Today, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, Minister Sophie Hermans of Health, Welfare and Sport received the first official copy of the template Information Sheet for Research Participants (IRP). This marks the official launch of the document.
Language Ambassador Dicky Gingnagel presented the IRP to the minister. Language ambassadors played a major role in the development of the new information sheet. As experts by experience, they know what it is like to struggle with reading and writing.
Participants in medical research were central to the development of the IRP template. The guiding principle in drafting the document was to keep the information as concise and accessible as possible.
The IRP: for and by stakeholders
The IRP template was commissioned by the CCMO and developed by the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organization (IKNL) and Pharos, the Dutch Centre of Expertise on Health Disparities, in collaboration with the DCRF. All relevant stakeholders were consulted: research participants, language ambassadors, and (support staff for) researchers, sponsors, grant providers, and assessors. Project leader Evelijn Zeijdner of IKNL successfully managed the complex process.
The result is a short and concise document that researchers can easily adapt to the research they wish to conduct. It is written in plain language and includes a cover page summarizing the most important information and illustrating it with pictograms.
The importance of a good information sheet
The information sheet is a crucial document when submitting medical research involving human participants. The law stipulates that participants must be well-informed before signing their consent. For years, both researchers and participants have complained that the standard template for the information sheet was too complicated and too lengthy. Furthermore, the use of this template was not mandatory. As a result, varying formats were submitted, making assessment more difficult.
“I am truly proud that we have achieved this together,” said Stan van Belkum, director of the CCMO. “This will help in many ways, but especially for research participants, and that is what it’s all about. The launch is truly a new beginning. We will also develop other templates, such as an informed consent form for children aged 12 to 16 and one for pregnant women. We hope this will also make medical research more widely accessible. I see great interest in the IRP among my colleagues in Europe. We’re taking it to Europe!”
Feedback from the field and mandatory from 2027
The document has already been shared with interested parties. Initial reactions have been positive. The coming months will be used to test how the template works in practice. During this period, users can still submit suggestions for improvements. As of November 1, any changes will be processed, after which the use of the IRP will be made mandatory by the CCMO as of January 1, 2027, for the submission of research proposals in the Netherlands. By using this document, researchers meet at least the minimum legal requirements for informed consent.
Until January 1, the SIS template (Subject Information Sheet) may still be used, but for new submissions, the use of the IRP is strongly recommended.
See also: IRP in use from 1 June 2026.