CRU-RISE (Clinical Research Unit – RISE), an academic structure integrated into the RISE-Health Research Unit and based at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), has become a partner of ECRIN, the European research infrastructure that facilitates multinational clinical research by providing counselling and services.

The recognition of the quality of the services provided by the CRU-RISE responds to the “need for a joint task force to promote investigator-initiated trials in Portugal and Europe” and, at the same time, “create a roadmap to promote the initiative” and have a reference procedure in order to “increase networking within the consortium”.

As Janete Santos, head of the CRU-RISE, explains, ‘this recognition highlights the growing importance of Portugal’s contributions to European clinical research, reaffirming our dedication to conducting high-quality, collaborative and innovative investigator-initiated clinical trials,’ adding that “this certification immediately opened up the possibility for us to participate, already in this European call for proposals, proposals from consortia coordinated by internationally renowned clinical research centres.

The mission of CRU-RISE

The services provided by CRU-RISE focus on the ‘Start-up and Activation’, ‘Conduct and Monitoring’ and ‘Closeout’ of clinical studies, three areas that include support for the preparation of protocols, development of Electronic Case Report Forms (eCRFs) and submission of clinical research projects to ethics committees. The coordination of activities carried out within the scope of these studies, namely in relation to data monitoring and pharmacovigilance of investigator-initiated clinical trials, translation services, statistics and intellectual and industrial property protection are also part of CRU-RISE’s mission.

It should be noted that in early 2025, CRU-RISE joined the Portuguese Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (PtCRIN), an entity that aims to ‘improve the quality of clinical research’ in Portugal by “creating conditions for researchers and patients to have access to experimental medicines and treatments that would otherwise would not be accessible‘, it being necessary to ’stimulate the creation of centres of excellence, promote knowledge, project Portugal at the forefront of technological development and integrate the country into European clinical research”, according to the entity’s official website.