Research >> SP01 - Central Office

Central Office - Project Description

Background

In order to find new ways in prevention, alleviation and healing of the widespread disease congestive heart failure, bundling of the entire scientific expertise is required. Scattered individual “research islands” will be incapable of to providing answers for urgent medical questions and at the simultaneously meeting a high quality of scientific data. Only long-term research collaborations within a large network can meet these requirements. For this reason, large-scale research projects like the Competence Network Heart Failure (CNHF) demand for a central management and controlling.

Objective

The establishment of a central office located at the Charité in Berlin serves the purpose of organizational scientific and strategic coordination of the entire network. Among its duties the following are crucial:

  1. supporting the development and expansion of a sustainable scientific infrastructure and creation of an interdisciplinary working culture
  2. information of patients, physicians and other interest groups regarding new research results
  3. establishment of the CNHF as a quality seal for clinical and experimental research and thereby the assurance of the of the scientific future as well as economic survival after subsidization by the German Federal Ministry for Research and Education.

Implementation

In close cooperation with the scientific advisory board, the central office clears the way for a collaborative culture by selection of appropriate projects. Scientific projects will be supported which clearly answer the questions: “Does implementation of the project require assistance of the network?” and “Does the project have specific advantages for the network?” in the affirmative. The best research and health care facilities contribute with their expertise and infrastructure to the network on the basis of relevant previous work. Independence of the networks central office from the other scientific projects within the Competence Network is necessary to ensure good quality assurance and to identify weak points quickly. Beyond that, the central office is responsible for processing ethical and legal inquiries as well as for the management of all other administrative affairs. The Web portal as a contemporary tool for communication between internal and external partners is another important instrument for a collaborative work culture. It offers physicians, scientists, patients and other interested parties the opportunity to obtain general information regarding the syndrome heart failure and also latest research results. The Web portal offers contact to experts and other persons with a general interest in heart failure but also the opportunity for training and continuing education. Support of young scientists by means of prizes and grants is a further task of the central office. Last but not least the central office coordinates the public relations work of the Competence Network Heart Failure at conventions and other public events and also in print media, radio and television.
The central office of the CNHF is responsible for reporting to the project sponsors during the subsidization period. Integration of national and international collaboration partners from the scientific community as well as industry is an aim in order to create the necessary prerequisites for a long term investment. The most important basis for this is the design of the future organizational form of the network after the period of funding by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF).