The draft texts of IHI calls 9 and 10 are now available on the Future Opportunities page of the IHI website. Both calls are scheduled for launch in early 2025, but drafts for Calls 9 and 10 have been made available online now to give applicants additional time to prepare a strong proposal and join or build a winning consortium.

Call 9: Single-Stage, Applicant-Driven Call

Call 9 is a single-stage, applicant-driven initiative aligned with the Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA). Potential applicants are encouraged to review the draft text for Call 9, which is now available online, to begin developing their proposals.

For those interested in Call 9, there are multiple opportunities for networking and collaboration. Registration is currently open for both the online brokerage platform and a face-to-face brokerage event taking place on 12-13 November in Brussels. These platforms will facilitate the formation of consortia, and individuals with project ideas are invited to share their concepts either online or through a pitch at the in-person event. To be considered for a pitch, applicants must upload their proposal to the brokerage platform and submit their slides by 28 October.

An information webinar was held on 10 October, providing more details on Call 9 and explaining how to use the brokerage platform and event.

Call 10: Focus on Digital Innovation and Healthcare

The draft topic texts for Call 10 outline key areas of focus, including:

Digital label: A single source of comprehensive information for medical technology products.

Safeguarding innovation in the secondary use of health data within the European Health Data Space (EHDS).

Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): Addressing exposure, emissions, and end-of-life management in the healthcare sector.

These draft topics are intended to guide applicants in preparing their proposals, with more detailed information available online.

Useful Resources

News article

Webinar recording

Brokerage event information

Brokerage platform

The early release of these draft texts and networking opportunities demonstrates a commitment to supporting innovative solutions in healthcare and beyond. Applicants are encouraged to take advantage of the available resources and begin their preparations.

EIBIR is excited to announce the publication of the “Impact of AI on Radiology: A EuroAIM/EuSoMII 2024 Survey among Members of the European Society of Radiology.” This paper, a collaborative effort between EuroAIM and the European Society of Medical Imaging Informatics (EuSoMII), offers key insights into the role of artificial intelligence in transforming the field of radiology.

💡 This paper offers valuable insights into the evolving role of AI in radiology, its impact on clinical practice, and future expectations from healthcare professionals.

We are proud to support this valuable contribution to the ongoing dialogue on AI in medical imaging.

Read the full paper here.

A major prospective, multicenter study titled DETECT – HCC CSPH Sarcopenia is launching to improve surveillance and prognosis in liver cirrhosis patients. The study will involve 600 participants and aims to compare the effectiveness of abbreviated MRI versus ultrasound in detecting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Additionally, the study will investigate the relevance of muscle health (sarcopenia) in patient prognosis and its relationship with clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH). The findings could lead to improved surveillance methods and better patient outcomes in cirrhosis management.

For more information, please contact the Prospective Cirrhosis Study: DETECT – HCC CSPH Sarcopenia team at Linköping University via email at: mattias.ekstedt@liu.se

Vienna, 01.10.2024 — The CLAUD-IT project, a pioneering 36-month initiative co-funded by the European Union under the EU4Health Programme 2021–2027, has officially launched. Running from September 2024 to August 2027, this project aims to spread the usage of clinical audit in radiology and nuclear medicine in EU Member States, implementing the agenda for medical applications of ionising radiation, as outlined in the SAMIRA action plan. By organizing clinical audit campaigns, CLAUD-IT will improve the quality and safety of radiology and nuclear medicine across the EU. The project brings together 14 partners from 10 countries, demonstrating a collaborative effort to enhance patient care and safety.

Clinical audits are recognized as a critical component in improving medical imaging quality and safety, and they are legally mandated by the European Basic Safety Standards Directive, 2013/59/Euratom. Despite this requirement, clinical audits remain under-implemented in many EU Member States. CLAUD-IT aims to address this gap by improving clinical audit practices and promoting their implementation in radiology and nuclear medicine.

Professor Roman Kloeckner, the project’s scientific coordinator for the radiology section, emphasized the significance of this initiative: “CLAUD-IT represents a crucial step forward in ensuring that clinical audits are not just a regulatory requirement but an integral part of medical practice in radiology and nuclear medicine. By standardizing and promoting clinical audit practices, we can significantly enhance the quality and safety of patient care across Europe.”

The project will build on the successes of the QuADRANT and EU-JUST-CT projects and utilize resources developed by the European Society of Radiology (ESR) and the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM). An Implementation Board will be established, comprising national implementation teams from the participating countries. This Board, which will include representatives from national radiology and nuclear medicine societies and relevant authorities, will oversee the planning and support of clinical audit campaigns, ensuring that these audits become a core element of the healthcare system.

