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June 30, 2025 / No. 2
Dear colleagues, partners, and friends of the NUM Study Network, As we reach the final day of the one-year piloting phase of the NUM Study Network, we are proud to reflect on what we have achieved together in this crucial first chapter. Over the past twelve months, we have built the foundations for a strong and sustainable infrastructure that will enhance clinical research across Germany. We are delighted to share that with the official funding notification now in hand, the next phase of our journey is secured: the NUM Study Network will continue its mission for the next five years. This long-term support enables us to further expand our activities, strengthen collaborations, and advance our shared goal of improving clinical research efficiency and patient care nationwide. Thank you for your engagement and dedication. We look forward to continuing this journey together. Enjoy reading this second edition of our newsletter! A Heartfelt “Thank You”It seems the last year vanished in the blink of an eye. After all the planning and preparation, it was a relief to finally get things moving. In less than a year, we together taken major steps toward establishing a new framework to fast-track clinical studies across German academic medical centers and launched operations for our first use case: The base cohort of the Study Network Infectious Diseases, comprising five modules and two cross-sectional areas. From the successful establishment of inclusive, broad governance, over the first proof-of-concept for new digital tools to support planning, roll-out, and recruitment for clinical studies, contract templates, first contact processes, public reach-out at multiple congresses, up to the participation in the European Pandemic Preparedness Partnership (EPPP), our network has built a strong foundation for the next five years. More importantly, the NUM Study Network and the Specialty Networks are grounded in the engagement and trust of our community and stakeholders. We feel we made great progress in these areas, culminating in a very productive and, often even, fun General Assembly at the Sternwarte Frankfurt last month. And while much of the work still lies ahead, we want to take this moment of transition from the pilot phase to say “Thank You” to all those who’ve joined us on this journey: the teams of the network sites, the stakeholders and members of our governance providing their valuable input and time, the patients donating data and biosamples, and all the staff organizing and shaping the many tasks and work packages. We appreciate your support, trust, and sometimes patience you have brought to the project. It is nothing we take for granted, and with your input, we will continue working to make processes simpler, more efficient, and transparent. We are very much looking forward to the next five years, to getting the network fully operational and making a real difference for clinical research at German academic medical centers (and hopefully beyond). Have a great summer, and see you soon! Sincerely, Peter Heuschmann, Stefanie Kampmeier, Corinna Pietsch, Martin Sedlmayr, Janne Vehreschild and Martin Witzenrath
Current HighlightsNews from the NUM Study NetworkNUM Study Network Secures Funding Approval until 2030!We are absolutely thrilled to announce that the NUM Study Network has officially received its funding approval! This is a monumental milestone for our network and a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved. This crucial funding will significantly strengthen our capabilities and accelerate our mission to advance high-quality, patient-centered clinical research. It will enable us to expand our ongoing projects, initiate new vital studies, and further enhance the collaborative infrastructure that is at the heart of the NUM Study Network. We extend our deepest gratitude to all who have supported us throughout this process. This achievement is a collective success, reflecting the commitment and belief in our vision for improving healthcare through rigorous research. NUM Study Network: Recap of Our General Assembly!The NUM Study Network held its highly anticipated and very first general assembly on 13 and 14 May 2025 in Frankfurt, bringing together our dedicated members for a productive session of collaboration and strategic planning. The assembly provided a vital platform to reflect on our achievements, discuss ongoing projects, and collectively shape the future direction of the NUM Study Network. We were thrilled by the active participation and insightful contributions from everyone present, underscoring the strong commitment of our community. Key highlights included updates on our current research initiatives, a review of our progress in strengthening research infrastructure, and fruitful discussions on upcoming opportunities and challenges in clinical research. The exchange of ideas and perspectives was invaluable, reinforcing our collective mission to advance high-quality, patient-centered studies. We extend our sincere gratitude to all members who attended and contributed to the success of this year's general assembly. Your engagement is fundamental to the continued growth and impact of the NUM Study Network. We look forward to implementing the decisions made and continuing our collaborative efforts to drive excellence in medical research. Welcoming New Members to the Steering CommitteeThe NUM Study Network is pleased to announce the appointment of new members to its esteemed steering committee. These individuals will play a pivotal role in guiding our strategic initiatives and furthering the network's mission in clinical research. We extend a warm welcome to the following representatives from the external NUM Study Network sites:
Joining as representatives of the internal NUM Study Network sites are:
