Official Opening of MATRIX
MATRIX organized a kick-off event at Gardermoen August 23-24, which gathered more than 70 participants from all of Norway. The Research Council of Norway (RCN) and the Norwegian Cancer Society co-fund the Centre, and at the meeting presented the Centre leaders with the prestigious proof, in the form of a plaque, that the Norwegian Centre for Clinical Cancer Research has now officially opened.
MATRIX has an over-all ambition to help patients with hard-to-treat cancers to live longer with better quality of life. This national research centre will develop personalized diagnostics and treatment, and altogether, 15 hospitals and several research environments across Norway are included. At the kick-off in August, many of those involved in MATRIX as well as some stakeholders met to receive more detailed information about the Centre, get to know each other better as well as start planning activities in each of the five work packages.
The Centres for Clinical Treatment Research funding scheme aims to establish clinical research environments, which, through outstanding research, contribute to improving the treatment of Norwegian patients. The primary research task for these centres is to perform clinical studies. The design of the centres also facilitate translation of basic discoveries into clinical applications, increase national and international collaboration, and train skilled clinicians and clinical researchers. In December 2021, the Research Council of Norway announced that three FKB centres will conduct clinical research on rheumatism, headaches and cancer. A total of NOK 384 million over 8 years will be invested in these centres.
