Prepare your research
Before you start your project at the department of psychiatry of Amsterdam UMC/VUmc, please make sure to register your project at one of the research institutes (see table below). You also need to register yourself at one of the research institutes: APH (Mental Health) or Amsterdam Neuroscience so you will be informed about meetings, courses, funding opportunities/calls etc.
PhD students: read about the necessary steps to start your PhD trajectory and have a look at the Research Roadmap of Amsterdam UMC.
Our department can offer support in the starting phase of your research project:
- Practical support or questions about data collection, privacy issues, informed consent, budgets etc
- Support in searching literature: with an Amsterdam UMC/VUmc account you have online access to the VU library. For creating a Amsterdam UMC account or for support in searching for scientific literature contact our librarian Caroline Planting.
- Organizing articles in database programs helps you to efficiently cite references within your own articles and thesis. Within Amsterdam UMC/VUmc EndNote is commonly used. The VU library provides user guides and workshops (the courses are free to employees within VUmc/VU). EndNote can be installed for you in VIEW (the VUmc network you have access to with an Amsterdam UMC account) or on your laptop at the local helpdesk ICT at location VUmc.
- For research projects embedded in Amsterdam Public Health: read the Quality Handbook APH.
- For datamanagement organization, contact the datamanagement team of our Psychiatry department and/or check out the SOP 001 Research Data Management – RDM – Amsterdam UMC
Approval and registration
Medical research with human subjects can commence in the Netherlands only when the research project has been approved by an independent committee of experts (Medical Ethical Committee or METC). This is laid down in the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO). The CCMO website provides information on deciding whether your research falls under the WMO.
| Name committee | Project needs to be approved or registered |
| METc Amsterdam UMC/VUmc | All research projects that fall under the remit of the Medical Research Involving Human Subject Act (WMO) should be approved by the Medical Ethical Committee (METc) of VUmc. Non-WMO research projects need a non-WMO declaration from the METc. |
| Amsterdam UMC Biobank (location VUmc) | All research projects with human samples that are collected in a biobank must be approved by the Amsterdam UMC/VUmc Biobank Committee (Toetsingscommissie biobanken). |
| Amsterdam UMC Verwerkingsregister | All projects that are part of Amsterdam UMC/VUmc that use personal data from participants need to be registered at the Verwerkingsregister of Amsterdam UMC (green thumb). For questions: privacy@vumc.nl |
| Clinical trial registration | All clinical trials need to be registered at either the International Clinical Trial Registration Platform, Clinicaltrials.gov or Current Controlled Trials |
| Scientific committee (CWO) GGZ inGeest | All research projects that involves patients of GGZ inGeest need to be approved by the scientific committee (Commissie Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek; CWO) of GGZ inGeest. |
