The International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) recognizes that empowering the next generation of professionals focused on bipolar disorder is critical for both the scientific progress of the discipline but also its survival as an organization. The Early and Mid-Career Committee (EMCC) was established to provide a platform from which the ISBD could nurture and support the career development of clinicians and researchers working in this space.¹

The recent EMCC-led Needs Assessment survey, which was targeted at early and mid-career (EMC) professionals, highlighted that both EMC clinicians and researchers place great importance on the development of meaningful collaborations with peers and other professionals in the field.² Most survey respondents reported actively trying to establish collaborations within their departments and with partners in other institutions and networking during conferences and presentations. Commonly reported facilitators of successful collaborations included (i) the existence of opportunities for networking, including via social media, conferences, and committees; (ii) the availability of supportive mentors that encouraged and facilitated the establishment of collaborations and (iii) pleasurable interpersonal interactions with other professionals that cultivated a positive collaborative relationship.

The future activities of the EMCC will be guided by the aforementioned priorities, which provide a tenable framework to support the needs of EMC clinicians and researchers focused on bipolar disorder. These activities will prioritize the inclusion of individuals of diverse backgrounds to foster networking in underdeveloped areas, such as in the Global South, as a means of mitigating inequality and reducing disparities in line with the guiding principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Although some initiatives, such as advocating for more representation and dedicated activities in scientific meetings are already in place and are part of the EMCC mission, the implementation of initiatives to address other priorities may take more time and effort. For instance, there will likely be financial barriers within the ISBD to expand travel funding for EMC members, so establishing new and creative partnerships with funding agencies and industry and offering a hybrid model that allows online participation and networking during the Annual Conference might be warranted. That said, as ISBD already promotes online activities there should be virtually no barriers to adapt the existing digital infrastructure and expertise to establish an online community connecting new and existing EMC members.

The EMCC recognizes that networking and collaboration are a critical means to enable innovative solutions to difficult problems. Fostering networking and collaboration is a priority of the EMCC, and the initiatives that will be executed to address this priority will undoubtedly better position EMC professionals focused on bipolar disorder to make progress in the field.

国际双相情感障碍协会 (ISBD) 认识到，增强专注于双相情感障碍的下一代专业人士的能力对于该学科的科学进步及其作为一个组织的生存至关重要。早期和中期职业委员会 (EMCC) 的成立是为了提供一个平台，ISBD 可以通过该平台培养和支持在该领域工作的临床医生和研究人员的职业发展。¹

最近由 EMCC 主导的需求评估调查针对的是职业生涯早期和中期 (EMC) 专业人员，该调查强调 EMC 临床医生和研究人员都非常重视与同行和该领域其他专业人员开展有意义的合作。²大多数调查受访者表示，他们积极尝试在其部门内部以及与其他机构的合作伙伴建立合作，并在会议和演示期间建立联系。通常报道的成功合作的促进因素包括（i）存在建立联系的机会，包括通过社交媒体、会议和委员会；(ii) 提供支持性导师，鼓励和促进建立合作；(iii) 与其他专业人员进行愉快的人际互动，培养积极的合作关系。

EMCC 未来的活动将以上述优先事项为指导，这提供了一个可行的框架来支持专注于双相情感障碍的 EMC 临床医生和研究人员的需求。这些活动将优先考虑不同背景的个人的包容性，以促进欠发达地区（例如南半球）的联系，作为根据公平、多样性和包容性指导原则减少不平等和差距的一种手段。尽管一些举措，例如倡导在科学会议中增加代表性和开展专门活动等举措已经到位，并且是 EMCC 使命的一部分，但解决其他优先事项的举措的实施可能需要更多的时间和精力。例如，ISBD 内部可能存在扩大 EMC 成员差旅资助的财务障碍，因此可能有必要与资助机构和行业建立新的、创造性的合作伙伴关系，并提供允许在年会期间在线参与和建立联系的混合模式。也就是说，由于 ISBD 已经在推广在线活动，因此在调整现有数字基础设施和专业知识以建立连接新的和现有 EMC 成员的在线社区方面几乎不存在任何障碍。

EMCC 认识到网络和协作是实现难题的创新解决方案的关键手段。促进网络和协作是 EMCC 的首要任务，而为解决这一优先任务而执行的举措无疑将更好地帮助专注于双相情感障碍的 EMC 专业人员在该领域取得进展。