ECRIN Receives H2020 Funding for ‘PedCRIN’ Paediatric Network

ECRIN received a positive funding decision from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme for the creation of a Paediatric Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (PedCRIN).

The network will bring together ECRIN and the European Paediatric Clinical Trial Research Infrastructure (EPCTRI), which is comprised of more than 20 national and specialty networks. PedCRIN will enlarge the scope of ECRIN’s activity to paediatrics.
 
The PedCRIN project includes five work packages (WPs):

• WP1: Project coordination and implementation of management decisions
• WP2: Definition of the PedCRIN business strategy and governance structure
• WP3: Development of tools specific for paediatric and neonatal trials (trial methodology and outcome measures, adverse event reporting bio-sample management, ethical and regulatory database, monitoring, quality and certification)
• WP4: Provision of operational support to select pilot trials, which will be coordinated by ECRIN with the support of national paediatric coordinators hosted by paediatric networks (that currently exist or are being set-up)
• WP5: Communication targeting user communities (including industry partners) and policymakers, and aiming to empower patients and parents

The idea for the collaboration came from the 2016 European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) Roadmap, which encouraged ECRIN and EPCTRI to explore the potential alignment of their activities. Two other ESFRI-landmark infrastructures, BBMRI-ERIC and EATRIS-ERIC, will also be involved in this project.