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ZonMw has given the green light for a subsidy aimed at the development and strengthening of Academic Workplaces in Primary Care in the Netherlands. Of the total amount of 19.5 million euros, each of the seven academic workplaces, will receive more than 2.7 million euros for a period of three years. Additionally, a separate budget of up to 1.4 million euros has been allocated for the further development of the national collaboration, which is led by Radboud university medical center.
The goal of the subsidy is to establish or further develop an academic workplace at each university medical center. The Netherlands currently has seven academic departments of general practice. The development of the national collaboration is being shaped in partnership with the University Network of General Practice (UNH) and the Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG).
At Radboudumc, the Academic Workplace in Primary Care (AWH) is part of the Department of Primary Care, which also leads the national collaboration and the regional AWH. Marcia Spoelder-Merkens, project leader for both Radboudumc's Academic Workplace in Primary Care and the national collaboration, says: ‘We want to strengthen the collaboration with regional GP organizations and broaden and reinforce the data infrastructure.’
Boost
Professor Henk Schers, Chair of General Practice at Radboud University Medical Center and the primary applicant for the subsidies, as well as Chair of the national network of academic workplaces (UNH-AW) and regional workplace for primary care, adds: ‘With this funding, we can conduct more relevant, practice-oriented research, and give a strong boost to innovations in primary care, both regionally and nationally. This is urgently needed to implement all national and regional transformation plans. Additionally, it will provide more capacity for transboundary projects in the region.’ Tim Olde Hartman, Head of Research, further adds: ‘And we’re getting started right away: with the ZonMw grant, we expect to post the first job openings for our AWH early next year.’