Professor Laura Evangelista, the project’s scientific coordinator for the nuclear medicine section, stated: “The interdisciplinary and collaborative approach of CLAUD-IT is key to its success. By developing updated guidelines and training programmes, and by piloting audit campaigns in nine EU Member States, we are setting the foundation for widespread adoption of clinical audits. This will ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes and higher standards of care.”

Clinical audits in radiology will be guided by ESPERANTO, the ESR’s guide to clinical audit in radiology, with a new 4th edition being developed as part of CLAUD-IT. Additionally, a specific guide for nuclear medicine will be created. The project will also develop a training programme for auditors and provide comprehensive supporting documents and guidelines. All resources will be made available through an open-access repository, serving as a centralized platform for clinical audit information in radiology and nuclear medicine.

CLAUD-IT will pilot audit campaigns in radiology and nuclear medicine in nine EU Member States, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain. The audits will be conducted in two rounds, beginning with 11 hospitals within the consortium. Based on the feedback and lessons learned, a second round will be organized in an additional 3–6 hospitals per participating country.

Professor Kloeckner added: “By conducting these pilot campaigns and refining our approach, CLAUD-IT aims to demonstrate the value of clinical audits and facilitate their integration into routine clinical practice. This project will not only support Member States in fulfilling regulatory requirements but also drive continuous improvement in medical imaging.”

Professor Evangelista concluded: “We are excited to share the progress of CLAUD-IT with the broader medical community. Our goal is to create a lasting impact on the quality and safety of radiology and nuclear medicine procedures, ensuring that patients across Europe receive the highest standard of care.”

The CLAUD-IT project is coordinated by the European Institute for Biomedical Imaging Research (EIBIR), which plays a central role in fostering collaborative research initiatives in biomedical imaging across Europe. This project is also supported by the ESR and EANM, two leading organizations committed to advancing the field of medical imaging and enhancing patient care. Their combined expertise and resources will be instrumental in the successful implementation and impact of CLAUD-IT.

For more information on CLAUD-IT and to access project resources, please visit the project homepage.

The CLAUD-IT project is co-funded under the EU4Health Programme 2021–2027 under grant agreement no. 101160903. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

For any enquiries contact the EIBIR office at office@eibir.org or askwara@eibir.org.

The European Society of Radiology (ESR) and the European Institute for Biomedical Imaging Research (EIBIR) are excited to announce the launch of Pixel Pandemonium at the European Congress of Radiology 2025. This unique event offers an exciting platform for showcasing the latest AI and Machine Learning tools in the field of medical imaging to a global audience of clinicians, researchers, and industry professionals.

About Pixel Pandemonium

Pixel Pandemonium aims to connect the rapidly evolving AI/ML research community with the radiology sector by presenting innovative and cutting-edge technologies that have the potential to shape the future of healthcare. The event encourages participation from both academia and industry, fostering joint research and collaboration.

The goal is to showcase AI/ML technology that is still in development, offering participants the opportunity to receive early-stage feedback and explore practical applications in radiology. Pixel Pandemonium is looking for demonstrations that range from initial ideas with impressive results to promising new solutions that can solve specific challenges in radiology.

The event is endorsed by MICCAI.

Important dates:

September 30, 2024: Call for submissions open

December 13, 2024: Deadline for submissions

January 17, 2025: Applicants will be informed

We look forward to seeing the innovative AI and ML solutions that will be presented at this exciting new initiative.

For more information on how to apply, please visit the Pixel Pandemonium submission page.

The SINFONIA Project has released its final video. This significant milestone marks the culmination of months of dedicated work and creative effort.

The final video, which highlights the project’s key achievements and milestones, is now available for viewing. It captures the essence of the project’s journey and showcases the impact it has made.

The project partners extend their gratitude to all who have been involved and supported the project throughout its development. The final video can be viewed here.

For more updates, visit their website: https://www.sinfonia-appraisal.eu/

The joint research group at the University of Mannheim and the University Medical Center Mannheim is investigating the explainability of radiological decision support systems based on artificial intelligence (AI). Existing technologies for explaining AI advice were designed for AI developers but are not sufficiently meaningful for clinical decisions. Using a novel, hybrid AI approach, they have developed a new explanation method that takes into account radiology-informed diagnostic principles and thus improves the understandability and trustworthiness of automated diagnostic recommendations.

To gain further insights into our hybrid approach of radiology-based AI explanations, they kindly invite you as a resident, specialist, or senior physician in radiology to participate in a study. Your clinical background will help to better adapt the technologies to the actual working environment. At the same time, you can gain exciting insights into the development progress of AI systems.

