Academic CRO Series – Online Thematic Expert Meetings

Interactive expert sessions supporting stronger Academic CRO practices across Europe

As part of Task 8.2.6: Clinical Trials, we are hosting a series of Online Thematic Expert Meetings—interactive webinars created to share practical experience and strengthen collaboration across Europe’s clinical trials community. The topics are selected based on needs identified in the Clinical Trial Community of EUnetCCC.

The current series focuses on Academic CROs (Contract Research Organisations) and brings together professionals working in Cancer Centers and CCCs to exchange perspectives, discuss real-world solutions, and learn from established models.

Academic CROs play an increasingly important role in supporting high-quality, compliant clinical research within hospital-based environments. These sessions explore both strategic and operational elements of Academic CRO development—from setting up structures and processes to managing daily operations effectively.

Session 1 (29 October 2025): Establishing an Academic CRO

The first session took place on 29 October 2025 and featured two experienced speakers: Susana Muñoz (Vall Hebron Institute of Oncology, Spain) and Semra Baloglu (Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden).

They shared practical insights on how Academic CROs can be set up and structured, including governance approaches, team roles, and Standard Operating Procedures supporting quality and compliance. The session also addressed challenges such as sustainability, along with considerations around data protection and the role of ethics committees.

With around 80 participants, the event provided a strong starting point for continued exchange and discussion.

Session 2 (10 December 2025): Daily Operations in Academic CROs

The second session took place on 10 December 2025 and brought together three experts: Kajsa Holgersson and Dania Al-Timemy from Sahlgrenska University Hospital (Gothenburg, Sweden), and Viktoriia Dobrova from the National Center for Tumor Diseases (Heidelberg, Germany).

The speakers focused on the operational aspects of running an Academic CRO, covering topics related to project management and monitoring activities. They outlined the study selection and prioritization process—examining feasibility, scope, risk analysis, budgeting, and invoicing principles.

The session also broke down project management responsibilities across different stages: initial planning, study conduct, and post–clinical phase activities. Additionally, it was discussed how to proactively build quality into investigator-initiated clinical trials. The experts shared real-world examples illustrating the implementation of Quality Management approaches, along with case studies from multinational academic clinical trials to highlight common challenges, risk definitions, and practical recommendations.

With nearly 80 participants once again, the session demonstrated the continued engagement and growing cohesion within this developing network focused on academic clinical trials.

By sharing practical experience and proven models, the Academic CRO series supported stronger collaboration and more consistent operational approaches across Cancer Centers and CCCs—helping strengthen quality and compliance in clinical trials.

How to get in touch – Task 8.2.6 Activities

For any questions about the Online Thematic Expert Meeting, please contact Task 8.2.6 Lead Team – Dina Dabaghie(dina.dabaghie@regionstockholm.se), Katarina Risbecker (katarina.risbecker@regionstockholm.se), Marina Pavanello (marina.pavanello@ulssm.min-saude.pt) or Christina Stangl (christinastangl@vhio.net).