Members & Observers
ECRIN’s organisational model is based on country membership. Countries can either be full Members or Observers. Current Member countries include Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland, and Slovakia is an Observer country.
Discover the ECRIN Membership benefits.
ECRIN has a national scientific partner in each Member or Observer country, which are usually networks of clinical trial units (CTUs). Discover our partners below, or read or National Partners Presentation Brochure.
Scientific Partner: CZECRIN - Czech Clinical Research Infrastructure Network
CZECRIN is headquartered in the Department of Pharmacology in the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, Brno. CZECRIN is recognised as a Large Infrastructure by the Czech Government and is included in the Roadmap for Large Research, Development and Innovation Infrastructures in the Czech Republic of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
At the centre of CZECRIN is a collaboration between Masaryk University, which leads the University Module of CZECRIN, and St. Anne´s University Hospital, Brno, which leads the Clinical Module. The University Module groups together clinical trials centres located in universities. The clinical trials centres provide coordination and service support for investigator-initiated clinical trials, training activities and methodological support. The Clinical Module currently comprises six clinical trials units at various medical facilities. The clinical trials units conduct trials and communicate with regulatory authorities. The modules are connected to each other and to ECRIN via Masaryk University.
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Scientific Partner: F-CRIN - French Clinical Research Infrastructure Network
Created in 2012, F-CRIN (French Clinical Research Infrastructure Network) is an organisation of excellence serving French clinical research. It aims to strengthen the competitiveness of French clinical research internationally, identify and label research networks, facilitate the implementation of academic or industrial clinical trials, and develop the expertise of clinical research actors, by pooling know-how, objectives and resources.
The organization, which has a national coordination unit located in Toulouse, already federates and supports
- 16 clinical investigation networks - ACT4ALS-MND (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Other Motor Neuron Diseases), CRICS-TRIGGERSEP (Sepsis), CRI-IMIDIATE (Autoimmune and Auto-inflammatory Diseases), CRISALIS (Severe Asthma), FACT (Cardiovascular Diseases), FCRIN4MS (Multiple Sclerosis) FORCE (Obesity), FRCRNet (Retinal diseases), F-PSYNET (Psychotic disorders), FRADEN (Atopic dermatitis), INI-CRCT (Cardiorenal diseases), INNOVTe (Thrombosis), I-REIVAC (Vaccinology), NS-PARK (Parkinson's disease and movement disorders), PEDSTART (Pediatrics), STROKELINK (Stroke)
- 3 networks of expertise and methodology - ORPHANDEV (Rare Diseases), RECAP (Epidemiology), TECH4HEALTH (Medical Devices)
- 1 support platform offering all the services necessary for the conduct of clinical trials (EUCLID).
F-CRIN is funded by the ANR and the French Ministry of Health.
F-CRIN hosts the French ECRIN’s EuCo at its head office
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Scientific Partner: KKSN - Netzwerk der Koordinierungszentren für Klinische Studien
KKS-Netzwerk (KKSN), the German network of coordinating centres for clinical trials, was established in 2005 and currently comprises 25 academic coordinating centres for clinical trials all over Germany. The KKSN headquarters is located in Berlin and hosts the German ECRIN office. CTUs in KKSN provide full trial services ranging from consultancy on protocol design, budgeting, and regulatory and ethical submissions to conducting trials, including project management, site management, data management, monitoring, (pharmaco-)vigilance, biometrical analysis, and reporting for medical as well as for medicinal products. The KKSN structure enables close collaboration between study centres in multicentre trials, facilitating a high level of quality. Training is also a significant focus of the network. In addition, network members are involved in various national and international clinical research projects, and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
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Scientific Partner: GreCRIN - Greek Clinical Research Infrastructure Network
Created in 2023, GRECRIN is an infrastructure dedicated to supporting and facilitating academically initiated multinational clinical trials and providing affiliated countries with all the necessary services for clinical research. GreCRIN is hosted at the Institute of Applied Biosciences in the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (INAB|CERTH).
GRECRIN aims to create a reliable nationwide network to expedite clinical trial research in Greece. By fostering communication among life scientists, stakeholders, authorities, and patients, GRECRIN aspires to overcome obstacles in conducting clinical trials in Greece.
GRECRIN will provide coordination and service support for investigator initiated clinical trials, training activities, and methodological support throughout the country.
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Scientific Partner: HECRIN - Hungarian Clinical Research Infrastructure Network
HECRIN is hosted by the Hungarian National Health Research Agency.
HECRIN currently comprises the following hospitals and medical institutes in Hungary and has as its mission to extend the membership nationally of the network and establish clinical trial coordinating centres at member sites. HECRIN central office is at the Hungarian National Health Research Agency.
