Members & Observers

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.

F-CRIN, created in 2012, is the single contact point facilitating the participation of France in clinical studies. F-CRIN unites the major academic and commercial stakeholders in clinical research in France, including clinical research and innovation departments in university hospitals (Direction de la Recherche Clinique et de l'Innovation –DRCI), clinical investigation centres (Centre d'Investigation Clinique –CIC) and interregional groups for clinical research and innovation (Groupement Interrégional de Recherche Clinique et d'Innovation –GIRCI).

F-CRIN enables multinational or multicentre, investigator-driven, clinical trials and early phase proof-of-concept studies. Clinical trial support is provided through F-CRIN by the EUCLID and PARTNERS platforms of professional services. These platforms have expertise in the full spectrum of clinical trial services from seeking funding, through design, approval and logistics to data analysis and reporting.

F-CRIN also maintains connections and collaborations with networks specialised in specific diseases or areas of medicine including cardiology (FACT), nutrition (FORCE), inflammatory disease (IMIDIATE), cardiorenal diseases (INI-CRCT), thrombosis (INNOVTE), vaccinology (I-REIVAC), Parkinson’s disease (NS-PARK), and sepsis (TRIGGERSEP). These networks offer expertise and collaboration opportunities in clinical trial aspects related to this fields.

Follow F-CRIN on Twitter:

@FCRIN_network

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.

HECRIN currently comprises nine 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 University of Pécs.

Current members of HECRIN are: University of Szeged Semmelweis University, Budapest National Insitute of Oncology, Budapest State Hospital for Cardiology, BalatonfüredNational Insitute of Rheumatology and Physiotherapy, Budapest National Insitute of Clinical Neurosciences, Budapest Gottsegen György Hungarian Institute of Cardiology, Budapest Korányi National Insitute of Pulmonology, Budapest Heim Pál Children's Hospital.

The national coordination centre in Ireland is changing hands. More information on the new partner will be made available shortly. For information on the previous partner, see below. 

Health Research Board Clinical Research Coordination Ireland (HRB CRCI) is an independent integrated national clinical research network, providing centralised support in the conduct of multicentre clinical trials (both commercial and academic) across Ireland. It is funded by extramural grants from the Health Research Board (HRB) and Enterprise Ireland (EI), supported by the six largest Irish Universities and is hosted by Clinical Research Development Ireland (CRDI).
In 2014, the Directors of five University Clinical Research Facilities/Centres (CRF/Cs) responded to a HRB and EI invitation to submit a proposal for the development of a network to support the conduct of multicentre clinical trials across the island of Ireland. The application was successful, and led to the establishment of HRB CRCI as a collaborative partnership of the five university based CRF/Cs and their associated hospitals. HRB CRCI subsequently became operational as an organisation in May 2015.clinical research for the benefit of people’s health and the economy.”
The HRB CRCI central office provides overarching support and expertise, through a range of services and activities to academia and industry. CRDI provides corporate support services to the central office. The partner CRF/Cs provide the infrastructure, physical space and facilities, experienced research and specialist support staff and the necessary quality and oversight programs that are critical for the successful conduct of world-class patient-focused research. HRB CRCI and the CRF/Cs facilitate research but are not in a position to independently fund research. Our eight partner CRF/Cs have over forty years of combined research experience and include:
•    HRB CRF Cork at University College Cork and Mercy University Hospital
•    HRB CRF Galway at University Hospital Galway
•    Royal College of Surgeons Ireland CRC at Beaumont Hospital
•    University College Dublin CRCs at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and St. Vincent’s University Hospital
•    Wellcome Trust – HRB CRF at St. James’s Hospital
•    HRI-CRSU: Health Research Institute Clinical Research Support Unit at University Hospital Limerick, Co Limerick.
•    NCRC: National Children’s Research Centre at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin 12

Follow HRB CRCI on Twitter: 

@HRB_CRCI 

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) multinational trials supported by ECRIN.

ItaCRIN currently comprises nine participants 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; Centro Studi Associazione Nazionale Medici Cardiologi Ospedalieri – ANMCO; YGHEA; Center for Outcomes Research and clinical Epidemiology – CORESEARCH; Clinical Research Technology - CR-Technology.

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.

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).

PtCRIN is the national research infrastructure for clinical research in Portugal. PtCRIN is composed of 25 members which represent the leading Portuguese clinical research institutions, including health care units/clinical research centres, clinical trial units and universities.

PtCRIN is an infrastructure dedicated to the promotion of national and international cooperation in clinical research and aims to foster the excellence, quality and therapeutic innovation for the benefit of patients, citizens and health care systems.

PtCRIN is currently working on the development of a network of academic contract research organisations (CROs) and on education and training of clinical research professionals. The goal is to enhance the capacity of clinical research centres and academic medical centres following international standards for the development of investigator-initiated clinical trials and to capture national and international funds for clinical research.  

ECRIN's Slovakian 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 (Slovak Clinical Research Infrastructure Network) is a national research infrastructure network connecting hospitals, universities and scientific institutions involved in academic clinical research.

SLOVACRIN is coordinated by the Faculty of Medicine of the Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice. The General Director of SLOVACRIN and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine is Prof. Daniel Pella.

SLOVACRIN supports the preparation and implementation of academic clinical trials in Slovakia, including international trials. The aim is to increase the number and quality of academically initiated clinical trials in Slovakia, using the available capacity and expertise to ensure compliance with regulatory, legislative and ethical requirements related to clinical research.

SCReN is a network of Spanish Clinical Trials Units (Unidades de Investigación Clínica y Ensayos Clínicos, UICECs), which are based in clinical centres of the Spanish National Health Service. There are currently 30 clinical trials units in the network spanning 12 Spanish autonomous communities.
The SCReN coordinators are based in the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC) in Madrid. In addition, three working groups specialise in regulation and monitoring (PRM), methodological assessment, data management and statistics (PMEGDA), and pharmacovigilance (PFV).

SCReN aims to foster excellence and quality in clinical research through networking, international cooperation and providing support to clinical research projects, translating them into benefits for the Spanish National Health Service. SCReN also works on education and training of clinical research professionals through the coordinating team in Madrid.

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.

Follow the SCTO on Twitter:

@SwissClinTrial