Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development
The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) is a national organisation that promotes quality and innovation in the field of health research and health care, initiating and fostering new developments. ZonMw also actively promotes knowledge transfer and implementation, ensuring knowledge is exchanged between all relevant stakeholders (health researchers, health professionals, patients/consumers and the general public). This in turn facilitates the structured implementation of newly developed knowledge in the health care system and guarantees emerging health care issues a place on the research agenda. In 2006 ZonMw spent €180 million on medical research, with €14 million on stem cell research.
The question ZonMw faces is how to improve disease prevention and health care. One thing is clear: you need a lot of knowledge, and therefore a lot of research. And it is important that people actually use that knowledge. With this in mind, ZonMw funds and promotes health research, development and implementation.
ZonMw contributes to the initiation and implementation policy cycle and is responsible for distributing a proportion of the resources available for health research and development. Much of ZonMw’s work involves the design, execution and evaluation of national programmes, which are either open or restricted.
ZonMw ensures the quality and relevance of the activities it supports by having independent experts assess and evaluate proposals (peer review). ZonMw’s primary concern is to establish and monitor standards and instruments for various types of research and development and their assessment.
Achievements
The key publication endorsed by ZonMw is: Prof.dr. Elaine Dzierzak et al: Stem cell research - Status, Prospects, Prerequisites, (2007) EMBO Science & Society Programme (http://www.embo.org/scisoc/stemcell.html). A ZonMw position paper on Translational Stem Cells Research in The Netherlands is expected in 2008.
The key stem cell centres within the Netherlands are as follows:
- Dutch Programme for Tissue Engineering (DPTE) – www.dpte.org
- Stem Cells in Development and Disease (SCDD) – www.stemcells.nl
- Center for Translational Molecular Medicine (CTMM) – www.ctmm.nl
- BioMedical Materials program (BMM) - www.biomedicalmaterialsprogram.nl
- Dutch Forum for Regenerative Medicine (DutchFoRM) - www.dutchform.org
- Translational Regenerative Medicine program (TeRM) – starts in 2008
- Proteome Biology of Stem Cells - www.netherlandsproteomicscentre.nl
In terms of papers, ZonMw has contributed to the following that have been recently published:
- Bystryck LV et al. Uncovering regulatory pathways that affect hematopoietic stem cell function using 'genetical genomics'. Nat Genet. 2005 Mar;37(3):225-32.
- Ottersback K and Dzierzak E. The murine placenta contains hematopoietic stem cells within the vascular labyrinth region. Dev Cell. 2005 Mar;8(3):377-87.
- Robin C et al. An unexpected role for IL-3 in the embryonic development of hematopoietic stem cells.Dev Cell. 2006 Aug;11(2):171-80.
- Nauta AJ et al. Donor-derived mesenchymal stem cells are immunogenic in an allogeneic host and stimulate donor graft rejection in a nonmyeloablative setting. Blood. 2006 Sep 15;108(6):2114-20.
- Van Laake L et al. Endoglin has a crucial role in blood cell-mediated vascular repair. Circulation. 2006 Nov 21;114(21):2288-97.
- Datta N et al. In vitro generated extracellular matrix and fluid shear stress synergistically enhance 3D osteoblastic differentiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2006 Feb 21;103(8):2488-93.
For further information please contact R. Baardman at Baardman@zonmw.nl or visit:
- The Netherlands Heart Foundation (NHS) – www.hartstichting.nl
- Dutch Kidney Foundation (Nierstichting) – www.nierstichting.nl
- Dutch Arthritis Association (Reumafonds) – www.reumafonds.nl
For research funding information see ZonMw support for stem cell research.
A more detailed profile of the organisation is available on the ZonMw website: http://www.zonmw.nl/
