FAQ's and helpdesk

No, this is not possible. The system works with individual accounts and two factor authentication. It is possible, however, to give your colleague access to your file. In the ABR form you may submit the email address of the contact for the review committee as well as a cc email address to be used for all communications about a research file.

It is not possible to authenticate without a smartphone.

Every user with the role ‘basis’ or ‘complete’ is entitled to do all submissions in the Research Portal, with the exception of SAEs. These can only be submitted by the user with the roles ‘complete’ or ‘SAE’.

If a user must remain blinded, this user should be assigned the role ‘basis’. The log shows which users have authorizations.

The Research Portal provides the code from the standard research file, so it is no longer required to include the coding from the standard research file in the file name of the submitted documents.

Characters other than A–Z, a–z, 0–9, ., _, - and spaces are not allowed in the file name and in de the field Document version.
 

The Research Portal is not designed for research falling under the Clinical Trial Regulation (CTR). This involves trials with medicinal products, which are completely handled in CTIS. Only studies not falling under the CTR are handled in the Research Portal. This entails studies falling under the WMO (Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act), the Embryo Act, MDR (Medical Device Regulation) and IVDR (In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation). Combined studies involving both medicinal products and a medical device or in vitro diagnostics should be submitted both in CTIS and the Research Portal. 

Yes, there is. This template research protocol is available as a download. It is applicable for research falling under WMO, Embryo Act, MDR and IVDR.

In the Research Portal, the questions from the ABR are integrated into the system. When you start a primary submission or amendment, you will see the different sections (Section 1 to 11), after submission you will receive the submitted ABR form in PDF format in your email box. 

A partly filled out research file with a portion of the documents may be saved as a concept to be completed later.

No, if figures are added to the forms in the Research Portal, the submission cannot be processed and will not reach the review committee. Please only use text and do not copy-paste figures from the protocol or other study documents.
 

In section 12 Documents in the Research Portal, you add all documents that need to be submitted. The MREC receives all documents via the Research Portal.

Yes, there is a 50 Mb maximum per document.

Currently, decision letters are not included in the Research Portal; the review committee sends these letters directly to the contact and the cc mentioned in the ABR, bypassing the Research Portal. Possibly, the decision letters will be included in a later release of the Research Portal.

These forms are completed in the Research Portal when creating a submission (e.g. initial submission, SAE or other notification). It is possible to save a PDF of the form and you will receive an email with the PDF after submission.

The submitter receives a reminder email:

• When the deadline for a request for information will expire
• When a start date is required
• When the end date is approaching
• When the decision expires 

Please note: for research dossiers with a primary submission submitted before February 3, 2025, no emails will be sent yet.

The submitter receives a reminder email for submitting the annual progress report.

Please note: for research dossiers with a primary submission submitted before February 3, 2025, no emails will be sent yet.

The structured data that are published are marked with a globe in the Research Portal. In addition the summary of the results (M2a) is published.

In OMON, personal data of contacts will be published for scientific questions and general questions. This is mandatory on behalf of the WHO. The submitter is responsible for obtaining permission from the contacts for publishing their personal data.

For nWMO studies the Research Portal can only be used for registration in order to publish the data before the study starts. These studies cannot be submitted in the Research Portal, nor can a not WMO-declaration be issued through the portal. There are a few exceptions: nWMO studies falling under the DCRF review framework  (www.nwmostudies.nl) and national PASS studies at the request of MEB. These are to be submitted in the Research Portal.

In case of several ABR versions in ToetsingOnline, the migration was done based on the active version of the ABR from ToetsingOnline. Not all data fields have been transferred, the data must be supplemented with the next amendment in the Research Portal.

Files that will not be migrated to Research Portal:

• Files for which results have already been reported
• Files with draft ABR only
• Files for which final ABR exists but which has not been submitted
• Negatively assessed files without the possibility to object (more than 6 weeks after date of decision)
• Files with the indication ‘will never start’
• Files with final end date more than 3 years ago
• Files not started within 5 years of positive review
• Files with planned end date more than 4 years ago
• Research with a medicinal product not involving a combination with MDR/ IVDR that have been transferred to CTIS (Transition Studies) 

All studies are now processed in the Research Portal. All studies that have been positively assessed and have not yet been concluded, have been transferred from ToetsingOnline to the new portal. Should you wish to submit a new amendment or modification, you will have to do so in the new portal.