National Pandemic Cohort Network (NAPKON)

Description

The National Pandemic Cohort Network (NAPKON) was initiated in July 2020 as part of the University Medicine Network (NUM) and bundles previously decentralized national research activities in a common framework of cohorts and infrastructures. For the first time in Germany, NAPKON established a successful collaboration between all German university hospitals as well as other non-university hospitals and practicing physicians on the basis of a common data protection concept and governance, harmonized study protocols and standardized work instructions for data and biosamples collection. The infrastructures created in the first funding period for the collection, management and provision of data, image data and biosamples by NAPKON have been an integral part of the NUM since 2022 as NUKLEUS (NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform). Since 2022, NAPKON has also consisted of governance, cohort platforms and a biodatabase. Description adapted from research network website: see link above.