Newsletter #04 – February 2026Dear colleagues, partners, and friends of the NUM Study Network, only recently, the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) has made it official that the Network of University Medicine (NUM) will receive permanent funding. With this announcement as strong tailwind in our backs, we’re pleased to present the fourth edition of our very own newsletter. It has gotten a fresh look, and, as always, fresh news from and for the NUM Study Network community is also what you’ll be getting below. Enjoy reading! SPOTLIGHT2025 – A Year Full of Highlights for the NUM Study Network … and an Outlook on 2026When we look back on 2025, it’s clear that last year marked an important phase of growth and consolidation for our NUM Study Network. In June, the first one-year (and, may we add, successful) funding period was completed, and we directly entered the second funding phase in July, a phase which will run through June 2030. By the end of 2025, we had established a number of essential structures within the NUM Study Network. This included the setup of the initial contact office (“Erstkontaktstelle”) and of multiple local contact offices (“Lokale Kontaktstellen”). We also welcomed the first 15 study sites as well as the local data integration centers. 2025 also saw the adoption of several strategic and operational frameworks. Among them were the IMPACT concept, the rules of operation, a comprehensive communication concept, and a defined set of 24 quality and performance indicators to guide and evaluate our work. On the technical side, we developed and launched important tools to support clinical research within the network, including Lighthouse, recruIT, and eTIC+. A particular highlight was the first general assembly of the NUM Study Network in May in Frankfurt, which brought together the community for exchange and networking. We also significantly increased our public visibility. NUM Study Network experts contributed to numerous workshops and presentations, published press releases, and took part in the nationwide STUDIEN WIRKEN campaign to promote trust and awareness in clinical research. Our LinkedIn channel continued to grow and has become an active platform where we share updates and engage with our community. In parallel, we strengthened our communication infrastructure with the launch of our website and newsletter. Two new corporate designs were implemented, alongside the creation of logos, digital seals, and promotional materials, giving the network a consistent and recognizable visual identity. And last but not least, we proudly introduced our new slogan: A strong crew for your clinical study Our top goals and priorities for 2026 include the start of the two new Specialty Networks Critical Care and Stroke, the launch of the study portal and with that the starting signal for the NUM Study Network to run productively, as well as our second general assembly. NEWS FROM THE NUM STUDY NETWORKOur Network is Growing!We welcome the sites Mainz and Göttingen as associate members into the NUM Study Network. According to our IMPACT concept, this new status will from now on allow them to become more involved in work processes and decision making. They can now also be considered for study projects conducted within our network. All other university hospitals interested in joining the NUM Study Network may likewise apply: Our information session Onboarding New Sites to the NUM Study Network can help give a first overview of the first steps (see Calls & Announcements below). A Milestone for Clinical Research: Academic Site Agreements Approved for NUM UseWe are pleased to announce a significant step forward in streamlining our administrative processes: The Steering Committee has officially approved the Academic Site Agreements (“Prüfzentrumsverträge”) developed by KKS-Netzwerk, VUD and MFT for use within the NUM Study Network. This approval establishes a unified standard that will significantly accelerate contract negotiations between sites and enhance legal certainty for our collaborative studies. These templates are specifically designed to meet the requirements of academic research, reducing administrative friction and allowing us to focus more on scientific progress. 👉 Access the approved contract templates and further details, especially for NUM studies (internal link) 👉 View the Site Agreements (MFT website) We would like to thank everyone involved in the drafting and coordination process for their hard work in creating this essential foundation for our network.
