The RECaP network

Initiated in 2013 by the public health institute of Inserm (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research) and the CIC network (clinical investigation center, Inserm research structure in teaching hospitals) to coordinate research of CIC-EC (clinical epidemiology unit), the national network RECaP of Research in Clinical Epidemiology and in Public Health has for purpose to mutualize original research projects and to produce innovations in clinical epidemiology and public health. Funded by Inserm, this network of structures regroups 8 CIC-EC, 5 CIC-P (pluri-thematic unit) and two research teams, spread across France. In a context of fast evolution (health big data, information and communication new technologies), the RECaP network aims to promote knowledge transfer and methodological exchange for the acceleration of health research in France to an international competitiveness level.

The network functions with a scientific committee, a coordination team and thematic working groups. The RECaP network scientific committee, composed of 1 representative for each structure, is in charge of the network scientific strategy. The coordination of the network is managed by the CIC-EC 1433 of Nancy and the delegate coordination by the CIC-P 1421 of Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris The coordination team is composed of the coordinator (Francis Guillemin for the CIC-EC 1433 ), the vice-coordinator (Florence Tubach for the CIC-P 1421) and the network project manager. The coordination team is in charge of the day-to- day network steering. The thematic working groups strive to the emergence of new collaborative research projects.

The RECaP network aims to conduct transversal and interdisciplinary research projects in public health and clinical epidemiology. The network is involved in ongoing projects, some of which have contributed to the beginning of the network such as the OPTIMON project. The network also offers a support in the implementation of collaborative research projects. The RECaP network aims to facilitate implementation and submission of those research projects to national and international calls for proposals.

The network contributes to scientific animation in clinical epidemiology and public health via the annual conference EPICLIN/Days of French Comprehensive Cancer Center statisticians. It supports the conference financially and logistically via the writing of a conference organization handbook for the transition from one organization team to another. These moments of exchanges are the occasion for a state of the art on the works and methods of clinical epidemiology and for a get together of the network members.

Since 2019, RECaP network is a F-CRIN expert network.