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Supporting studies throughout Europe: ECRIN

Networking investigators and promoting research throughout Europe

The European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN) is a non-profit EU project that was initiated in 2004 to promote and facilitate the conduct of multinational clinical trials.

The national scientific partner of ECRIN in Germany is the KKS-Netzwerk.

ECRIN links national academic research infrastructures in Europe, giving sponsors and investigators access to information, consultation, and services for the conduct of multinational clinical research projects.

 

European infrastructure for clinical studies

ECRIN offers sponsors and investigators a broad infrastructure involving partners in currently 12 member and observer countries. Moreover, ECRIN has established partners in 13 additional countries. The partners provide scientific services for multinational clinical studies. 
If you are a sponsor or investigator and plan to conduct or expand your studies to include European countries outside Germany, please contact the German ECRIN office.

ECRIN coordinates services

ECRIN works with established processes and clearly defined areas of responsibility within proven communication structures.

Each country involved has is a European correspondent (EuCo) who coordinates and directs the required processes in close consultation with the sponsor and ECRIN partners. Their work includes the steps required for study planning such as the provision of cost estimates for the services of the ECRIN partners in the planned countries of the study. Multinational studies have been already conducted successfully with these structures and processes.

How to apply

To receive coordinated services for a clinical study via ECRIN, you must submit an informal application. All submitted studies will be scientifically evaluated by the ECRIN Scientific Board. Among other things, it will assess the clinical relevance of the study and its benefits for the European healthcare system.

Submitted studies are also subject to strict criteria of transparency. They include the exclusion of conflicts of interest with regard to the scientists involved in the study, an obligation to register the study prior to enrolment of the first subjects and to publish the results of the study. Anonymised raw data must also be made available for further research purposes.

The network of European correspondents is responsible for ensuring that the countries participating in the study can provide the required services.