Current members of HECRIN are: (please note that the name of some Institution has been changed, and we have updated the list accordingly) University of Debrecen University of Pécs University of Szeged Semmelweis University, Budapest National Institute of Oncology, Budapest State Hospital for Cardiology, Balatonfüred National Institute of Rheumatology and Physiotherapy, Budapest National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest Gottsegen National Cardiovascular Centre, Budapest Korányi National Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest Heim Pál Children's Hospital, Budapest Central Hospital of Southern Pest National Institute of Haematology and Infectious Diseases, Budapest Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Budapest MCRN Hungary (Medicine for Children Research Network), Budapest HunPedNet (Hungarian Primary Care Paediatricians’ Clinical Research Network), Budapest Drug Research Centre, Balatonfüred Adware Research Ltd., Balatonfüred PharmaHungary 2000 Ltd., Budapest QTICS Medical Service Group, Budapest
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Scientific Partner: In transition, was: Health Research Board Clinical Research Coordination Ireland (HRB CRCI)
The HRB National Clinical Trials Office, (HRB NCTO), has recently been established (May 2021) as an independent, integrated, national clinical research network, providing centralised support to the conduct of multi-centre clinical trials and investigations/studies (both commercial and academic) across Ireland. With the support of the Health Research Board, host institution University College Cork, Enterprise Ireland and the seven University-based Clinical Research Facilities/Centres (CRFs/Cs) in the Republic of Ireland the HRB NCTO was developed to build on the positive achievements of previous investments in clinical trials coordination and future investments in national clinical trials infrastructure in Ireland. With a change in host institution in 2021, HRB NCTO has replaced HRB CRCI and the new central office provides overarching clinical research support and expertise, through a range of services and activities to academia and industry. The partner University CRF/CRCs in Ireland provide the infrastructure, physical space and facilities, experienced research and specialist support staff and the necessary quality and oversight programmes that are critical for the successful conduct of world-class patient-focused research.
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Scientific Partner: ISS - Istituto Superiore di Sanita / ItaCRIN - Italian Clinical Research Infrastructure Network
Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISS) coordinates the national network ItaCRIN aiming to sustain independent clinical research and helping investigators/sponsors to promote (and to join) high-quality multinational trials supported by ECRIN. ItaCRIN partners provide a full range of trial services from consultancy on protocol design, budgeting, regulatory and ethical submissions, project management and data management, monitoring, (pharmaco-) vigilance, and reporting for medical as well as for medicinal products.
ItaCRIN was created in 2013 and currently comprises 12 centres capable of providing services for clinical research. The network includes Clinical Trial Units (CTUs) - academic and from IRCCS - and Contract Research Organisations (CROs) dedicated to independent clinical studies: Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri –IRFMN; Consorzio Italiano per la Ricerca in Medicina – CIRM; GIMEMA Onlus; Clinical Trial Centre - CTC of the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; CRO of the Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù – OPBG; Heart care foundation Onlus ; YGHEA; Center for Outcomes Research and clinical Epidemiology – CORESEARCH; Clinical Research Technology - CR-Technology; CD Pharma; Clinical Trial Office (CTO) of the Meyer Children’s Research Institute (MCRI); Ufficio di Ricerca Clinica Bicocca (BICRO); DataRiver.
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Scientific Partner: NorCRIN - Norwegian Clinical Research Infrastructure
NorCRIN’s aim is to facilitate clinical research by supporting the many complex elements of this type of research, such as study design, the application process, conduction and good clinical practice (GCP) reporting. The main objective is to strengthen and simplify the collaboration within all categories of clinical research in Norway. NorCRIN is the Norwegian hub of a larger European research network – ECRIN. The Ministry of Health and Care Services in Norway initiated the founding of NorCRIN, and Trondheim University Hospital (St. Olavs Hospital) is responsible for coordinating and operating the network.
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Scientific Partner: Medical Research Agency
The Polish Medical Research Agency (MRA) is a state institution responsible for the development of scientific research in the field of medical sciences and health sciences. The MRA aims to create an innovative healthcare system and to bring tangible benefits to patients. This will be achieved through the assessment of which new medical technologies and therapeutic methods should be used to meet the needs of society.
MRA will analyse decisions and their impact on the costs of the functioning of the healthcare system. These analyses will make it possible to present specific solutions, thanks to which the healthcare system will be able to function in a more efficient way.
The development of medical sciences and health sciences and contribution to the growth of innovation of Polish medicine are the most important goals that have been set before the newly established MRA. Its main role will be to provide funding for analyses and clinical trials in healthcare, with a specific focus on non-commercial trials (which constitute approximately 2% of all registered research).
