How to Join the BBMRI Catalog  

To make an inventory of Europe's biobanking landscape and to identify biobanks that should be part of the BBMRI infrastructure, BBMRI WP2 and WP3 have released in cooperation with P3G a core questionnaire to be filled in by biobanks and an additional network questionnaire for networks of biobanks. Providing the necessary information by filling the BBMRI core questionnaire is mandatory to be registered in BBMRI. After the core questionnaire has been completed, we kindly ask you to fill in the supplementary questionnaires. The filled questionnaires are presented for each individual biobank at the online catalogue of European biobanks. We now offer the possibility to fill in and update the questionnaires online.

Interested biobanks or experts are invited to express interest in BBMRI through the following process.

Please submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) by sending an email to the Coordinator Kurt Zatloukal (join(o)bbmri.eu).

Note: The name and the corresponding acronym of your biobank given in the EoI will be used as unique identifier for your Biobank in the Catalogue.

arrow_down

Once accepted, you will get an email with your individual login details to the BBMRI-Catalogue. This allows you to fill in the questionnaires online. Please start with the core questionnaire. If there are more than one collection in your biobank please indicate this in the EoI letter. Then fill in the collection questionnaires and the six supplementary questionnaires: Cost and Fundings; Outcome of Research; IT-solutions; Legal, Ethics and Governance; Resources and Methods; and Description of samples.

NOTE: Financial information on biobanks will only be made available to the national funding agencies and Ministries. In order to help filling the cost questionnaire please take a look at "Costs and Fundings Questionnaire - Model" which may provide some useful information.

arrow_down

Biobanks or experts submitting the EoI during the Preparatory Phase are listed as "Associated Organizations". Biobanks or experts submitting the EoI after the Preparatory Phase, expressing their interest in BBMRI-ERIC are indicated as "Interested Organizations".

When the questionnaires have been filled in, the biobank will be listed in the section "Associated Organization" as biobank or expert expressing an interest in BBMRI-ERIC. The benefits of being listed include receiving all relevant information on BBMRI (e.g. forthcoming events, achievements, media reports, information about BBMRI-ERIC).

During the Preparatory Phase, Associated Organisations had the right to participate in several activities, such as Work Package meetings and the BBMRI Governance Council meeting. Associated Organisations did not have an official vote on formal issues - as co-applicants of the project ("Participants") did have - but their input and active involvement in the project was required to ensure that the solutions developed will be suitable for future integration of the biobanks into the BBMRI structure. Noteworthy, participation in the Preparatory Phase of BBMRI (neither as Participant nor Associated Organisation) or being listed as Interested Organization is no commitment for future membership of the infrastructure since this depends on decisions made by the corresponding Member State.