Molecular Medicine Ireland is funded by the HRB and HSE to host the Irish Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ICRIN) and to develop its potential as a coordinating centre for, in particular, academic-led clinical research. ICRIN was established in 2006 to ensure that the investment in clinical research facilities and personnel in Dublin, Cork and Galway by the Wellcome Trust, HRB and HSE are harnessed in a single national network that supports multi-site clinical studies across a wide range of diseases.

ICRIN has taken a number of initiatives to address deficits in clinical research in Ireland. A Situation Analysis describing the current processes governing clinical research in Ireland will be published in early 2009.

A Roadmap for Clinical Research in Ireland has been completed which recommends steps to overcome the many obstacles to undertaking clinical research in this country. Many experts participated in the preparation of the Roadmap, including clinical researchers, ethicists, lawyers, patient representatives and industry sponsors. The Roadmap will be published in 2009. A GCP training programme has been designed and launched and three courses will be run in Dublin in 2009.

ICRIN is a member of the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN), which it joined in October 2006. ECRIN is funded under FP6 and FP7 to develop an infrastructure of support, training and expertise, for clinical research in the participating EU member states, with a particular focus on supporting academic-led clinical research.

A major objective of ECRIN is to stimulate and facilitate the creation of coordinating centres and national networks for their subsequent connection to the European network. ECRIN aims to build a critical mass at European level to support European-wide clinical studies. The current participants in the ECRIN network are Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, with the participation of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), and the contribution of the European Forum for Good Clinical Practice (EFGCP) and the Telematikplattform as associated partners. ECRIN hopes to include infrastructure networks in other member states. ECRIN was recently shortlisted as a preferred provider of education and training under the EU's Innovative Medicines Initiative.