Organization

F-CRIN is a platform for supporting and structuring national research, expertise and clinical investigation networks in targeted medical fields. An original model of integrated and federative organisation, it constitutes a cross-cutting national community of complementary cutting-edge expertise (medical, scientific, methodological).

F-CRIN's stamp of approval

Applying detailed specifications, F-CRIN selects, supports and assists both French clinical research networks with national reach and state-of-the-art service platforms. Approval is given by the Infrastructure Governance Board following calls for applications and is based on a positive assessment by the F-CRIN international scientific council.

To date, F-CRIN has organised three approval campaigns:

  • 2013 campaign: 8 investigation networks, 2 expert networks and 2 platforms were approved
  • 2018 campaign: 4 investigation networks and 1 expert network were approved
  • 2022 campaign: 4 investigation networks were approved

Approved network components

F-CRIN currently includes 21 components

  • 16 theme-based clinical investigation networks or INI (Investigation Network Initiatives), operating at national level and concerning a range of subjects, including Motor Neuron Disease, Sepsis, Autoimmune and Auto-inflammatory Diseases, Severe Asthma, Cardiovascular Diseases, Multiple Sclerosis, Obesity, Psychotic Disorders, Atopic Dermatitis, Retinal Diseases, Cardiorenal Diseases, Thrombosis, Vaccinology, Parkinson's and Movement Diseases, Pediatrics, Stroke. F-CRIN does not include in its scope diseases such as cancer that are already targeted by national plans or specific structuring and support actions.
  • 3 targeted networks of excellence: these expert networks in clinical research focus on medical devices, rare diseases and epidemiology
  • A multifunctional service platform available to investigators and/or sponsors to help them set up and run clinical trials, providing a wide range of skills covering methodological, medical, scientific, technical and regulatory aspects, etc.
  • A national coordination unit certified to ISO 9001. Located in Toulouse, this unit has the status of a joint research centre

National Coordination Unit

Based in Toulouse, the national coordination unit of F-CRIN is a joint research centre (UMS 015) associating Inserm, Toulouse University Hospital and Toulouse III Paul Sabatier University. It has the dual function:

  • Representing the F-CRIN Infrastructure
  • Providing support services for all its networks and platform.

 

Since its founding in 2012, the F-CRIN Coordination Unit has sought to meet the highest standards in quality.  

Building on the collective efforts of its staff, it deployed an ISO 9001:2015 certified Quality Management System (QMS) in 2017 for all departments, based on two areas of expertise:

  • Managing F-CRIN-approved components;
  • Developing initiatives to boost French clinical research.

Certification is an optional external procedure carried out by independent experts who assess the operation and practices of the F-CRIN Coordination Unit every year.

We opted for this framework in order to gain greater agility in coordinating the activities of the structure to meet the requirements of both customers and supervisory entities/stakeholders.

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Updated on 06 July 2022