eTIC+ Is Live – A New Digital Companion for Study DocumentsGreat news for the research community: eTIC+ has officially launched. This innovative digital tool is designed to make the creation of study documents easier and more structured than ever before. Members of the NUM Study Network have contributed to developing the predecessor tool eTIC into what is now eTIC+. As part of the upcoming study portal – envisioned as an app store for research tools – the tool is set to become a key resource for researchers who conduct their clinical studies via the NUM Study Network. What is eTIC+? eTIC+ is a smart digital tool developed to support medical and health sciences research. It guides researchers through the process of preparing study documents, from the initial concept to the final report. Typical study documents generated with eTIC+ include study protocols, application documents for ethics committees, or study registry submissions. Who is eTIC+ for? eTIC+ is designed for everyone involved in the planning and conduct of clinical studies, from all levels of experience, for instance
How does eTIC+ work? At the core of eTIC+ is a central dataset. Based on this single source of information, the tool generates all required application documents in a way that is complete, consistent, and formally correct. All documents are created in accordance with the official requirements of the Working Group of Medical Ethics Committees (AKEK) in Germany. Who is behind eTIC+? eTIC+ is a project of the Technical University of Munich, developed in collaboration with the AKEK. The project is funded within the NUM Study Network project of the Network University Medicine (NUM) initiative. 👉 The first version of eTIC+ is now freely available to all users
NUM Study Network Supports STUDIEN WIRKEN CampaignStrengthening trust in clinical research and making studies more visible to the public are the core goals of STUDIEN WIRKEN, a nationwide campaign initiated by the Funke Media Group. The initiative aims to provide accessible knowledge about how clinical studies work and why they matter. Together with the Network of University Medicine (NUM), the NUM Study Network supports the campaign as scientific partner. We’re directly represented on the campaign’s advisory board by our project lead Janne Vehreschild. At the campaign’s kick-off event in November 2025 in Berlin, our managing director Ramsia Geisler joined the panel discussion titled Vom Mittelfeld in die Champions League: Wie kommt Deutschland zurück an die Spitze der klinischen Forschung?. Beyond this, other members of the NUM Study Network coordination team will take on active roles in several of the campaign’s working groups.
Photo credits: NUM / © Jung-Wolff That was Our NUM Convention 2026The NUM Convention 2026 on January 21-22 clearly showcased the progress of collaborative clinical research in Germany. In numerous intensive discussions and strategic planning talks, it emerged how the NUM Study Network is setting new benchmarks for multicenter partnerships and clinical research. A real highlight was the endorsement by Dorothee Bär, the Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space. She characterized the NUM Study Network as having the potential to become the essential “One Stop Shop” for clinical trials within the NUM and potentially Germany. This reinforces our mission to centralize expertise and optimize the complexities of university medicine research and beyond. The program featured a plenary session titled Specialty Networks: Which prospective studies are on the agenda?, which highlighted what is coming next for our Specialty Networks Infectious Diseases, Stroke and Critical Care. Moreover, multiple workshops organized together with and by our community discussed crucial questions in the field of clinical studies:
As we sail forward, the NUM Study Network remains on the dedication of its sailing crew. A huge THANK YOU to all participants and people involved!
The Winners of Our LinkedIn Advent Calendar 2025Throughout December, our LinkedIn community joined us on a festive knowledge journey. From 1 to 24 December 2025, the NUM Study Network Advent Calendar opened a new door each day, revealing a quiz question from the NUM Study Network universe. Thank you to all participants and followers who made the Advent Calendar such a success and congratulations to all our winners! Richard Böhme, who can start relaxing on deck of Leipzig’s virology atrium in his very own deckchair:
Photo credits: Richard Böhme Anja Sorge, who may now resort to her NUM Study Network water bottle when the barrels in the ship’s hold have gone foul:
Photo credits: Anja Sorge Anneke Fengler, who can launch her new mini-ship and set sail towards new horizons:
Photo credits: Anneke Fengler NEWS FROM THE SPECIALTY NETWORK INFECTIOUS DISEASESSix New Clinical Studies Starting in 2026The Specialty Network Infectious Diseases continues to grow: Alongside the recruitment for the base cohort and the already ongoing study SNAP (Staphylococcus aureus Network Adaptive Platform Trial), six new clinical studies will start within the framework of NUM 3.0, beginning in 2026:
