Empowering the future of evidence-based healthcare: The Cochrane Early Career Professionals Network

The Cochrane Early Career Professionals Network (ECPN) is a diverse global network of emerging volunteer health professionals committed to advancing evidence-based healthcare worldwide [1]. Established in September 2019 by Robin Vernooij and Chris Champion, the ECPN was inspired by similar early career researcher groups in scientific associations. Cochrane received many inquiries from young researchers eager to engage with the activities, highlighting a growing demand for such a network.

Cochrane's contributors come from varied backgrounds and cultures, including researchers, health sciences students, language translators, and other volunteers, all united in their commitment to supporting global healthcare initiatives [2]. In line with Cochrane's mission to highlight the contributions of the next generation, Cochrane launched the “30 Under 30” initiative, inviting 30 young researchers with diverse professional backgrounds such as nurses, doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, biologists, psychologists, and journalists to join the series and tell their Cochrane Story. To build on the success of this initiative, Vernooij proposed formalizing this group into a network, which was well received as the idea aligned perfectly with the Cochrane membership strategy. Consequently, all participants in the “30 Under 30” series were invited to become the first members of the ECPN [2]. The ECPN was due to be launched in Santiago, Chile at the 2019 Cochrane Colloquium, themed “Embracing Diversity,” but due to the cancellation of the event, it was ultimately launched online later in 2019.

The ECPN now plays a crucial role in promoting professional development, international networking, collaboration, and leadership within the Cochrane community, ensuring that the voices of early career professionals (ECP) are heard, and their potential maximized [1]. The objective of this commentary is to provide a comprehensive overview of the ECPN in Cochrane, with the aim of raising awareness and enhancing the visibility of the network within the Cochrane and scientific community.

The ECPN is focused on expanding our international network and fostering closer collaboration with other groups, such as the Campbell Collaboration, the Joanna Briggs Institute, Sense about Science, and the Cochrane US mentoring program [3]. We actively explore new ways to involve individuals at the early stages of their careers in research, including students, and young professionals in our research and projects, ensuring their perspectives are integrated into our work. Additionally, we are working on innovative approaches to knowledge translation, aiming to make Cochrane reviews more accessible and impactful. The network consists of a steering group, led by a Chair, that supports the early career professionals' community. We currently have 15 active members, and over the 5 years since the network's founding, a total of 50 members have participated. Membership rotates every 2 years through an application process followed by a scoring and consensus vote among current members. Additionally, the Chair is elected biennially. Our members represent a global presence, spanning all continents—from Chile to Australia, including the United States, Europe, and several African countries. The geographical distribution of active and past members of the ECPN is represented in Figure 1. This map visually highlights the global presence of ECPN members, with clusters concentrated in regions such as Europe, South Asia, Latin America, and North America.

The ECPN has already demonstrated immense value in encouraging the next generation of evidence-based healthcare (EBHC) experts. With a focus on international collaboration, consumer involvement, and knowledge translation activities, the ECPN provides the platform to engage in the evolving challenges of EBHC. As the ECPN continues to grow and mature, its potential to influence the field is immense.

Since its inception, the network has made significant strides in supporting early career professionals. With more than 1.6k followers on X @CochraneECP, twenty bi-monthly newsletters since 2020, the network has successfully hosted more than 15 journal clubs, podcasts, and lecture series, attracting participants from around the world. These newsletters have been a valuable resource for keeping members informed and engaged, and its projects aimed at increasing global presence have enhanced the visibility and influence of the ECPN within the Cochrane community; we also promote the use of Cochrane platforms such as Cochrane Crowd, Cochrane Engage, and the Cochrane/Wikipedia project.

By embracing these opportunities, the ECPN can further solidify its position as the leading network for ECP in EBHC and contribute to its ongoing evolution, every ECP in the Cochrane community is warmly invited to join this network, which we now consider our extended family.

The Cochrane ECPN is dedicated to supporting the next generation of health professionals and researchers in engaging with EBHC. Through the creation of an international community of volunteers, we have fostered a strong network that supports one another unconditionally. This is perhaps our most valuable achievement—building a community that thrives on collective support and collaboration. Our members remain actively involved in knowledge translation and dissemination activities, despite the challenges of limited funding and capacity.

By providing a platform for networking, professional development, and active participation in Cochrane's strategic initiatives, we aim to empower early career professionals to make meaningful contributions to the health research field. Our past accomplishments, current initiatives, and future aspirations reflect our commitment to enhancing the skills and expertise of our members and advancing Cochrane's mission, vision, and the Scientific Strategy 2025-2023.

Ana Beatriz Pizarro: Conceptualization, writing—original draft, reviewing, and editing. Elpida Vounzoulaki: Writing—review & editing. Santiago Castiello-de Obeso: Writing—review & editing. Ahmad Sofi-Mahmudi: Writing—review & editing, Robin Vernooij: Writing—review & editing. Chris Champion: Writing—review & editing.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.