- The most consistent comment from ongoing and former members of Leducq is that face-to face meetings are indispensable. Early meetings will help to establish the basis for collaborative work in the later years. All members should attend the network meetings, which should be held at least twice per year.
- Consider setting the dates of the face-to-face meetings for the duration of the 5- year grant up front during the network’s organizational phase. If you can’t set precise dates, provide a general plan (e.g., last weekend in September, or in conjunction with a professional meeting). In this way, all members will be committed to those dates and available to attend.
- During the initial discussions of the network, think carefully about a communication system for all the members to use, particularly the early career investigators. Some networks have utilized a monthly or more frequent video conferencing system-with great results. Ideally, the communication system should be secure so that confidential matters within the network are shared only with the members.
- Choose a Network Administrative Officer (NAO) who has the time (approximately 0.5 FTE) and skill set to lead the important tasks of the network. The NAO should have strong organizational skills and have an understanding of the research operations and its translation to budgets and financial expenditures. In addition, the NAO can play an important role in planning meetings, organizing exchange among network members, and facilitating collaborative work. Ideally, the NAO should communicate or ‘touch base’ frequently with the members of the network, the coordinator of the network, the grants/legal offices at the member institutions and the staff at Leducq. A proactive approach helps to detect problems before they occur.
- Remember that the principal aim of the network is to foster outstanding scientific research by bringing together teams of investigators with complementary expertise and resources to identify a test or panel of tests that can accurately distinguish patients with acute rheumatic fever from individuals who do not have acute rheumatic fever.
- The budget over the course of the grant is meant to be flexible. Money not spent in the first year may be carried over to the subsequent years of the grant. Allocation of funds to the various institutions may be changed. This is at the discretion of the coordinator of the network, as long as fiscal responsibility is in place. New members may be added to the network, but must be supported from within the limits of the total amount of the award.
- Begin to think about how the network will ultimately share data generated within the network. As examples, can you identify a group with whom to collaborate in the future, or a genetic databank with which to download information?
- Consider having a conversation early in the network’s organization phase about authorship of papers resulting from the network collaboration. Ground rules established early avoid painful issues later on.
- Be clear about issues of governance early on. The Leducq Research Agreement gives the coordinator the power to modify network composition, institutional budgets, and, within certain limits, even the scientific objectives of the program. The Leducq Foundation does not, however, require any particular governance structure. It is worth having an early discussion about how decisions will be made in the network, and how advisory committees, if in place, will function.
- It is very important to document the discussion at meetings, especially including the action items to follow the meetings.
- Exchanges can be difficult to arrange. It is helpful to plan them out in advance.
- Finally, the Leducq Foundation sees its role as one of facilitation. We want the network to succeed, and will help to the extent that we are able. If problems arise, please discuss them with us early on.