Overview

The Prevention Science Early Career Reviewer Program aims to mentor early-career researchers in prevention science and expand the pool of potential reviewers. We invite emerging prevention scientists to apply to serve a 2-year term as mentored reviewers for the journal Prevention Science. Candidates apply for the position, and as part of that application process, they identify and secure a commitment from a prevention science mentor to supervise their appointment to the review board for the 2-year period. The candidate commits to providing up to four reviews each year; the mentor commits to co-reviewing and co-authoring the review to ensure high quality reviews. The candidate will serve as the reviewer of record in the online review system.

Purpose

The Prevention Science Early Career Reviewer Program aims to:

1. Provide a mentored training experience to early career prevention scientists;
2. Increase the pool and pipeline of quality reviewers for Prevention Science;
3. Promote greater connection between the journal and the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) Early Career Preventionist Network (ECPN) regarding scholarship; and
4. Promote greater visibility of the journal and SPR among early career scholars working in the prevention science field.

The overarching goal is to foster appreciation for, enhanced understanding of and participation in the peer-review process among early-career scholars in the prevention science field.

Recognition/Benefits

Early-career reviewers and their mentors will be acknowledged at the next annual SPR meeting during the conference awards ceremony. The early career reviewers will have their name published in the journal as a member of the editorial board.

Eligibility of Early Career Candidates

Eligible mentees are advanced doctoral candidates (i.e., doctoral students approved for candidacy) or recent graduates within 2 years of receiving their doctoral degree who have an interest in developing expertise in prevention science. Given that the goal of this program is to provide a mentored experience to develop skills in conducting journal reviews, candidates who already regularly review for this or other journals or have extensive prior review experience (e.g., eight or more prior reviews) are often considered overqualified for this program and thus will have a reduced likelihood of being selected to participate in the mentored program.

Candidates from different disciplines are encouraged to apply, particularly those with interest and expertise in:

• Drug, alcohol, and tobacco use and abuse
• Psychiatric disorders and other mental health problems
• Suicide
• HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases
• Delinquency, crime, and violence
• Child abuse
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Cardiovascular disease
• Marital and couple distress
• Adolescent pregnancy
• School and work participation performance
• Physical illness and injury
• Research methods and study design
• Health equity
• Implementation science

The candidate will illustrate their fit with the aims of this program within their cover letter and CV submitted as part of the application process. The candidate and the mentor do not need to be at the same institution, but there is an expectation of regular communication and interaction regarding the reviews, regardless of location/institution.

Eligibility and Expectations of Mentors

Mentors are more established prevention science researchers with at least 8 years of post-doctorate research experience in the field. Although current members of the Prevention Science editorial board are encouraged to pair with candidates to apply for this program, the program is not limited to board members. Mentors are required to agree in writing on the applicant’s cover letter that they will serve as a co-reviewer with the candidate for the 2-year editorial term. This includes but is not limited to reading and discussing the original manuscript with the candidate and providing edits/comments on drafts of the review prior to submission through the journal’s online editorial review portal. It is the journal’s expectation that the mentor co-reviews the manuscript with the candidate.

Application Process

• Applicants identify a potential mentor with expertise in prevention science; selection and matching are the candidate’s responsibility. The mentor should be identified in the application and must provide their written commitment to serve as a mentor.
• The application packet includes the following:
  • Two-page cover letter that describes why this is an important opportunity to advance the candidate’s career, skills, and/or expertise related to prevention science research. The cover letter should include information regarding:
    • The mentee’s eligibility
    • The relevance of the mentee’s research interests to prevention science
    • The mentee’s potential as a prevention scientist and commitment to prevention science
    • The mentee’s track record of publishing and dissemination
    • The mentee’s previous reviewing experience
    • The mentor’s expertise in prevention science
  • The cover letter should be co-signed by the candidate and by the mentor, who explicitly agrees to serve in the mentorship role.
  • CV of the candidate clearly indicating that the mentee is eligible (i.e., will be a doctoral candidate by the date of the application deadline or is within 2 years of receiving their doctorate).
  • CV of the mentor.

Timeline

• The application is due September 1, 2026. All application materials should be submitted electronically via email to  SPRECPN@gmail.com with the following subject line: “PS EC Reviewer Application Your Name”
• Applicants will be notified via email of the selection results in late October.
• Public acknowledgment will occur at the 2027 SPR conference awards ceremony.