JCE 112522 ESIC Series: Paper 10 Early and Mid-Career Researchers as Co-Leaders in Global Evidence Ecosystems: A...

To reflect on the contributions and experiences of Early and Mid-Career Researchers (EMCRs) within the Evidence Synthesis Infrastructure Collaborative (ESIC), and to examine how their participation can inform more equitable global evidence ecosystems.

This commentary draws on the authors' direct involvement as EMCR members and co-leads in ESIC working groups, the Cape Town Consensus process, and the Inclusive Leadership Programme. We synthesised shared experiences across regions and sectors to identify recurring opportunities, barriers, and implications for future implementation.

EMCRs contributed substantively to ESIC's technical and strategic outputs, including working group reports, consensus discussions, and proposals related to equity, governance, and innovation. Their experiences highlighted intersecting challenges, including limited mentorship, career precarity, uneven digital access, and structural inequities that particularly affect researchers in low- and middle-income countries. These reflections suggest that meaningful EMCR engagement requires more than participation alone; it depends on institutionalised leadership roles, equitable funding, mentorship, and sustained capacity-sharing structures.

ESIC demonstrates that EMCRs can serve as co-creators of global evidence initiatives when deliberate space is made for their leadership. Embedding EMCRs in governance, innovation, and capacity-building efforts will be essential to building a more inclusive, globally representative, and equitable evidence ecosystem PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Early and mid-career researchers are often invited into global research initiatives, but they are not always given real opportunities to lead. In this commentary, we describe how EMCRs contributed to the Evidence Synthesis Infrastructure Collaborative and what helped or hindered their participation. Our experience shows that young and mid-career researchers, especially those from underrepresented regions, can strengthen global evidence systems when they are supported through mentorship, funding, leadership opportunities, and inclusive governance.