Benefits For Fellows
It is expected that ESI Fellows will gain the following benefits from their participation in the Fellowship scheme:
The call for 2025 is now closed
The overall objective of the Fellowship is to give the Fellow the opportunity to learn about evidence synthesis in general, as well as to develop the practical skills of how to plan, design, conduct and report an evidence synthesis. The scheme places Fellows virtually with experienced evidence synthesis centres and review teams in Ireland and internationally.
Reviews will be advertised each call. Fellows will receive structured theoretical training from ESI and join an existing or new review team being led by experienced reviewers within the respective centre to gain hands-on evidence synthesis experience in a high-quality environment. Fellows will also receive one-to-one mentorship from a designated mentor from the review group. This will afford the Fellow the opportunity of networking with a range of stakeholders in evidence synthesis and will provide direct experience for ESI Fellows in the conduct of evidence synthesis projects that ultimately inform decision making for practice and policy.
Fellowships are open to researchers, policymakers, academics, healthcare professionals or clinician-academic trainees, information specialists, and postgraduate students, who are looking to learn the skills of evidence synthesis to apply to their topic area.
Where can I read about a Fellows experience? Read about ESI Fellow Ciara O’Meara’s experience to date here
Do I have to be resident of the island of Ireland? Yes, all applicants must be residents of either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.
If I applied previously, can I use the same references Yes, we will hold references on file for two rounds
How many times a year will the call be announced? Up to three times a year – generally January, June and October, but these can vary depending on the availability of reviews.
Are these Fellowships paid? The Fellowships are unsalaried, which allows those working full-time to apply, and allows us to place Fellows with highly experienced evidence synthesis centres and review teams in Ireland and internationally for first-rate training and mentorship. Fellows receive access to a €1000 travel bursary, free attendance at ESI training events, co-authorship on high quality review reports/publications and other benefits as described in the guidance documents.
Where can I find the estimated start date and duration of the review? This information is found within each review form. Please note these will vary depending on the nature of the review, and flexibility may be required.
| Title | Type | Host Centre | Mentor(s) | Review Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women’s and healthcare providers views and experiences of care bundle use in maternity care – a qualitative evidence synthesis | Qualitative Evidence Synthesis | UCD | Valerie Smith | Click here |
| A methodological review of methods and mechanisms for measuring and monitoring outcomes from newborn screening | Methodological Review | West Midlands Evidence Synthesis Group (WM-ESG), across Universities of Warwick & Birmingham | Jacqueline Dinnes, Katie Scandrett | Click here |
| Two scoping reviews on breastfeeding decision-making and communication | Scoping Reviews | Centre for Effective Services | Jennifer Hanratty | Click here |
| What is the clinical and cost-effectiveness of local antibiotics in patients undergoing surgery for open fractures? | Systematic review | Aberdeen Centre for Evaluation | Miriam Brazzelli and Shaun Treweek | Click here |
| What effect does public health messaging about wildfire smoke and wildfire smoke + heat have on human behaviour and human health endpoints? | Rapid Review | National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (Canada) | Sarah Neil-Sztramko | Click here |
| Ethical and Practical Considerations in Hospital-Based Treatment Trial Design: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis to Optimise Trial Accessibility | Qualitative Evidence Synthesis | Evidence Synthesis Ireland | Linda Biesty | Click here |
