The Netherlands Cohorts Consortium (NCC) has received a €17 million grant from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) to strengthen collaboration across nearly all Dutch university medical centers, the RIVM, and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Together, these partners are building one national mega cohort: a unique research infrastructure combining data from almost half a million participants.

A mega cohort for the health of the future

The NCC brings together the power of eleven major and long-running population cohorts in the Netherlands. By connecting these cohorts, the consortium creates an integrated network of research data on health, lifestyle, environment, and ageing. This large-scale collaboration positions the Netherlands among the international leaders in cohort-based research.

The NCC focuses on understanding and preventing chronic diseases and promoting healthy ageing. Within the mega cohort, researchers will study, among other topics, multimorbidity (the co-occurrence of multiple chronic conditions) and emerging health threats, such as infectious diseases like COVID-19.

A joint investment in the future of public health

This investment enables the Netherlands to further strengthen its leading role in epidemiological and population health research. By harmonising and analysing data across cohorts, researchers can generate new insights into the causes and mechanisms of disease, tailored to the Dutch population and healthcare context.

The NCC also provides a sustainable structure for knowledge and data sharing between participating institutions, fostering long-term collaboration and capacity building. This collective effort contributes to a healthier and more resilient society, one that focuses on preventing disease rather than merely treating it.

Amsterdam cohorts as part of the national effort

Amsterdam Cohort Hub is proud that three of its member cohorts, HELIUS, LASA, and the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR), are part of this landmark national collaboration. Their inclusion reflects ACH’s mission to connect and empower cohort studies to increase scientific and societal impact.

By participating in the NCC, Amsterdam-based researchers contribute to building a unified, FAIR, and future-proof research infrastructure that bridges science, healthcare, and policy, and strengthens the Netherlands’ position as a frontrunner in population health research.

About the Netherlands Cohorts Consortium (NCC)

The NCC is a national collaboration between eleven population cohorts across seven universities, university medical centers, and the RIVM. The participating cohorts are: Lifelines, Rotterdam Study (ERGO), The Maastricht Study, HELIUS, LASA, EPIC-NL, NEO, Netherlands Twin Register, Leiden Longevity Study, Utrecht Health Project, and the Doetinchem Cohort Study.

Together, these cohorts represent nearly 500,000 participants and over 50 years of longitudinal data on health and disease. The NCC promotes data sharing according to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and in line with GDPR requirements, creating a robust foundation for the next generation of population health research in the Netherlands.

Learn more about this important milestone on the NWO website and on the CCN website.