The study is conducted as an online experiment and takes less than 15 minutes and is open until 30 September. It includes short questions on previous AI use, the detection of pulmonary nodules in CT imaging, and a final survey on the understandability of AI support.

Your answers will be treated anonymously and confidentially so that your identity cannot be traced. As a thank you for your time, they are giving away ten Amazon vouchers worth €50 each among all participants. If you are interested, they will also be pleased to send you the most important results afterwards. You can access the online experiment here:

If you have any further questions about the study or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact them by e-mail (oberste@uni-mannheim.de) or phone (+49 (0) 151 7000 1994).

We would like to inform you that the European Commission has launched an open stakeholder consultation on the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL), as part of the programme mid-term evaluation.

The consultation seeks to gain insights into the needs of stakeholders related to the digital transformation, DIGITAL’s benefits and possible improvements. As such, it will gather diverse perspectives on how relevant the objectives of the programme are to the digital transformation of European companies and the public sector, how the programme responds to current and future technological trends, the perceived coherence with other EU or national/local funding the expected impact. Participation is expected from all types of stakeholders, from small and medium-sized enterprises to non-governmental organisations, academia, social partners, public authorities, and other public and private organisations and citizens from EU Member States and associated countries.

The replies to the consultation questionnaire and all feedback received will help guide the design of future initiatives and inform reflections on the potential for simplification and burden reduction within the Digital Europe programme. The Commission will then publish a summary report of the consultation findings and the replies from stakeholders.

We invite you to contribute to the mid-term evaluation of DIGITAL by providing your feedback and participating to the public consultation. The links to feedback and to consultation questionnaire are also available in Have your Say (europa.eu).

The consultation is open until September 20th, 2024.

For further information, read the European Commission’s press release.

As the SINFONIA project approaches its end, enthusiasts and professionals alike are urged to seize a final opportunity to delve into cutting-edge advancements in personalized dosimetry and quantitative radiation risk assessment.

Mark your calendars for an unparalleled opportunity in radiation science! From August 19-21, 2024, the highly anticipated SINFONIA course on personalised dosimetry and quantitative radiation risk assessment will take place at the Multimedia room of Ghent University, located at Campus Sterre, Building S9, Krijgslaan 281, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.

This exclusive course will showcase groundbreaking insights and methodologies developed throughout the SINFONIA project, offering participants a comprehensive understanding of personalised dosimetry and its pivotal role in enhancing radiation risk assessment strategies.

Key Details:

• Dates: 19-21 August 2024
• Location: Multimedia room of Ghent University, Campus Sterre, Building S9, Krijgslaan 281, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
• Course Description and Programme: Course Description and Programme
• Application Deadline: 2 August 2024
• Capacity: Limited to 45 participants
• Open to: Consortium and non-consortium partners alike

Act swiftly to secure your place! Register now at SINFONIA Course Registration and await confirmation of your acceptance into this transformative educational experience.

To register, click here.

Join us in shaping the future of radiation protection through personalised dosimetry and quantitative risk assessment!

We are thrilled to announce that DeepTrace Technologies and Gleamer have joined EIBIR as our newest industry partners. We are excited about the possibilities and collaborations that these partnerships will bring, and we look forward to exploring how we can work together to advance biomedical imaging research and innovation.

About DeepTrace Technologies

DeepTrace Technologies emerged in 2015 after two pioneering Italian researchers demonstrated the potential of artificial intelligence in predicting Alzheimer’s disease through in-vivo brain imaging. This breakthrough prompted the creation of a startup aimed at bridging the gap between science and society. Since its beginning, DeepTrace has grown to include a team of passionate researchers dedicated to translating intelligent technologies into groundbreaking products for the benefit of society.

About Gleamer

Gleamer is at the forefront of medical imaging innovation, committed to developing a comprehensive AI copilot to facilitate precision medicine. Their AI applications are designed to meet daily clinical needs, offering a seamless experience integrated into existing workflows. Gleamer’s solutions, which currently support X-rays of bones and the chest, will soon extend to mammography and CT scans. Known for their high standards of performance and patient data security, Gleamer has earned accolades such as the Best New Radiology Vendor Award at the EuroMinnies and a top 10 finish in Google’s EMEA AI contest in 2023.

EIBIR is excited to welcome these innovative companies into our community. We believe that the combined expertise and cutting-edge technologies of DeepTrace Technologies and Gleamer will significantly enhance our collaborative efforts to drive advancements in biomedical imaging. Together, we look forward to making strides in research that will benefit patients and healthcare providers.

Stay tuned for more updates on our collaborations and the impactful projects that will emerge from these new partnerships.