The Cohort Coordination Board (CCB)

Strategically coordinating cohort studies to facilitate research efforts in Europe.

The Cohort Coordination Board (CCB) is a forum that brings together cohort-based COVID-19 research projects across Europe alongside representatives from the European Commission, EMA, ECDC and EFPIA.

Led by: UNIVR

 

Main mission

The Cohort Coordination Board (CCB) is a forum that brings together cohort-based research projects targeting infectious diseases with epidemic/pandemic potential across Europe alongside representatives from the European Commission, EMA, ECDC and EFPIA. It aims to encourage knowledge-sharing between cohort-based research projects to facilitate partnerships, discuss similar challenges and reduce overlap between projects.

 

Composition

The CCB is composed of EU and nationally funded projects conducting cohort-based research targeting infectious diseases with epidemic/pandemic potential, other nationally-funded COVID-19 cohort-based research projects, relevant initiatives such as the European COVID-19 Data Platform, EU agencies (EMA, ECDC, HaDEA), EFPIA and other relevant stakeholders when appropriate. The board is organised into two levels, namely with a core group and an extended group who participate as the need arises and according to the topic of discussion.

Find below the list of the projects that form the core group:
members CCB
  • ORCHESTRA
  • VERDI
  • CoVICIS
  • unCoVer
  • EuCARE
  • REACT
  • ECRAID-Base
  • END-VOC
  • ReCoDID
  • LONG COVID
  • VACCELERATE
  • European COVID-19 Data Platform
  • SYNCHROS
  • NMCB
  • NICB
  • RIVM Long COVID

How does it work?

During the CCB’s monthly meetings, members and external experts are invited to present new initiatives, share preliminary results and discuss common challenges. The CCB is building a community to ensure the sharing and uptake of best practices across cohort-based projects in Europe, to facilitate partnerships, discuss similar challenges, and reduce overlap between projects. 

The CCB activities focus mainly on Post-Acute Infection Syndromes (PAIS), data standardisation, the role of cohorts in pandemic and interpandemic times and the prioritisation of pathogens and variables, which are topics also covered by the CCB’s working groups. The CCB has been active since the 29th of April 2022, and has expanded both through the addition of new cohorts, and with its inclusion into recent EU-funded projects, and its new focus outside of COVID-19 into wider infectious diseases with epidemic/pandemic potential. Originally managed under the auspices of the Horizon 2020 ORCHESTRA project, the CCB has since been included into the Horizon Europe VERDI, CoMeCT, PIPELINE and PROACT EU-Response projects.

CCB focus areas

Joining forces with the CCB

The overarching objectives of the CCB, updated for 2025, are as follows:

  1. To improve the understanding of the cohort landscape in Europe and of the role cohorts can play in supporting pandemic preparedness research;
  2. To promote the use of cohort data to inform randomised controlled trials (RCTs);
  3. To avoid the overlap and duplication of efforts and promote synergies among projects and initiatives implementing observational cohorts to support Europe response and preparedness;
  4. To improve the uptake of data standards and to harmonise data standards that have been adopted across cohorts and trials;
  5. To share approaches to overcome commonly encountered obstacles (e.g., shipment of samples across national borders, lack of common data dictionaries, electronic tool to link anonymous patient IDs to multiple samples and clinical data) in prospective cohorts;
  6. To share documents of relevance for cohorts and with a view to greater harmonisation (Data Management Plans, Data Sharing Agreements, Material Sharing Agreements, Informed Consent);
  7. To combine projects to achieve stronger powered results and support data sharing and innovative study designs (e.g., simulation trials);
  8. To organise training activities for best practices in cohorts;
  9. To identify research unmet needs and inform stakeholders, research centres, and founders;

  10. To support the CoMeCT Coordination Board by providing latest evidence on cohort-based research projects focusing on new and remerging IDEPP.

     

Learn more, find useful resources and read the latest updates on the CCB:

CCB Website Orchestra websiteVERDI websitePIPELINE websitePROACT EU-Response website