Call for experts in paediatric clinical trials

 

conect4children (c4c, www.conect4children.org) invites you to apply for membership of a Clinical Expert Group in your area of expertise in paediatric drug research.

c4c is an EU funded pan-European consortium with the aim of facilitating the development and availability of new medicines for babies, children and young people through the creation of a large collaborative paediatric network. One task of the consortium is to deliver expert advice, known as Strategic Feasibility Advice, to improve child health and paediatric medicine development.

Groups of Experts (methodological, clinical, and parents/patients) were set-up in 2019 to provide advice services to individual requests from c4c industry and academic beneficiaries.

Currently we are now expanding our network of Experts and are seeking Experts interested to be part of Clinical Expert Groups to provide advice. Depending on the nature of the incoming advice request, experts from the relevant Expert Group will be selected to form an Ad-Hoc Strategic Feasibility Advice group to provide the advice.

This call is for clinical experts. A separate call is being launched for methodology experts.

Who should apply?

Paediatricians who have been or are practising in their respective paediatric field for more than 5 years and have an interest in paediatric clinical trials.
Experience as an investigator in academic or industry led clinical trials or advised for pharmaceutical industry and/or regulatory agencies would be an advantage but is not a requirement.
Please also look at the suggested criteria for Experts down below. We actively encourage paediatricians with strong clinical expertise in a specialized field, mid-career, including all regions of Europe to apply.

 Criteria for experts (not all criteria have to be met):

  • Relevant expertise in a specific drug development research field of > 5 years and is currently active in the field of expertise.
  • Knowledge in paediatric clinical trials and the regulatory process (e.g. been lead or co-lead investigator, member of protocol writing committee in academic or industry driven clinical trial).
  • Capacity to provide a minimum of 2 expert advice requests yearly.
  • Actively taking care of patients in the appropriate therapeutic area.

 

We aim for diversity, including representatives from different career levels, genders, European regions and from a wide range of clinical subspecialties. If you are a clinician specialized in a very specific patient population, but with less experience in research, we still invite you to apply.

We are looking for core and/or extended Experts with a diverse background.
Core Experts will, as well as providing advice, be involved in group meetings, twice a year, and will support the lead in building the Expert Group network and collaboration on quality improvement activities. Extended Experts will mainly be involved in the advice services but are expected to contribute to other activities.

In your application, please indicate whether you would prefer to be a core or an extended Expert.
Depending on the number of applications received, we may carry out a selection process of received applications. This does not mean we will not need you in the future, as requests may be very specific. Hence by applying you agree that we keep your contact details in our database (for 5 years) so that we can approach you at a later stage. Data will be stored in compliance with the c4c Advisory Group Privacy and data protection policy.

 

What are you expected to do?
Core & Extended Experts

  1. Be available to provide advice on clinical aspects of paediatric clinical trials for at least two projects per year in the ad hoc ‘’Strategic Feasibility advice groups”. When requests for advice are received by c4c, the WP4 leadership and the relevant Clinical Expert Group Leads will select appropriate expert group members to form these ad hoc ‘’strategic feasibility advice groups” (one for each advice request). These groups may also contain methodology experts and patient/parents.
  2. Your expertise may be requested (but not limited to) on following issues: is the study design (incl. Assessments, targeted poulation, endpoints etc) the most appropriate, up to date, innovative, meaningful and feasible and/or is this study design ethically sound. You may also be involved in Paediatric Investigational Plans (PIPs) by advising c4c industry partners on their paediatric plans or responses to regulatory agency comments. We would like to emphasize that site feasibility issues are not the task of clinical expert groups.
  3. Be available for 3 years as expert member, with the possibility to prolong for another term of 3 years if both parties agree.

 

Core Experts only

  1. Contribute to the development of the Expert Group in your area of expertise. By working together with the Expert Group Lead on quality improvement action items, building the network, gain visibility for c4c, build collaborations with already existing networks etc. A meeting with the core Expert of the Clinical Expert Group will be organised at least twice a year to support these activities. As a core Expert you are expected to participate to these meetings.

 

How can you benefit?

  1. Involvement in the design of paediatric trials
  2. Opportunity to work with your Expert Group on (White) papers
  3. Expand your network and visibility
  4. Opportunity to follow the following courses (1) concepts of Paediatric Investigational Plan (2) Paediatric GCP

 

Which groups can I apply for:

Name Expert GroupExpert Group LeadSpecifics requested (if applicable)
CardiologyWim Helbing and Estelle Naumburg
DermatologyTBD
Endocrinology & DiabetesThomas Danne
Gastroenterology & hepatologyNick CroftCore and extended Experts in range of disease areas as well as Experts with specific trial experience. Junior Experts are encouraged to apply to this group
Infectious diseases & VaccinologyTheoklis ZaoutisAt least 2 core Experts as well as extended Experts
Intensive careMatthijs de Hoog and Tuuli Metsvaht
Metabolic diseasesMaurizio Scarpa
Reumatology & Autoimmune diseasesNicola RupertoMainly looking for extended Experts
NephrologyFranz Schaefer
Neuromuscular diseasesVolker Straub
Neuroscience & epilepsyHelen Cross
OncologyGilles VassalBenign haematology expertise is a preferred
PsychiatryAlessandero Zuddas
RespiratoryDesmond Cox and Anna-Maria Dittrich
RSVLouis Bont
Cross-cutting themes
Adolescent MedicineCarmen Moreno
NeonatologyKarel AllegaertMainly looking for extended Experts

 

How to apply?

You should fill in the online application form, including motivation and add a short CV.

 

How is this work reimbursed?

The time that you spend on giving Strategic Feasibility Advice to c4c industry partners will be financially reimbursed. In case of providing Strategic Feasibility Advice to an academic requester academic recognition is the intended reimbursement for your time. In addition, Expert Group Leads have been allocated funds to develop the Expert Groups, e.g., for organizing meetings, travel costs, some secretarial support.

 

What are the timelines?

Deadline for applications is                                                                                          28.03.2022

Notification of acceptance                                                                                           30.04.2022

 

Additional information

Advisory Group Secretariat – conect4childrenwp4@radboudumc.nl

Prof. Irja Lutsar – Lead Clinical Expert Groups- irja.lutsar@ut.ee

Prof. Saskia de Wildt – Lead Methodology Groups Lead – Saskia.deWildt@radboudumc.nl

 

We are looking forward to your application.

 

c4c Advice Service Leadership team