These projects bring together multiple sites, disciplines, and expert teams, and they directly contribute to better patient care in infectious diseases. The Specialty Network Infectious Diseases would like to thank the research teams for their trust in its structures and services and wishes them success for the study roll-out! New Working Group on Post-Infectious DiseasesConditions such as Long COVID or ME/CFS are known as post-infectious diseases and are becoming an increasingly important public health issue. Against this background, the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases has launched a new working group on post-infectious diseases. This step follows the announcement of the National Decade against Post-Infectious Diseases by Federal Minister Dorothee Bär (Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space), which aims to improve research into these conditions over the next ten years. The new working group has the goal to build on existing structures within the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases and expand them so that post-infectious conditions can be studied systematically and over the long term. This includes developing new prevention and treatment approaches and testing them in interventional studies. One important plan is to extend the existing base cohort of the network. Until now, patients have mainly been observed during the acute phase of an infection. In the future, a new follow-up component will allow researchers to track patients over time and better understand possible long-term effects and their connection to the original infection. The working group is open to interested colleagues from different disciplines and is designed to grow as an interdisciplinary, cross-site collaboration. 👉 For any queries contact the specialty network’s coordination team The Specialty Network Infectious Diseases at the Launch Ceremony of BE READYBE READY is a pan-European initiative to help detect and respond more quickly to new infectious disease threats. Building on the experience of COVID-19, it strengthens expertise on emerging infectious diseases and keeps essential research systems “ever-warm” and ready, even in periods between crises. The initiative also supports multinational research through joint transnational funding calls, encouraging collaboration across countries. BE READY was officially launched on 17 February 2026 in Paris, with spokesperson Janne Vehreschild and operations director Margarete Scherer participating as representatives of the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases. Proud to be part of this European initiative and happy to contribute to this very important topic from the German perspective! CALLS & ANNOUNCEMENTSSave the Date & Call for Session Proposals: Second General Assembly of the NUM Study Network and the Specialty Network Infectious DiseasesAfter the great success of our first general assembly in May 2025, which brought together around 120 participants for plenary sessions, workshops, and social events, we are excited to announce the second general assembly of the NUM Study Network and the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases. When: 14-15 September 2026 (starting at 11AM on Monday and ending at 4PM on Tuesday) Held as a joint event, we will continue a format that provides a space to exchange ideas and to network for community members of both the NUM Study Network and the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases. If you’d like to suggest a thematic session for the event, we invite you to fill in our session template by 15 March 2026. We’re looking forward to your proposals! 👉 Submit your session proposal here Information Session: Onboarding New Sites to the NUM Study NetworkAre you representing a current or future site in the NUM Study Network, or else are you interested in learning how onboarding new sites into the NUM Study Network works? Then we warmly invite you to join our upcoming online information session. This event will provide a clear overview of the services offered by the NUM Study Network, explain the interfaces with the specialty networks, and outline the roles and responsibilities of sites within the NUM Study Network. We will conclude with a Q&A session, giving you the opportunity to ask questions directly to the team. Date: Thursday, 19 March 2026 Please note: The event will be recorded and later made available as informational and training material. 👉 Find more information about the session Call for Applications: Research Award of the Working Group of Medical Ethics CommitteesThe Working Group of Medical Ethics Committees (AKEK) is once again awarding its annual Research Award for particularly innovative, interesting, and outstanding scientific contributions. Eligible works include those that address the goals, role, and work of medical ethics committees, deal with the ethical and legal evaluation of biomedical and epidemiological research projects, or explore research-ethical and legal questions in the field of medicine in Germany. Submissions can be publications, master’s theses, doctoral dissertations, or habilitation theses, and must not be older than three years at the time of submission. For works with multiple authors, each contributor’s individual contribution must be clearly described. Self-nominations are welcome. Application deadline: 1 April 2026 👉 More information is available on the AKEK website You want to stay up-to-date? Follow us on LinkedIn or visit our website! |
| Project lead: | Prof. Dr. Janne Vehreschild, Goethe University Frankfurt/Main |
| Responsible for editorial content: | Dr. Ramsia Geisler & Dr. Anna Finzel, Goethe University Frankfurt/Main |
| E-Mail contact: | presse@sn.netzwerk-universitaetsmedizin.de |
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© NUM Study Network (unless otherwise stated) |
