The Nova Scotia Cochrane Resource Centre will be launching a new website in September 2009. Stay tuned! This new website will provide information about the Cochrane Collaboration in Nova Scotia, including activities of the Dalhousie Cochrane Network Site, the Nova Scotia Cochrane Training Centre, and the Cochrane Prognosis Methodology Resource Subgroup. For more information, or to join the maillist for the Nova Scotia Cochrane Resource Group, please contact Jessie Sheppard, Program Coordinator, NS Cochrane Resource Group, at JESSHEPP@DAL.CA

We are pleased to announced the funding of new Cochrane activities in Nova Scotia, Canada. The Nova Scotis Health Resesarch Foundation has funded an initiative to develop Cochrane Collaboration activtiies and linkages in the province. Three complimentary components will help build capacity to donduct and use Cochrane reviews:

1. development of the Cochrane Prognosis Methodology Resource Group
2. maintenance and increased activitie of the Dalhousie Cochrane Network site, and
3. establishment of a Nova Scotia-based regional Cochrane Training Centre.

The Cochrane Prognosis Methodology Resource Group, a new subgroup of the Prognosis Methods Group, will develop and maintain databases of relevant methodological studies, protocols, and systematic reviews of prognosis; this group will also help coordinate the conduct of methodological research in the area of prognosis systematic reviews, and support related training strategies.

The Dalhousie University Cochrane Network Site part of the Canadian Cochrane Network & Centre (CCN/C), will support and expand Cochrane activities in Nova Scotia, with objectives to build a strong local support network and increase awareness for the conduct and use of evidence-informed healthcare decision making.

The Nova Scotia Cochrane Resource and Training Group. In collaboration with the Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre (CCN/C) we will further build local capacity through coordinated training and support. This first regional training center will collaborate with CCN/C and other regional Network sites to train Cochrane contributors and users in the region.

These initiatives will support the local research community, build capacity to conduct, interpret and apply high quality research syntheses. For more information, please contact Dr. Jill Hayden, Dalhousie University.

The Annual Cochrane Colloquia are held to promote and develop the work of the Collaboration, and to help shape its future direction. This year the Colloquium will be held at in Suntec City, Singapore.

Key Dates:

Deadline for abstract submission is Wednesday, April 15.

Early registration fee will be available until July 13, 2009.

Visit the Colloquim website for more information.

CIHR Knowledge Synthesis Grant: 2009-2010: This funding opportunity will support teams of researchers and decision makers/knowledge users to produce knowledge syntheses and scoping reviews. Deadlines: registration April 1; submission May 1, 2009. For more information visit the CIHR website

The Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation is pleased to announce its upcoming 2009-2010 Knowledge Transfer/Exchange Program Grants Competition which will be launched April 13, 2009. Grants are offered for the following:

Cochrane Systematic Review - This grant will support researchers in conducting a Cochrane Systematic Review.

Knowledge Transfer/Exchange Grant - This grant will support supplemental funding to further disseminate research knowledge that will benefit the health of Nova Scotians.

Model Application Grant - This grant will support the application of knowledge transfer/exchange model from the research literature in a Nova Scotian setting.

Registration deadline will be June 30, 2009. Applications will be due September 22, 2009. Watch the NSHRF website for more information.

In January 2009, Dr. Grace Paterson stepped down as the Dalhousie Co-representative for CCN/C and was replaced by Dr. Jill Hayden from the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology. We welcome Dr. Hayden and say thank you to Dr. Paterson for her service to Cochrane.

The Canadian Cochrane Symposium: Wave to the Future was hosted in Halifax on March 11-12, 2009. The Symposium included a compelling line-up of sessions and speakers that reflected the latest methodology in systematic reviews and how to use systematic reviews in decision-making processes. This even was hosted by the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation, the Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre and the Cochrane Network Sites from across Atlantic Canada. It included two full days of workshops, group discussions and plenary sessions.

Visit the website for a summary of Symposium speakers and sessions.

All Nova Scotians now have free access to the Cochrane Library. The Dalhousie-based Atlantic Health Knowledge Partnership (AHKP), a consortium of health brokers such as universities, governments and health districts throughout Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, was instrumental in setting up access for all Nova Scotians. Information on how to access the Cochrane Library can be found at AHKP link on W.K. Kellogg Health Science Library website. A valid public library card is needed to use the service.

The intent of this registry, launched on March 10, 2005, is to provide relevant, synthesized, quality-rated research evidence to decision-makers to promote evidence-based public health decision-making. For more information, please click here.

This is information from the presentation done by Tim Ruggles at the Dalhousie Site Cochare Reviewer Training Workshop in 2004.

This is a product of the CHSRF/CIHR Chair on Knowledge Transfer and Innovation. It is produced weekly and provides information "about relevant events for health services professionals and decision-makers; up to date publications promoting knowledge utilization in health services [and] Web sites providing content on specific themes". For more information or to join the mailing list, click on the link to visit the web site.

This site provides guidelines on the "official" spelling and usage of common Cochrane terms and is a good resource to use when you are writing materials for or about The Cochrane Collaboration.