These new committee members bring a wealth of expertise and diverse perspectives, representing our great community and those who will join our community in the next years. We look forward to profiting from their insights and collaborative efforts as we continue to advance high-quality research within the network. NUM Study Network Attends International Clinical Trials Day 2025!The NUM Study Network was thrilled to attend this year's International Clinical Trials Day (ICTD 2025), hosted by the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN)! Held on 20 May 2025 in Madrid, ICTD 2025 focused on "Inclusive Design of Clinical Trials for all Patients" - a theme that strongly aligns with our commitment to patient-centered research. We found the discussions and presentations incredibly insightful, particularly those emphasizing the crucial role of diverse patient populations in ensuring equitable and applicable research outcomes. We also noted the presence of KKS-Netzwerk e.V., ECRIN's official German partner and a key partner of the NUM Study Network. A big thank you to ECRIN for organizing such a valuable event. The knowledge gained will undoubtedly support our efforts to advance high-quality, inclusive clinical research within the NUM Study Network. NUM Study Network invited by TMF e.V. and KKS-Netzwerk e.V.On 16 June 2025, we attended the Berlin meeting of the joint work group “Clinical Trials (AG Klinische Studien)” of TMF e. V. and KKS-Netzwerk e.V., in order to present the NUM Study Network. The talk, held by our network’s managing director Ramsia Geisler, focused on the mission, structure and work flows of the NUM Study Network and the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases. Sebastian Klammt (KKS-Netzwerk e.V.) further explained how collaboration between the KKS-Netzwerk e. V. and the NUM Study Network is already taking place. His talk was followed by an overview of the NUM NUKLEUS project, provided by Sabine Hanß. Many thanks to TMF e.V. and KKS-Netzwerk e.V. for inviting us! News from the Specialty Network Infectious DiseasesFirst Milestone in the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases: 156 Patients EnrolledOn 25 June 2025, the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases of the NUM Study Network reached an important first milestone: 156 patients have been enrolled in the prospective core cohort since recruitment began on 5 May 2025. The first patient was enrolled at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) around the team of Prof. Marylyn M. Addo. To date, 9 of the 15 participating university hospitals are actively recruiting, with the remaining sites expected to start shortly. The cohort study focuses on infections with high clinical relevance, creating a robust data and biosample infrastructure to accelerate and improve clinical and clinical-epidemiological research. By applying a harmonized master study protocol, the network ensures standardized, high-quality data collection across sites, helping to address pressing challenges in infection medicine and pandemic preparedness. Patients enrolled by module:
This rapid progress reflects the dedication of all participating teams. Welcoming New Members to the Steering CommitteeThe Specialty Network Infectious Diseases is pleased to announce the appointment of new members to its esteemed steering committee. They will help in guiding strategic initiatives and furthering the network's mission in improving clinical infection research. We extend a warm welcome to the following representatives from the internal SNID study sites:
These new committee members bring a wealth of expertise and diverse perspectives, representing our great community and those who will join our community in the next years. We look forward to profiting from their insights and collaborative efforts as we continue to advance high-quality research within the network. News from the Specialty Network StrokeSpecialty Network Stroke on the Horizon!On 14 March 2025, the second joint online event of the university medicine sites in Baden-Württemberg (Freiburg, Heidelberg, Mannheim, Tübingen, Ulm) took place, bringing together around 140 participants from research and clinical practice. The focus was on keynote presentations about the newly established NUM Study Network (e.g. Infectious Diseases) and an exciting outlook on the Specialty Network Stroke, which will officially launch in the next funding phase. We are pleased that the Specialty Network Stroke is preparing to join in 2026, with the goal of firmly establishing research activities on stroke care and prevention within the NUM. This expansion will mark an important step in strengthening our network’s expertise in neurology. Calls & Announcements:Public survey on Digital tools for planning and conducting clinical and clinical-epidemiological studiesWe’re happy to announce that as of today, 30 June 2025, a public survey on Digital tools for planning and conducting clinical and clinical-epidemiological studies is online! The survey is specifically targeted at providers of tools, utilities, software platforms and related solutions that support any aspect of clinical study planning and process management, such as cost estimation, CTIS preparation, site rollout coordination or contract management. One of the key missions of the NUM Study Network is to develop and maintain a centralised study portal that enables researchers and supporting infrastructures to manage clinical study projects in a harmonised and efficient way – from the initial idea through to project completion and publication. Through the help of this survey, we aim to identify tools that may be suitable for integration into the study portal. The survey can be accessed via https://survey.studiumdigitale.uni-frankfurt.de/digital-tools/, it runs until 30 September 2025.You want to stay Up-to-date? Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/num-study-network/ or visit our webseite https://sn.netzwerk-universitaetsmedizin.de/ |
| Project lead: | Prof. Dr. Janne Vehreschild, Goethe University Frankfurt/Main |
| Responsible for editorial content | Dr. rer. nat. Ramsia Geisler, Goethe University Frankfurt/Main |
| E-Mail contact: | presse@sn.netzwerk-universitaetsmedizin.de |
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