The Collaboration for Environmental Training Opportunities (CEETOP) is a NERC funded training initiative consisting of two elements: a taught training course and mentoring. Each can be attended independently of each other. This free training is led by evidence synthesis specialists with experience of producing information for stakeholders including policy makers and business. Priority will be given to ECR and PhD students funded by NERC or working in NERC relevant topics.

CEETOP Short Course Training Programme 3rd- 6th June 2024

St Lukes Campus, Exeter University, Exeter, Devon, EX2 4TH.

A 4-day interactive short course taking participants through the stages of environmental systematic reviews, systematic maps & related syntheses to include:

• An introduction to evidence syntheses, question setting, and protocol development.
• Stages of the systematic review/systematic map process.
• Making sense of data (meta-analysis, narrative synthesis, evidence mapping).
• Tools and resources to support evidence syntheses.
• Engaging with policy and industry stakeholders and end-users.

Learning outcomes

• Recognise different types of evidence synthesis & apply the most appropriate approach.
• Recognise the importance of planning and create a draft protocol.
• Understand and apply steps of evidence synthesis processes and associated methods.
• Interpret and evaluate existing evidence syntheses and meta-analysis.
• Select the appropriate approach to synthesis for different data sets.
• Work with end-users and reviewers to plan and develop reviews and associated outputs.

Activities will include taught sessions, workshop style sessions and hands-on activities and will consider: different evidence syntheses; specific stages of a review such as developing questions and inclusion criteria for a protocol, search strategies, screening, developing a data extraction/coding tool, critical appraisal. Consideration of stakeholder involvement, tools and resources, advantages and disadvantages of different approaches, and appropriateness of different outputs will all be considered.

CEETOP mentoring

Participants can receive bespoke one-to-one support for an evidence synthesis on which they are working or about to commence (e.g. in specific stages of a review such as literature searching, reference management, meta-analysis, narrative or qualitative evidence synthesis in a specific type of review, or in a specific field. Mentoring support will be via online meetings and email (or face to face where requested). Mentoring is likely to be offered to people that have attended a CEETOP course or had equivalent training/practical experience of evidence syntheses, and will be offered in ½ day blocks.

For enquiries, please email: Martine Paynter or Ness Gordon ECEHHAdmin@exeter.ac.uk

Our Experience

Collaboration for Environmental Evidence

This proposal combines the complementary skills of the two Institutions that form the UK Centre of the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence (CEE). CEE has developed generic training courses for the conduct of systematic reviews and systematic maps for specific use in global environmental sector. These CEE endorsed training courses are consistent with their internationally recognised Guidelines and Standards on the conduct and reporting of evidence syntheses in environmental management.

Teaching staff

The trainers’ areas of interest are complementary, with specialisms in ecology and biodiversity, agriculture, environment and health, and conservation, as well as methodological (types of reviews, and different approaches to synthesis). They are all members of CEE, which has 7 global centres and thus provides supportive infrastructure for this proposal. CEE is linked to the wider evidence synthesis community (such as Cochrane and Campbell Collaborations) through Evidence Synthesis International (https://evidencesynthesis.org/ ). This provides a cross-disciplinary perspective to evidence synthesis. CEE has been showcased in the NERC ‘Science into Policy’ publication. CEE has recently launched PROCEED a rapid protocol publication mechanism, and provides the services of CEESAT and CEEDER, a quality appraisal checklist, and database of quality appraised reviews. The trainers are all involved in one or more of these initiatives.

Nicola Randall is a principal lecturer and manages a specialist evidence synthesis centre, at Harper Adams University. She developed systematic mapping methodology for environmental evidence, and co-authored guidance in the methodology, and piloted rapid review methodologies for Defra. Nicola spent three years as a trainer in systematic review and protocol development for the European Food Safety Authority, and was a synthesis methods expert for the EU Eklipse biodiversity mechanism. She has worked on CEE and Campbell systematic reviews/maps for national and international policy bodies such as Defra, Natural England, the Environment Agency and EU decision-makers.

Ruth Garside is Professor in Evidence Synthesis at the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter. She specialises in methods of systematic review and evidence synthesis and is part of the UK Centre for CEE. She is a co-convenor of the Qualitative and Implementation Methods group, Cochrane Collaboration, and co-Chair of the Campbell Collaboration Methods Group. She has conducted evidence synthesis for policy customers including Defra, the Home Office and NICE, and provided systematic review training for NICE, Forest Research, NatureScot, NRW, the Environment Agency, the UN’s Green Climate Fund and World Bank’s Global Environment Facility.

Jacqui Eales is a Senior Research Fellow at the European Centre for Environment and Humam Health who specialises in evidence synthesis in the environment and health sectors since 2009. Jacqui is focused on capacity-building, and continues to train, mentor and facilitate networks of researchers engaged and interested in Environmental Evidence synthesis around the globe. Her primary research interests remain in the environment and conservation sector, and Jacqui works for environmental charities that engage people with the science around the climate and biodiversity crises.

Kathryn Monk has been at the forefront of the development of the scientific evidence branch for Wales’ leading body in charge of Natural Resources (NRW), eventually becoming their Principal Scientific Advisor and Head of Profession for Science and Engineering. She was responsible for science and evidence quality across NRW, building the strategic evidence base through external liaison with Defra, the Research Councils, universities, and other research providers. Kathryn is now Chair of CEE.