CCInfo: Electronic news bulletin of The Cochrane Collaboration 1 May 2008 Contents: A. NIH grant awarded for complimentary therapies B. Cochrane Prognosis Methods Group registered C. Cochrane Public Health Review Group registered D. New tool to introduce Cochrane E. Training Courses - York, England, UK F. Systematic Review Training - UK G. Job ad - Deputy Review Group Co-ordinator H. Job ad - Trials Search Coordinator (Information Specialist) (Readvertised) I. Job vacancies at PAHO/WHO J. Next Issue of CCInfo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX A. Sender: Eric Manheimer [emanheimer@compmed.umm.edu] Subject: NIH grant awarded for complimentary therapies Founded in 1996 and coordinated by the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine, the Cochrane Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Field has worked steadily to meet the growing demand for information about CAM therapies among both practitioners, clinical researchers, and the general public. The activities of the Field include identifying published reports of clinical trials of complementary therapies, preparing systematic reviews, training systematic reviewers, disseminating Cochrane reviews to the general public, clinical researchers and healthcare providers, and conducting research to improve systematic review methodology. In May 2007, after the thorough peer-review of our application, the US National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NIH-NCCAM) awarded the Center for Integrative Medicine with a five-year 2.1 million dollar grant (Grant No. R24 AT001293) to help extend the work of the field and support other related activities. We assembled a unique team of investigators and consultants who contributed to the application and who will conduct the multiple projects involved, many of which will directly support Cochrane aims and activities. These projects include implementation and dissemination of Cochrane CAM evidence through summaries of findings, plain language summaries, and consumer overviews; expansion and keywording of the CAM Field registers of trials; conducting and funding CAM-related systematic reviews and studies related to review methodology; and providing systematic review training opportunities. We are very grateful to Lex Bouter and Andrew Vickers who, though not a part of this grant, have generously provided important contributions to the application and have been helpful through their long-term and dedicated support of the CAM Field and the Cochrane Collaboration. This NIH-NCCAM grant award will substantially contribute to the continued growth and sustainability of the CAM Field. We believe that the productivity of the CAM Field will only increase in the coming years, due to the research infrastructure and worldwide network developed within it. At the same time, we anticipate that new practitioners and clinical investigators will be increasingly joining the field, and we see that public interest in the area is growing. These groups will be seeking reliable information about CAM – just the information that we hope the recent NIH-NCCAM grant will provide. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX B. Sender: Jini Hetherington [JHetherington@cochrane.org] Subject: Cochrane Prognosis Methods Group registered Apologies for the delay in letting you know that the Cochrane Prognosis Methods Group was officially registered with the Collaboration in early February 2008. Please pass on this information to interested members of your entity. My apologies particularly to Katrina Williams, the Convenor, whose contact details are as follows: Dr Katrina Williams Sydney Children's Hospital University of New South Wales Sydney Children's Community Health Centre Cnr Avoc and Barker Street Randwick, NSW 2031 Australia Tel. +61 2 9382 8183 Fax +61 2 9382 8188 E-mail katrina.williams@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX C. Sender: Jini Hetherington [JHetherington@cochrane.org] Subject: Cochrane Public Health Review Group registered I am pleased to announce that the Cochrane Public Health Review Group was officially registered with the Collaboration on 24 April 2008. Please pass on this information to interested members of your entity. The Co-ordinating Editor is Liz Waters, whose contact details are as follows: Prof Elizabeth Waters Professorial Fellow, Public Health and Health Equity The McCaughey Centre, School of Public Health University of Melbourne 5/207 Bouverie St Carlton Victoria 3053 Australia Phone: +61 3 8344 3183 E-mail: ewaters@unimelb.edu.au The Review Group Co-ordinator of this new Cochrane Review Group is Jodie Doyle (jdoyle@vichealth.vic.gov.au). XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX D. Sender: Jini Hetherington [JHetherington@cochrane.org] Subject: New tool to introduce Cochrane A new slidecast introducing Cochrane in a clear, simple way with voices of Cochrane members is now available. You may find it helpful to direct people who need a quick summary about the Collaboration to http://www.cochrane.org/multimedia/index.htm . Many thanks for their patience and skills to Dave Motion (musician,photographer and film producer) for producing the soundtrack, and to Chris Mavergames at the German Cochrane Centre for producing the slidecast. