The European Respiratory Society Clinical Research Collaboration Programme: Advancing respiratory science through successful collaboration

The European Respiratory Society (ERS) is dedicated improving lung health and reduce the impact of respiratory diseases through scientific research, education, and advocacy. To achieve this goal, ERS established the Clinical Research Collaboration (CRC) programme in 2013. To date, there have been 32 CRCs created and currently 28 CRCs are active in eight major respiratory fields. The CRC programme has led to the creation of several large international networks and interdisciplinary initiatives which have resulted to novel scientific discoveries, new clinical practice guidelines, technical standards and patient and community resources. In this review article we highlight the CRC programme's structure and identify key aspects of a successful CRC, with the goal to encourage the next generation of CRCs which will address emerging areas of respiratory science.