Dear community colleagues

We are delighted to inform you that we have appointed Senior Editors for seven of the CRG Networks. The Project Team has been unanimous in agreeing that the new Senior Editor role is critical to the success of the CRG Transformation Programme, therefore we have consciously set the bar for appointment very high and been specific in our assessment of the leadership characteristics and skill-sets needed for the appointed candidates.

These essential characteristics include:

• A strong commitment to and understanding of the CRG Transformation Programme;
• The capacity and willingness to support change through the networks;
• Editorial experience at a high level;
• The ability and willingness to think strategically, and to focus on detail where needed: for example, in respect of review quality;
• Credibility within the editorial community allied with high level communication, leadership and influencing skills;
• Knowledge and understanding of the work of Cochrane’s CRGs and their contribution to the success of the Networks.

In total, we received 28 applications and interviewed a shortlist of 18 candidates. The six appointments were the unanimous choice of the recruitment panel that included Martin Burton (ENT Co-ordinating Editor and co-chair of the Governing Board), Jan Clarkson (Oral Health Co-ordinating Editor and member of the Governing Board),  Jonathan Craig (Kidney and Transplant Co-ordinating Editor), Nicky Cullum (Wounds Co-ordinating Editor), Fergus Macbeth (Lung Cancer Co-ordinating Editor, Co-chair of the Cochrane Council and also the Funding Arbiter panel), Karla Soares-Weiser (Deputy Editor in Chief), and David Tovey (Editor in Chief). We will not run another round of selection before September 2018, therefore interim appointments have been agreed with the Project Team in order to facilitate the initiation of activities within these Networks.

Please see below the list of Senior Editors and Associate Editors and their CRG Network:

 The Senior Editors and Associate Editors will formally take up their new roles from April/May, and I’m sure you’ll join us in warmly welcoming them to their new posts.

In addition, we are delighted to announce the appointment of the additional members who, along with the Senior Editors will form a new Editorial Board, which will meet for the first time in Lisbon. These are:

• Tammy Clifford, Senior Adviser representing the Evidence User community
• Sally Green, Senior Adviser (Knowledge Translation)
• Julian Higgins, Senior Methods Adviser
• Paul Garner, Senior Adviser (Innovation and Review production)
• Jimmy Volmink, Senior Adviser (Equity and Diversity)

Finally, we look forward to seeing many of you next week for our first formal CRG Networks meeting on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st March during Cochrane’s Governance Meetings in Lisbon.

With best wishes

David Tovey and Karla Soares-Weiser

Related items:

• News item - Official launch of the first Cochrane Review Group Networks

• News item - CRG Networks and the Cochrane Community: Working better together

• Visit the CRG Networks Portal