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX E. Sender: Sue Collins [sc27@york.ac.uk] Subject: Training Courses - York, England, UK Courses: Introduction to Statistics for Clinical Trials 6-7 October 2008 Introduction to the Design & Conduct of Clinical Trials 8-10 October 2008 Host: The York Trials Unit Location: University of York, U.K. Details: The aim of our courses is to equip participants with the basic skills and knowledge for the design, conduct and analysis of randomised controlled trials. The courses should be of interest to nurses, doctors and allied health professionals who are interested in rigorous evaluation of healthcare interventions. *Registration fees on or before 1 August 2008* Introduction to Statistics for Clinical Trials and Introduction to the Design & Conduct of Clinical Trials - £730 Or Introduction to Statistics for Clinical Trials - £290 Or Introduction to the Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials - £490 Link to more information: http://news.cochrane.org/view/item/review_one.jsp?j=1108 Contact: Please contact the Course Administrator for more details. Sue Collins 01904 321727 email address sc27@york.ac.uk XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX F. Sender: Jun Xia [J.Xia@leeds.ac.uk] Subject: Systematic Review Training - UK Workshop: Systematic Review Training Date: 6 - 9 May 2008 Location: University of Nottingham, UK Details: For people wishing to undertake reviews of randomised studies, our very successful and practical four-day systematic review course is being offered again in Nottingham (previously in Leeds)! Led by an experienced group of tutors and facilitators, this course will give you practical, individual assistance to enable you to complete your Cochrane-style review. Participants will benefit from small group teaching, workshops, library-based interactive tutorials with hands on practical work at computer stations and group work. The course fee is £650 inclusive of all learning materials, lunch and refreshments. Contact: Jun Xia jun.xia@leedspft.nhs.uk, telephone +44 (0)113 3058 303 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX G. Sender: Sonja Henderson [S.L.Henderson@liverpool.ac.uk] Subject: Job ad - Deputy Review Group Co-ordinator Position: Deputy Review Group Co-ordinator, Organisation: Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group Location: Liverpool, UK Application deadline: 16 May 2008 Tenure is to 31 March 2010 with the possibility of extension depending upon funding. Interview date is 5 June 2008. For details of the job and how to apply, please refer to the University of Liverpool job vacancies at http://www.liv.ac.uk/working/job_vacancies/research/A-567620.htm Contact: For informal enquiries, please contact Sonja Henderson, Review Group Co-ordinator on +44 151 7024066 or s.l.henderson@liv.ac.uk XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX H. Sender: Megan Prictor [M.Prictor@latrobe.edu.au] Subject: Job ad - Trials Search Coordinator (Information Specialist) (Readvertised) Organisation: Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group, La Trobe University Location: Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia Application deadline: Friday 23 May Details: The Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group has a vacancy for a Trials Search Coordinator (Information Specialist) at 0.5 FTE. The position is located at the Group's editorial base at La Trobe University in Melbourne (position number 5000 6325). The remuneration package is A$61,908 to A$67,014 p.a., pro rata for part time employment (includes 17% employer superannuation). Contact: For more details please contact Megan Prictor (m.prictor@latrobe.edu.au, phone +61 3 9479 5779) or visit http://www.latrobe.edu.au/hr/vacancies/all-vacancies.htm and download the position description. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I. Sender: Dr. Luis Gabriel Cuervo Amore [cuervolu@paho.org] Subject: Job vacancies at PAHO/WHO Several job vacancies are currently open at PAHO/WHO for professionals. Full details can be found at http://www.who.int/employment/vacancies/en/. WHO has strong synergies with Cochrane principles and is interested in strengthening research evidence in policy making. Initiatives such as trial registration and others promoting the use of systematic reviews amongst policy makers like EVIPNet, promoting the systematic use of evidence in technical cooperation, and has broadened access to systematic reviews through sites such as the Evidence Portal. P4 Senior Advisor on Essential Medicines (Washington DC, USA) P3 Specialist Epidemic Alert Response (Washington DC, USA) P4 Advisor on Health Systems and Services (Buenos Aires, Argentina) P4 Advisor on Sustainable Development and Environmental Health (Port Au Prince, Haiti) P4 Advisor on Reproductive Health (Montevideo, Uruguay) P4 Advisor on Social Protection (Montevideo, Uruguay) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX J. Sender: Cheryl Arratoon [cochrane@uottawa.ca] Subject: Next Issue of CCInfo The next issue of CCInfo will be published 15 May 2008. Please submit your items to cochrane@uottawa.ca and include "CCInfo" in the subject line. Unless you request otherwise, your submissions to the CCInfo may be duplicated in other regular Cochrane Collaboration news channels such as Cochrane News and the Cochrane Collaboration web site, at the discretion of the editors. Best regards, Cheryl Cheryl Arratoon Knowledge Broker Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre 1 Stewart St, 2nd Floor Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5 Email: cochrane@uottawa.ca Web: www.ccnc.cochrane.org XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX To subscribe to or unsubscribe from the CCInfo list, please go to http://lists.cochrane.org/mailman/listinfo/ccinfo, or contact the Editor at cochrane@uottawa.ca