The GREEN-TRIALS project focuses on education and training in sustainable clinical research, aiming to integrate principles of environmental responsibility and greener practices into clinical trial design and methodology. The project is co-funded by the European Union through the EU Erasmus+ programme. The three-year initiative began at the end of 2025, and the resulting educational materials are expected to be available before the project concludes in 2028.

The project builds on the consortium’s previous work in clinical trial methodology and research training. By targeting two key stakeholder groups – future clinical trialists and professionals already involved in clinical research – the project will develop dedicated training resources that connect clinical trial education with sustainability principles and greener practices.

Another key outcome of the GREEN-TRIALS project will be the development of an online learning platform where the curriculum will be hosted and freely accessible. To maximise accessibility and impact across Europe, the curriculum will also be translated into four additional languages.

In addition, the project will establish a network of trained educators. These trained experts will support the implementation and dissemination of the curriculum and provide both methodological and content-focused guidance on sustainable and environmentally responsible clinical trials.

Through all these activities, the GREEN-TRIALS project aims to promote the development of greener clinical trials and contribute to reducing the environmental and carbon footprint of clinical research.

Why the Need for Greener and More Sustainable Clinical Trials?

Clinical trials are essential for the development of new treatments, yet their environmental impact is often overlooked. Traditional clinical trial models frequently rely on resource-intensive procedures, multiple in-person visits, paper documentation, and complex global logistics. These practices increase emissions, consume significant resources, and contribute to the environmental burden of healthcare systems. Additional factors contributing to this impact include inefficient trial design, duplication of processes across sites, and limited integration of digital and decentralised solutions that could reduce travel, materials, and operational demands.

To address these challenges, sustainability considerations are increasingly being recognised as an important component of responsible clinical research. Integrating greener approaches, such as streamlined protocols, digital tools, remote monitoring, optimised logistics, and waste reduction strategies, can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of clinical trials while maintaining scientific integrity and participant safety.

In summary, clinical trials have traditionally been designed with a focus on scientific and operational efficiency, often overlooking environmental consequences. Incorporating sustainability principles into clinical research is therefore an important step toward reducing the carbon footprint of trials and supporting more environmentally responsible healthcare innovation.

What Are the Expected GREEN-TRIALS Project Outcomes?

Over the course of the project, the consortium members will develop the materials and infrastructure necessary to host the dedicated training on sustainable clinical trials. More specifically these include:  

1. An online, open access curriculum on sustainability in clinical trials for postgraduate students
2. Teacher‘s guide for each lesson
3. Translation of all lessons and teacher‘s guides to French, German, Portuguese, Czech
4. A pilot course for the students
5. An educator training course for future educators of the curriculum
6. Workshops for knowledgeable population
7. Learning management system to host the curriculum
8. Dedicated GREEN-TRIALS website with project information
9. More sustainable clinical trials, reduction in CO₂ produced

Erasmus+ Funding

Project title:	Generating Resilient, Environmental Education and Training for Sustainable Clinical Trials
Acronym:	GREEN-TRIALS
Project number:	2025-1-CZ01-KA220-HED-000355652
Disclaimer:	The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.