European child e-health
A substantial proportion of EU funding is directed towards child health research. However, there is no overall coordination and much of the research is fragmented, wasting valuable resources and funding. To this end, the EU-funded project ‘A platform and inventory for child health research in Europe’ (RICHE) aims to establish a sustainable network of stakeholders working in the child health research field. The ultimate goal is to involve researchers, funders and policymakers in Europe and support collaboration in developing the future of the sector. The multidisciplinary nature of the teams involved in the project, combined with their experience in carrying out innovative child health research in Europe, provide a unique perspective on the strategic problems at European level. The RICHE consortium will establish an open, multi-lingual platform for child health research, producing an inventory of research, potential gaps in the field and how to form roadmaps for the future. This will be made available through the project website (www.childhealthresearch.eu). Novel elements in this platform are taxonomies for 'funding agencies' and 'research capacity and skills', and include a list of projects funded by national research councils, government departments, intergovernmental organisations and major philanthropic funding bodies. Gaps in various aspects of research have been identified including the correct application of statistical analysis, the compilation of indicators and the need for aggregation from the individual to the population level. These could be consulted to shape the development of future strategic directions for evidence-based priority setting, funding, and child health research efforts coordination. The RICHE platform is expected to make child health research more accessible and comprehensible to researchers, other stakeholders and policymakers. This, in turn, will support the translation of research into child health policy and practice.
