Who are we?

SCReN Platform

It is a collaborative, non-profit, national network structure, funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It is currently made up of clinical research units distributed throughout the national territory, with the objective of promoting and supporting independent clinical research.

Mission

To ensure the provision of transversal support services to the R&D&I system for conducting high-quality clinical research, enabling the generation and transfer of knowledge.

Vision

  • To provide the scientific community with a support structure that facilitates the development of scientific, technological, and innovative projects for the NHS, ensuring the highest methodological and technical rigour.
  • To provide a coordinated and immediate response at the national level to health emergencies or situations of public interest affecting the National Health System.
  • To optimise NHS resources for more efficient research.
  • To strengthen the international competitiveness of R&D&I in the Spanish NHS and promote the internationalisation of the Platform.
  • To develop new methodological approaches in clinical research.
  • To design a long-term sustainability plan for the Platform's activities.

Values

  • Commitment to patients and the scientific community
  • Unity
  • Transparency and integrity
  • Quality
  • Sustainability

Structure and Governance

The ISCIII Platform for Clinical Research Support is composed of Clinical Research Units (UICs), which provide scientific and technical services through infrastructures and professionals from various institutions.

The structure is designed to enable global management in a participatory, dynamic, and efficient manner, in accordance with ISCIII requirements. The Platform operates based on the following fundamental principles:

  1. Active participation of all Clinical Research Support Units (UICs) in the Platform's operations and activities, taking on responsibilities in decision-making and coordination through the General Assembly, Steering Committee, Working Groups (WGs), Project Evaluation Committee, and Project Management Teams.
  2. The need to optimise resources across the different UICs to meet the growing demand for collaborative and high-quality clinical research.
  3. Maximum transparency in all decision-making processes.

The Platform is structured around the following elements and governance bodies:

Governance and Participation Bodies

  1. ISCIII Steering and Monitoring Committee for Platforms Supporting R&D&I in Biomedicine and Health Sciences: Pending establishment.
  2. General Assembly (GA): Composed of the principal investigators of the different UICs and members of the Coordination Team.
  3. Steering Committee (SC): Chaired by the Platform Coordinator and composed of the Sub-Coordinators plus six representatives from the UICs elected by the GA.

Platform Coordination (PC)

This body is responsible for coordinating and monitoring the implementation of strategic plans and actions approved by the ISCIII Platform Steering and Monitoring Committee and the Steering Committee. It reports to the Steering Committee, the General Assembly (GA), and the ISCIII Steering and Monitoring Committee. Internally, it is composed of:

  1. Platform Coordinator: Holds overall responsibility for the coordination and oversight of Platform activities, and reports directly to the ISCIII Steering and Monitoring Committee.
  2. Three Sub-Coordinators: Delegated by the Platform Coordinator to support and coordinate internal coordination and Working Group (WG) activities.
  3. Technical Secretariat: Provides strategic support in managing available human and technological resources to implement decisions made by the governance bodies.

Management and Activity Monitoring Bodies

  1. Working Groups (WGs): Each WG is composed of a coordinator, a sub-coordinator, and a variable number of members, depending on the interests and capabilities of each unit. The WGs must operate in close coordination with the Platform Coordination team.
  2. Project Evaluation Committee (PEC): Responsible for assessing the feasibility and implementation of each project managed by the Platform. It is composed of four members of the Coordination team and one representative from each WG. The PEC reports to the Steering Committee.
  3. Project Management Teams (PMTs): Formed by UIC personnel working directly on each project. These teams report to the Project Evaluation and Monitoring Committee.