The EATRIS Certificate of Commitment to Quality pilot launched

Published 8 December 2022

Under the EATRIS-Plus project and spearheaded by the EATRIS Quality Initiative, we have launched a pilot of the EATRIS Certificate of Commitment to Quality (ECCQ). The rationale of the certificate is to have a simple, transparent, easy-to-use and easy-to-apply-for system for acknowledging commitment to quality in research.  Once the pilot phase is completed, we aim to open applications to all EATRIS member institutions for their dedication to quality in translational research. 

In this pilot phase, EATRIS omics labs have the opportunity to apply through the EATRIS-Plus project. The first Certificate was awarded to the SciLifeLab National Genomics Infrastructure (in the SNP&SEQ Technology Platform) at Uppsala University, Sweden. This Certificate was signed at the meeting of the EATRIS Board of National Directors in Amsterdam, and handed over to Ulrika Bäckman, National Coordinator of EATRIS Sweden who will deliver it to Uppsala personally.  

After the successful completion of the pilot phase, all EATRIS member institutions will be able to apply for the ECCQ by completing an application. Until then, we are learning from this phase to set up a tested procedure which would be able to sustain a high volume of applicants while retaining the integrity of quality. The Certificate will be awarded twice a year.  

At this stage, we are accepting applications from omics labs amongst EATRIS-Plus partners. If you are interested in participating in the pilot, please email Andreas Scherer – andreas.scherer@helsinki.fi.

The ECCQ was developed in the framework of the EATRIS-Plus Project funded by European Commission via the Horizon 2020 funding programme.  

From left to right: Toni Andreu (EATRIS Scientific Director), Claudia de Faria (Chair of EATRIS Board of National Directors and National Director of Portugal), Andreas Scherer (Chair of EATRIS Quality Initiative & Co-chair of Biomarker platform) and Ulrika Bäckman (National Coordinator of EATRIS Sweden) at the EATRIS Board Meetings in November 2022.