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Partner: PtCRIN - Portuguese Clinical Research Infrastructure Network
Created in 2012, PtCRIN is an infrastructure dedicated to improving national clinical research by promoting a more efficient implementation of clinical trials and particularly international cooperation.
PtCRIN is included in Portuguese Roadmap of Research Infrastructures (RNIE) and is a consortium of 26 national institutions which represent the leading Portuguese clinical research institutions, including Health Care Units, Universities, Research Institutes that host Clinical Trial Units (CTUs), Clinical Research Centers (CRCs) and clinical investigators.
PtCRIN privileges investigator initiated clinical trials (IICTs) across all disease areas aiming to increase the number and quality of IICTs in Portugal fostering the production of high-level evidence to support clinicians and decision makers in the adoption of therapeutic decisions that are safer and cost effective.
PtCRIN created a network of academic CTUs that provide a full range of trial services from consultancy on protocol design, budgeting, regulatory and ethical submissions, project management and data management, monitoring, (pharmaco-) vigilance, and reporting for medical as well as for medicinal products.
PtCRIN head office is located at Nova Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa and hosts the Portuguese ECRIN European Correspondent.
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Scientific Partner: SLOVACRIN - Slovak Clinical Research Infrastructure Network
ECRIN's Slovak national scientific partner is 'SLOVACRIN' - Slovak Clinical Research Infrastructure Network, headquartered at the Faculty of Medicine of the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice.
SLOVACRIN is the national research infrastructure for non-commercial clinical trials in Slovakia and has been part of the European ECRIN-ERIC consortium since 2018. It represents a national distributed research infrastructure connecting hospitals, universities and scientific institutions involved in academic clinical research. The aim of the national infrastructure is to increase the number and quality of academically initiated clinical trials in Slovakia using the available capacity and expertise, knowledge, research, and development in the field of medical sciences and to help build a network of Clinical Trials Units.
Since 2021, SLOVACRIN has been listed on the Roadmap of Research Infrastructure SK VI Roadmap 2020 - 2030, which is the key document of the Slovak Republic for the field of research infrastructures.
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Scientific Partner: SCReN - Spanish Clinical Research Network
SCReN is the National Platform for Clinical Trials in Spain. It is funded by the National Institute for Health Carlos III (Ministry of Science), and it is composed of a network of 34 Clinical Trial Units (CTUs) based in clinical centres of the Spanish National Health Service spanning 14 of the Spanish autonomous communities. The SCReN´s General Coordination is based in Madrid at La Paz University Hospital-IdiPAZ (Clinical Pharmacology Department and Clinical Trials Unit). The ECRIN EUCo is hosted in Virgen de la Victoria University Hospital (Clinical Pharmacology Service, IBIMA-Plataforma Bionand). Both institutions lead the SCReN Internationalization Working Group.
SCReN employs a working group-organized structure to address advisory and operational tasks in the following areas: Methodology; Regulatory, Ethics, & Data Protection, Monitoring and Quality Data, Pharmacovigilance, Data Management & Statistics, Training and Education, Early-Stage Phase Studies, Paediatric Studies, Observational Studies, Advanced Therapies, Communication and dissemination, and Internationalization.
Whether providing consulting or services to clinical investigators, SCReN aims to foster excellence and quality in clinical research through networking, international cooperation, and support to clinical research projects, translating them into benefits for the Spanish National Health Service and globally for the European Society.
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Scientific Partner: SCTO - Swiss Clinical Trial Organisation
The Swiss Clinical Trial Organisation (SCTO) is the central cooperation platform for patient-oriented clinical research in Switzerland. Its primary objective is, in the interests of society, to attractively and competitively position Swiss clinical research in the international setting and with respect to innovation and quality. It serves as the umbrella organisation for all activities related to the Swiss Human Research Act, and defines its top three strategic fields of action as: value, innovation, and visibility.
The SCTO contributes to innovative, high-quality, and (inter)national clinical research by
- networking with key stakeholders, in Switzerland and abroad, and by participating in the continuous betterment of the legal, political, and financial framework for clinical research
- being committed to the development of (inter)nationally valid "best practices" and the implementation of these standards in Switzerland
- engaging in continuing education in the field of clinical research
- advocating for the involvement of patients
- promoting the continuous improvement of the value of research and its impact
- fostering ongoing communication among experts from academia, the life sciences industry, the authorities, and the general public
The SCTO is a joint initiative of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS). Since 1 January 2013, the SCTO has been acting as an independent organisation.
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