Network partners
There is strenght in unity, that’s why WCN has joined various collaborative partnerships. All with the shared goal of bringing innovation to patients efficiently and effectively.
Holland Heart House
WCN is based at the beautiful location of the Holland Heart House, the national platform for cardiovascular care, science, and education.
The Holland Heart House is home to WCN, NHR (Netherlands Heart Registry), NVVC (Dutch Society of Cardiology), CVOI (Dutch Institute for Continuing Cardiovascular Education), NLHI (Netherlands Heart Institute), DCVA (Dutch CardioVascular Alliance) and Nefrovisie.
Dutch CardioVascular Alliance (DCVA)
Cardiovascular diseases remain a major health challenge even today. Thanks to advances in science, innovation, and well-organized care, we have become better at combating acute cardiovascular events and saving many lives. However, factors such as an aging population, lifestyle changes, and diabetes are driving an increase in chronic heart conditions. By 2030, nearly 2 million people in the Netherlands are expected to be affected — a 33% increase compared to today.
In response to this, the Dutch CardioVascular Alliance (DCVA) was established. By bringing together twenty-three leading organizations, including patient representatives, researchers, healthcare providers, funders, and industry partners; the DCVA aims to tackle this challenge collectively.
WCN is a DCVA partner.
Dutch Clinical Research Foundation (DCRF)
The Dutch Clinical Research Foundation (DCRF) is a foundation dedicated to facilitating medical scientific research involving human subjects (clinical research), with the goal of ensuring that valuable knowledge and scientific advancements benefit patients as quickly as possible.
The foundation was established through collaboration among various stakeholders, including university medical centers, STZ hospitals, contract research organizations, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, medical ethics committees, patients, the government, and others. Representatives from these groups make up the DCRF’s governing board.
Platform OnderzoekersNetwerken (PON)
WCN is committed, with and on behalf of its members, to addressing challenges in clinical research. In the Netherlands, several research networks share this mission, each from its own disciplinary perspective. Many of these networks have joined forces within the Platform Onderzoekersnetwerken (PON).
PON is the platform for promoting and sharing the broad expertise that the research networks collectively possess. The focus is on the procedures surrounding the implementation of regulations (Wet Mensgeboden Onderzoek) across all phases and the full scope of clinical research. In this way, we contribute positively to the clinical research environment in the Netherlands.
Optimal research environment
Each network has its own organization and offers its own range of services and support. What unites them is the shared vision to create and maintain an optimal research environment for clinical researchers in the Netherlands. This is essential to continue conducting high-quality clinical research in a competitive international landscape.
How is this implemented?
The Platform is a broad and inclusive forum for research networks in the Netherlands. It serves as the voice of both initiating and participating researchers and is committed to resolving challenges. We do this by combining expertise (both in process content, operational, and regulatory aspects) and applying it in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, such as partners from the National Healthcare Agreement (Hoofdlijn Akkoord).
Sharing knowledge and connecting
Although certain issues may be specific to a particular field, there are many overarching challenges that researchers face. This is where the strength of the platform lies: learning from each other’s experiences, pooling knowledge and expertise, and seeking and creating connections. In doing so, we unlock knowledge, skills, and solutions for all researchers.
Researcher’s perspective
The Platform also brings knowledge and expertise from the perspective of clinical researchers into national consultation structures of involved umbrella organizations, such as the Regulatory Burden Program and the Program ZE&GG (Care Evaluation and Appropriate Use). Participants from the Platform represent researchers in working groups and the board of the Dutch Clinical Research Foundation (DCRF), helping to resolve existing issues in the interest of both the researcher and their patients.
Where is PON already involved?
Representatives of the Platform are present in nearly all working groups of the DCRF, the DCRF board, the Regulatory Burden Program, the ZE&GG Program, and the program committee of the ACRON symposium-ECTR.
PON partners are:
Pedmed-NL Trialbureau IKNL WCN ZE&GG Ontregel het Onderzoek Netherlands Heart Institute V&VN BOOG