document Signing, other might have a simple form with just a brief justification for joining:
Your application will be moderated by the group managers, but you can return (authenticated) to the Request to Join form anytime to complete or update your application:
Join by Invitation
You can also receive an invitation to join a group via e-mail. Usually this invitation will require an additional confirmation code provided by who invited you to the group:
When you open the invitation link, you might be requested to Sign in to FIRST Portal, or sign up with a new account created with the invitation acceptance (new accounts require an unique e-mail address, to it's best and easier to use any existing account instead of creating a new one):
You may sign in and the invitation link will remain valid until expiration or complete usage for joining a new member. In either case, a Confirmation Code, provided by who invited you, should be a requirement. Look for another message (it might not be an e-mail message) with this secure code.
Important
You should not request group managers or SIG admins to invite you to the group. If they have dedicated their time to build a workflow for the Request to Join form with specific questions, that's the preferred way to join the group.
Join by Validating your E-mail Address
Some special groups are automated from event registrations or legacy mailing lists, which did not require a FIRST Portal account creation. If you are a member of a mailing list and believe you should have access to the full features of such group (or SIG) like Wiki and Slack, try to validate the e-mail address on your FIRST Profile (you may sign up for a new one if you haven't already) as that might automatically add you to that group.
To validate the e-mail address, head to the My Account page on FIRST Portal, and click on the Validate button next to your e-mail address.
In case you have registered or are subscribed using a different e-mail address, you can add additional e-mails by clicking on Change Profile Information > Other Communication > Plus sign (
) and use the Type: Email (then Update button).
The validation process will send you a Confirmation Code via e-mail that should be entered on FIRST Portal when you are signed in:
Once you have validated your e-mail address, a Validated sign should appear next to it:
In case you should be added to a group due to e-mail validation, it might take up to an hour for your group settings and features be fully provisioned. Alternatively, you may try to sign out and sign in again (or use a private window) to force a refresh on your profile credentials.