Next steps

Realising the potential of population-based research will draw upon a number of communities. Academia, the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors, and health services will all need to be involved at various points from initial research to healthcare delivery.

The key points identified by the EUHEALTHGEN project are feeding into the development of the European Commission's seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technology and Development. This will aim to encourage the formation of new collaborations by providing funding for the translation of research outputs into clinical application.

This funding will provide the supporting infrastructure for research on:

• fundamental genomics - to develop new techniques and technologies
• translational research - to validate new protocols in a clinical environment and to make them economically viable, cost-effective and readily available
• health services research - to develop methods for health promotion and prevention and so facilitate the introduction of sustainable and efficient healthcare systems.

In preparation for this, further meetings are being organised between population geneticists to consider the use of the samples and information held by the various national biobanks.

The specific objective is to ensure that high-quality, relevant proposals are submitted following published calls for proposals during FP7. The major success criterion for EUHEALTHGEN will initially be the number of successful biobank-related proposals awarded in the priority areas of mental health, metabolic disease, inflammatory disorders, ageing and child health, and the subsequent adoption of the outputs of population genetics research by health service providers across Europe.