Network of Methodology and Management Centres (MMG)

The MMG network: a support system for clinical research

As part of the clinical research it promotes, the ANRS MIE relies on several Methodology and Management Centres (MMG) to ensure the operational coordination of the studies, as well as on a network of hospital departments responsible for the inclusion and follow-up of participants. Clinical platforms such as OPEN-ReMIE, I-REIVAC Emergence and the Strive network are concrete examples of structures supported by the MMG network.

The mission of the MMGs is to support clinical research projects from their conception through to the exploitation of the results. This support includes drafting protocols, discussing study designs and assessing feasibility, thanks to their expertise in methodology, ethics and regulations. Project management continues at a practical and operational level, in coordination with the clinical research associates (CRAs) and data managers, particularly for data management (data protection, database management and cleaning, data analysis and exploitation of results).

Financial support from the ANRS MIE

Some of the agency’s MMGs receive multi-annual cross-funding for some of their staff (CRAs, project managers, quality specialists, statisticians, etc.) under the ‘Clinical Research Networks’ structuring action, which contributes to the organisation of the ANRS MIE clinical research network.

The centres also benefit from common tools (electronic CRF or e-CRF) and support in terms of quality assurance and pharmacovigilance.

Meetings of the MMG network

The members of the MMG network meet several times a year to discuss their experiences, share their skills and harmonise their practices. These exchanges take place in a variety of complementary formats:

• An annual face-to-face meeting, organised by the ANRS MIE;
• ‘Focus Point’ webinars lasting 1.5 hours every two months, organised by the ANRS MIE on topics of interest to the CMGs, such as the DMP (data management plan), open science, the ANRS MIE biobank, RGPD regulation, etc.
• 2 working groups managed by the ANRS MIE, on datasharing and the e-CRF;
• 3 internal working groups led by the CMGs:
  • Budget
  • Decarbonisation of research
  • Data matching with the SNDS

The objectives of the MMG network are to harmonise practices, and to strengthen the skills of certain centres by drawing on the expertise of other network members in order to facilitate a rapid response and efficient implementation of studies in the event of an epidemic.