ECRAID-Base

Complex and multi-faceted, the ECRAID-Base project is split into 13 ‘work packages’ (WP). Each WP is coordinated by a dedicated team affiliated with one or several consortium partners. Here, we introduce the teams and the specific objectives they are pursuing.

WP 1: Project Management and Network Coordination 

The first work package encompasses the central organisation, management and coordination of the project. The team monitors compliance with the grant agreement and the consortium agreement, and ensures the good governance, engagement, reach and sustainability of the clinical research network. 

Lead Prof. Marc Bonten

Lead partner University Medical Centre Utrecht (NL)

WP 2: POS-VAP 

The primary objective of the POS-VAP study is to set up an infrastructure capable of rapidly implementing clinical trials related to the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in ICUs.

Lead Dr. Bruno François 

Lead partner Limoges Clinical Investigation Center (FR)

Supporting partners University Medical Centre Utrecht (NL) and University of Geneva (CH)

WP 3: POS-cUTI 

POS-cUTI aims to create a similar clinical research infrastructure for studies related to the treatment of complicated Urinary Tract Infections (cUTI) – a leading cause of hospital admission and antibiotic use.  

Lead Prof. Jesús Rodriguez Baño 

Lead partner Andalusian Health Service (ES)

Supporting partner University of Verona (IT)

WP 4: POS-ARI-ER 

This study covers pathogens with proven epidemic potential such as influenza viruses and coronaviruses, e.g., COVID-19. POS-ARI-ER is setting up an infrastructure capable of rapidly implementing clinical studies related to the diagnosis and treatment of acute respiratory infections (ARI). It also aims to compare the effectiveness of different diagnostic and therapeutic practices used routinely in emergency rooms.  

Lead Dr. Jake Dunning 

Lead partner University of Oxford (UK)

Supporting partner Amsterdam University Medical Centre (NL)

WP 5: POS-Disease X  

High-density urban areas are increasingly becoming the hubs for the explosive spread of infectious disease outbreaks. This study focuses on preparing Europe for a ‘Disease X‘ scenario – an unexplained febrile illness with unusual epidemiology and/or clinical presentation and of likely virus etiology. 

Lead Prof. Marion Koopmans 

Lead partner Erasmus Medical Centre (NL)

Supporting partners University of Geneva (CH) and Inserm (FR)

WP 6: POS-ARI-PC 

ARI are the most common reason for consultations in community care. The POS-ARI-PC study aims to provide critically important benchmark descriptive data on the presentation and management of ARI, and a research-ready infrastructure for studies related to the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of ARI in the community care setting.  

Lead Prof. Chris Butler 

Lead partner University of Oxford (UK)

Supporting partners University Medical Centre Utrecht (NL) and PENTA (IT)

WP 7: REMAP-CAP 

The Randomized, Embedded, Multifactorial Adaptive Platform trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia (REMAP-CAP) was conceived after the 2009 swine flu outbreak. This ground-breaking global trial is embedded in clinical care, and allows multiple therapies to be evaluated simultaneously, resulting in rapid accumulation of knowledge during outbreaks and pandemics. ECRAID-Base is the home of the trial’s European arm.

Lead Dr. Lennie Derde 

Lead partner University Medical Centre Utrecht (NL)

Supporting partner ICNARC (UK)

WP 8: Laboratory 

LAB-Net provides state-of-the-art laboratory research services that offer extensive support to all clinical studies in Ecraid’s ‘warm-base’ clinical research network.  

Lead Surbhi Malhotra-Kumar 

Lead partner University of Antwerp (BE)

Supporting partners Erasmus MC, University of Geneva (CH), Inserm (FR) and University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljevic" (HR)

WP 9: Data 

Data is a crucial part of modern clinical research. WP 9 handles supporting activities involving four interrelated sets of work streams: data management, data sharing and harmonisation, epidemiological research (EPI-Net), and statistical research (STAT-Net). 

Lead Dr. Thomas Jaenisch 

Lead partner Heidelberg University Hospital (DE)

Supporting partners ECRIN (FR), University of Geneva (CH) and University of Verona (IT)

WP 10: Preparedness 

The POS-Disease X team (WP 5) works to build and maintain operational resilience for rapid response to new or re-emerging threats to the health and security of European citizens. They aim to establish preparedness across all of Ecraid’s service areas for a coordinated clinical research response to infectious disease outbreaks and epidemics. 

WP 11: Training 

To ensure that the Ecraid’s clinical sites are well-trained to perform clinical and/or laboratory research activities, WP 11 undertakes regular educational and training needs assessments. Depending on the outcomes, it coordinates tailored training missions and online training modules.  

Lead Majella Ding 

Lead partner ESCMID (CH)

Supporting partners University Medical Centre Utrecht (NL) and ERS (CH)

WP 12: Communications 

Effective internal and external communications are important for engaging Ecraid’s stakeholders, from the sites within our network, to policymakers and European citizens. The team works hard to shine a spotlight on the challenges and successes in our clinical research activities, as well as the people behind them. 

Lead Claire-Marie Martis 

Lead partner Ecraid (NL) 

Supporting partner University of Antwerp (BE)

WP 13: Ethics requirements 

The Ethics requirements team ensures that all research activities performed within the Ecraid network are in compliance with the ethics requirements under national and/or European law. It is coordinated from Ecraid’s headquarters in Utrecht. 

Lead partner University Medical Centre Utrecht (NL)

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 965313.