Evidence Synthesis Institute
About the Institute
The Institute is aimed at library staff supporting evidence syntheses in topics outside of the health sciences. There is no charge for accepted applications. The Institute will cover
- overview of systematic reviews and similar methodologies,
- guidelines and standards,
- search strategy development,
- software tools, and
- systematic review services.
Application process
The next Evidence Synthesis Institute will occur August 3-7, 2026 in a virtual environment. The application period will begin June 5th, 2026 and end June 17th, 2026. Applicant screening status will be shared by July 2, 2026. If you are interested in being notified when the next application period is announced, you can add yourself to our email list.
Applications are screened and prioritized based on
- urgency of need,
- existing knowledge gap,
- disciplines supported by applicant, and
- potential impact of training.
Send questions about the Evidence Synthesis Institute to [email protected]. The August 2026 ESI is a partnership between University of Minnesota, Cornell University, and Carnegie Mellon University. It is currently funded by Sysrev. Previously the ESIs were funded by the University of Minnesota Libraries and IMLS (RE-246347-OLS-20).
Online course and resources
The Institute makes our materials open and available for all, past participants and others, to refer to. These materials include:
- all slides used for each module in the Institute,
- an up-to-date resource list,
- a set of videos introducing many of the steps in evidence synthesis, and
- a frequently updated Zotero library of curated materials organized by topic.
Additionally, core components of the Evidence Synthesis Institute are now available for free in a self-paced open online course through Carnegie Mellon University's Open Learning Initiative. The course contains 15 modules guiding learners through the ES process from an introduction to review types through writing a methods section for publication, with an emphasis on developing and using systematic search strategies. Development of this course was funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) (RE-246347-OLS-20).
Cite the Evidence Synthesis Institute
Kocher, M., Riegelman, A., Kibbee, M., Bostrom, M., Marsalis, S., Young, S., Premji Z., Bahureksa, L., Bishop, N., Chimwaza, G., Comer, C., & DiGiovine, E. (2026). The Evidence Synthesis Institute: Building a High Impact Training Program and Supportive Community. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice. https://doi.org/10.18438/eblip30736