Call for nominations

It is time to commence this year's election for people to join The Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group. This follows a slightly different procedure as in previous years, which will be e-mailed to you with the voting papers on 26 June 2006.

The following people are due to step down from the Steering Group on 25 October 2006: 
- Jordi Pardo (Spain); Centre staff representative (i.e. someone who is neither a Director nor a Branch Director).
- Janet Wale (Australia); Consumer Network representative.

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Nominations are sought for candidates to represent:

- Centres:
Only staff of Centres or Branches of Centres (as defined within the IMS) are eligible to nominate, stand and vote for this position.

- Consumer Network:
Only members of the Consumer Network are eligible to nominate, stand and vote for this position.
         
The other members of the Steering Group whose terms last another one or two years are listed at the end of this message.  In addition to having representation of all entities in the Collaboration, the Steering Group would like there to be balanced representation with respect to other important considerations, including geographical location and gender.

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Candidates in this election should bear the following in mind:

A.  A candidate wishing to stand for election must be nominated and seconded (by e-mail, please) to the Secretariat Deputy Administrator who, when she announces the candidates’ names, in the order of receipt of nominations, will also announce the names of the people who nominated them.

B.  Nominated candidates should notify the Secretariat Deputy Administrator by e-mail of acceptance of their nomination, together with their responses to the attached six questions as to their suitability to become members of the Steering Group. 

C.  There is no limit to the number of candidates.

D.  Candidates are normally elected for a period of three years. However, all positions are subject to the current review of the Steering Group, which will be completed by the end of 2006.

E.  Steering Group members are eligible for reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses incurred in attending Steering Group meetings.

F.  People considering standing for election are strongly encouraged to contact someone on the Steering Group, and/or in the Secretariat. For further information about the workload entailed in being a member of the Steering Group, see www.cochrane.org/docs/Additionalinformationfornominees.htm.

MEMBERS of the Steering Group are expected to attend two face-to-face meetings a year, to participate in the work of one of the Steering Group's three sub-groups, and other work as required. Members who join the Steering Group at this year's Annual General Meeting in Dublin will be expected to attend the Steering Group meetings during the Colloquium, on 22 October 2006 (9.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.), and 26 October 2006 (12.30 a.m. - 3.30 p.m.).

NOMINATIONS should be sent to the Secretariat Deputy Administrator no later than midnight on 23 June 2006, by e-mail (callen@cochrane.org) or fax (+44 (0)1865 316023).

Completed voting papers should be returned to the Secretariat Deputy Administrator who will aggregate the votes (one entity, one vote). The deadline for all votes to be sent to the Secretariat Deputy Administrator is midnight on 25 July 2006.

THE ELECTION RESULTS (**including the number of votes each candidate receives**) will be announced by the Secretariat Deputy Administrator on 28 July 2006.  Those people elected to become members of The Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group will do so at the Annual General Meeting on 25 October 2006 in Dublin at 11.00 a.m., which they are expected to attend.

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The Steering Group members who continue to serve for one or two more years are:

Co-Chairs:
1. Steff Lewis, October 2005 to October 2007.
2. Mark Davies, April 2005 to October 2006; Lorne Becker from October 2006 to October 2008.

CRG representatives (7):

Representing Reviewers: 
Donna Gillies (Australia)

Representing RGCs: 
Narelle Willis (Australia)

Representing TSCs: 
Dymphna Hermans (UK)

Representing all members of CRGs ('at large' position): 
Zbys Fedorowicz (Bahrain)
Hans van der Wouden (Netherlands)

Representing Co-ordinating Editors: 
Adrian Grant (UK)
Peter Tugwell (Canada)

Consumer Network representatives (2):
Godwin Aja (Nigeria)
(election for one representative in progress)

Centre representatives (4):
Lisa Bero (USA)
Sally Green (Australia)
Rob Scholten (Netherlands)
(election for one representative in progress)

Field representative (1):
Liz Waters (Australia)

Methods Group representative (1):
Jon Deeks (UK)