Please note, the deadline to make nominations for the 2023 Anne Anderson Award has now passed (12 June 2023).

The Anne Anderson Award is awarded at each Cochrane Colloquium to a female member of Cochrane who has made a significant contribution to the enhancement and visibility of women's participation within Cochrane. (Plus, see more about the Anne Anderson walk, taking place at the Colloquium).

The award

"Receiving this prize money means I will be able to further develop my advocacy work to promote Kangaroo Care (KC) here in Malaysia. The Cochrane review, Kangaroo mother care to reduce morbidity and mortality in low birthweight infants, by Agustin Conde-Agudelo and colleagues shows that besides improving survival in preterm infants, it has other benefits. This is why WHO have endorsed it as an essential care. In spite of this we know that KC uptake in Malaysia has been generally low. It is for this reason that Kangaroo Mother Care Advocates Malaysia (KAMY), an advocacy group, is established in Malaysia and I am currently the secretary. So far, our work has been mainly in providing KC training to healthcare institutions and our members are all healthcare personnel. Due to lack of manpower, we have done little towards patient and public involvement in KC advocacy. Receiving the prize money means that I will be able develop a strategy to involve patients and the public in advocacy work."
Wai Cheng, 2021 Anne Anderson Award prize fund recipient

Anne Anderson was a contributor to the stream of thinking and effort that gave birth to evidence-based health care. A clinically qualified reproductive physiologist, Anne had an active interest in women’s health, co-editing the first edition of Women’s problems in general practice (1983) with Ann McPherson. Anne also contributed to Effectiveness and satisfaction in antenatal care (1982), edited by Murray Enkin and Iain Chalmers, and was discussing, with Marc Keirse and Iain Chalmers, the possibility of co-editing a companion volume on elective birth. However, her premature death from breast cancer in 1983 ended her involvement. Iain Chalmers, Murray Enkin, and Marc Keirse went on to publish Effective care in pregnancy and childbirth (ECPC) in 1989, dedicating the book in part to Anne. ECPC, through its systematic approach to assessing the research literature, is widely acknowledged to have led to development of a similar project for all of medicine and health - Cochrane. Anne Anderson was 46 years old when she died.

In the footsteps of Anne Anderson, many outstanding women continue to contribute and inspire other women to improve health knowledge for the good of their communities. Often these women are quiet achievers who might otherwise not be recognized. The goal of the Anne Anderson Award is to recognize and stimulate individuals contributing to the enhancement of women’s visibility and participation in the Cochrane leadership. The Award is given to a Cochrane member who has contributed meaningfully to the promotion of women as leaders and contributors to the organization. The establishment of the Award was approved in principle by the Cochrane Steering Group (CSG) in 2010, and was awarded for the first time in 2011. At its meeting in Split in March 2011, the CSG agreed to put 1000 GBP per year for three years from core funds towards the newly established Anne Anderson Award. Additional donations may be made via the 'Donate now!' button on the Cochrane website, earmarked 'The Cochrane Collaboration Anne Anderson Award'.

Nominating

Past or current active women members of Cochrane are eligible for the Award. Recipients will be selected based on emotional and cognitive intelligence, serving as an inspiration to others, evidence of cumulative accomplishment, originality and independence of thought, personal qualities, team building, leadership, and mentorship. The nominee’s contribution to or enhancement of women’s visibility within Cochrane, participation in Cochrane and other leadership, and other accomplishments within the context of Cochrane will also be considered in the selection process.

Nominations may be made by anyone within Cochrane and should summarize the nominee’s involvement in Cochrane and how she meets the following criteria:

Meaningful contribution to the promotion of women as leaders and contributors to Cochrane.
Contribution to or enhancement of women's visibility within Cochrane.
Participation in Cochrane and other leadership.
Other accomplishments within the context of Cochrane.

The nomination form should include specific examples of the nominee’s contribution to the enhancement of women’s visibility and participation in the Cochrane leadership. These contributions may include, but are not limited to, serving as a role model and inspiration to others, mentoring, training, encouraging, supporting and promoting women for their work in Cochrane. We suggest the following specific areas should be covered in the nomination:

involvement in Cochrane;
contribution to the promotion of women as leaders and contributors to Cochrane;
enhancement of visibility of women within Cochrane, including team building and independent working;
participation in leadership in Cochrane;
accomplishments within the context of Cochrane.

The Anne Anderson Award winner receives a plaque from Cochrane honouring her contributions, as well as a cash award of 3000 USD. The recipient designates the cash award to assist a woman from a low-resource setting with Cochrane activities; this recipient should provide a brief written report on how the funds have been used.

This award is made possible by the generous donations of community members, normally through donations to take part in a guided walk at the colloquium. Please donate today to help maintain this important prize.

Award recipients

2022

Tiffany Duque

2021

Jackie Ho
Cochrane Malaysia

Jackie Ho's prize money was gifted to Wai Cheng from Malaysia

2020

Sophie Hill

Sophie Hill's prize money fund was gited to Nyanyiwe Mbeye from Malawi

2019

Tianjing Li
Cochrane Eyes and Vision

Tianjing Li's prize money fund was gited to Thanitsara (Muky) Rittiphairoj from Thailand

2018

Kay Dickersin
Cochrane US

Kay Dickersin's prize money fund was gifted to Janice Bowie

2017

Sally Green
Cochrane Australia

2016

Nicky Cullum
Cochrane Wounds

Nicky Cullum's prize money fund was gifted to Prof Angela Chimwaza

2015

Lisa Bero
Co-Chair, Cochrane Steering Group

2014

Elizabeth Waters
Cochrane Public Health

2013

Cindy Farquhar
Cochrane Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility

Cindy Farquhar's prize fund was gifted to Luisa Fajardo from Colombia.

2012

Award not made in 2012

2011

Caroline Crowther
Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth

Caroline Crowther’s prize fund was gifted to Sarah Manyame from Zimbabwe.

Anne Anderson Award