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Chronicle

Find out more about the key milestones of the NUM Study Network and its specialist networks

February 2026: Launch of the Stroke Specialised Network with 12 study centres, including 5 paediatric centres

02/2026 Launch of the Intensive Care Medicine Specialised Network with 18 study centres, including 5 paediatric centres.

08/2025 Receipt of the funding approval notice for the Infections Specialised Network as part of NUM 3.0 for the implementation phase and second funding period (07/2025–06/2030).

May 2025: Receipt of the funding approval for the NUM Study Network (NUM 3.0 funding) for the implementation phase and the second funding period (July 2025–June 2030). Ten further study centres join the NUM Study Network. Preparations are underway to launch the specialist networks for Critical Care and stroke.

10/2024 First submission of an application to continue the NUM Study Network and the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases as separate infrastructures within the framework of NUM 3.0 – including support for the development of the Study Networks Critical Care and Stroke

July–September 2024: Selection process for the establishment of two new specialist networks (Thematic Area 2): Stroke & Intensive Care

July 2024–June 2025 Development and pilot phase of the NUM Study Network with an integrated Specialty Network Infectious Diseases, comprising a total of 15 university hospitals as study centres

11/2024 Receipt of the funding approval notice for the pilot phase of the NUM Study Network with an integrated Specialty Network Infectious Diseases

May 2024: Initial submission of an application for a NUM Study Network with an integrated Specialty Network Infectious Diseases

01/2024 NUM Convention 2024: Further discussions on a national recruitment infrastructure as part of the session ‘Grand Challenge 3: A German one-stop shop for clinical studies and clinical epidemiology’

July–September 2023 Concept paper for a “National Study Network”

Building on the numerous partnerships, tried-and-tested processes and experience gained through NAPKON, a concept paper for a “National Study Network” for Germany was drawn up. This concept paper was submitted to all stakeholders in medical research and healthcare for comment. Following numerous discussions and revisions, this resulted in a concept for the NUM Study Network, incorporating the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases as a Research Infrastructure within NUM.

History of the National Pandemic Cohort Network NAPKON (predecessor infrastructure of the NUM Study Network)

In the midst of the pandemic, the National Pandemic Cohort Network (NAPKON) was launched in August 2020, with the aim of recruiting a high-quality, prospective national cohort of COVID-19 patients. The network represented the first successful collaboration between all German university hospitals, other non-university hospitals and general practitioners.

Funding for NAPKON was provided under NUM 1.0 and NUM 2.0.

Since January 2025: continuation of the NAPKON Use & Access procedure (provision of data and biosamples for scientific research projects)

December 2024: End of patient follow-up in all three NAPKON cohorts

May 2023: NAPKON.vention

  • Summary of experiences and needs analysis for further planning of a sustainable recruitment infrastructure

March–December 2023: Completion of patient recruitment into the cohorts

  • 12/2023 Last patient recruited into the cross-sector platform (NAPKON-SUEP)
  • May 2023 Last patient recruited into the population based platform (NAPKON-POP)
  • March 2023: Last patient recruited into the High Resolution Platform (NAPKON-HAP)

01/2022–12/2024 NAPKON.v2

  • Spin-off of the methodological cores and the research data infrastructure as an independent project within the NUM infrastructure line: NUKLEUS (NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform)

  • Spin-off of FOSA as a permanent component of NUM

  • Continuation of NAPKON.v2 as a recruitment network and prospective cohort study on COVID-19

November 2020 First patient recruited into NAPKON

08/2020–12/2021 NAPKON.v1

  • NAPKON comprising governance, cohort structure and methodological cores: Interaction Core Unit (ICU), Biobank Core (BCU), Epidemiology Core (ECU), Integration Core (IGCU).

  • Collaboration with the research data infrastructure of the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK)

  • Establishment of subject- and organ-specific working groups (FOSAs)