The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) is accepting applications from members interested in serving as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodologists for NASPGHAN’s clinical guidelines.
Who Should Apply?
Applicants must be NASPGHAN members in good standing.
Deadline for Application: Insert Date
Role and Responsibilities
Selected applicants will receive formal training in GRADE Methodology through a course run by McMaster University. They will then initially serve as a methodology trainee, assisting a previously trained NASPGHAN member who is already considered a proficient methodologist on a minimum of 1 society paper. After finishing their training and assisting on a minimum of 1 paper, selected applicants will then be as assigned to serve as the senior methodologist for 2-3 future NASPGHAN position statements/practice guidelines.
All methodologists will be designated authors on the statements that they guide through the GRADE process.
Job Description
- Work as a guideline methodologist for at least one NASPGHAN clinical practice guideline per year on average for 1-3 years – first as an assistant, and then as a lead methodologist.
- Guide the guideline authors to develop statements/questions in PICO (Population, Intervention, comparison, outcome) format.
- Guide the guideline authors in the assessment of the certainty of evidence (as per GRADE) for each statement/question.
- Provide the methodologist expertise for the guideline development group (present a short lecture on GRADE; briefly present the certainty of evidence for each statement/question; ensure that the GRADE process and the NASPGHAN manual of operation are followed).
- Support the writing team in the preparation of the manuscript, prepare the evidence profile tables for the manuscript, and help respond to editorial and peer-review comments.
- Review disclosure of conflicts of interests of proposed guideline panel members to ensure the guideline development process upholds the highest standards of ethics and transparency.
Expectations
- Attend International Guideline Training and Certification Program (INGUIDE) Level 1 (certified guideline group or panel member) and Level 2 (certified guideline methodologist). Funding to attend INGUIDE will be supported by NASPGHAN.
- Guideline methodologists will be offered permanent membership of the guideline development subcommittee under the umbrella of Clinical Care and Quality committee, reflecting the significant investment made by NASPGHAN in their training, expertise, and experience
- Deliver an intense amount of work over a short period of time.
- Follow the mentoring process and attend additional training courses (e.g., GRADE for diagnostic accuracy statements) where required.
Review Process
All applications will be reviewed by the NASPGHAN Council. The review process will include:
- Initial screening for eligibility and completeness of the application.
- Evaluation of the written statement for clarity, relevance, and demonstration of commitment to the role.
- Assessment of the applicant’s CV for relevant experience and qualifications.
- Consideration of the letters of recommendation for support and endorsement of the applicant’s suitability for the role.
- Potential interviews with shortlisted candidates to further assess their fit for the role.
Selection Criteria
Applicants will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Membership status and standing within NASPGHAN.
- Relevant experience in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, nutrition and clinical guideline development.
- Formal training or background in epidemiology and evidence synthesis methodologies.
- Demonstrated commitment to clinical research and guideline development.
- Quality and relevance of the written statement.
- Strength of the letters of recommendation.
- Overall fit for the role based on interview (if applicable).