Blog 5. How Is Scientific Research Organised?

Scientists at universities, university medical centres (UMCs), and research institutes work on a wide variety of topics—sometimes even on similar ones. Researchers involved in the ZonMw ME/CFS Research Programme, for example, may also publish studies on post-COVID, autoimmune diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis), or other medical conditions.

This may raise the question: if a researcher specialises in ME/CFS, why do they also study other diseases? To answer that question, it is helpful to understand how scientific research is organised.

Research Groups
Researchers at universities, UMCs, and research institutes usually work within a research group. A research group consists of scientists who focus on a particular scientific discipline or area of research. In addition to conducting research, these groups often teach undergraduate and postgraduate students.
A research group is usually led by a professor. Other members typically include (assistant) principal investigators (PIs), PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers. PhD candidates are researchers in training, while postdoctoral researchers have recently completed their PhD and are continuing to develop their research careers. Together, these researchers decide which scientific questions to investigate and which new projects to pursue.

A research group’s expertise may focus on topics such as the immune system, brain function, energy metabolism, or a particular biological mechanism. Some research groups also specialise in one or a small number of specific diseases. Over time, they develop extensive expertise in their field and regularly publish new scientific findings.

PhD Candidates Learn Through Research
A large proportion of research at universities and UMCs is carried out by PhD candidates under the supervision of experienced researchers. After completing a master’s degree, PhD candidates undertake a doctoral research project, which usually lasts around four years.
During this period, they learn how to design, conduct, and analyse scientific research. They receive specialised training, develop research skills, and investigate an important scientific question. Their findings are published in scientific papers, which are compiled into a doctoral thesis.
At the end of the PhD programme, the candidate publicly defends their thesis before a doctoral examination committee, which usually consists of experts in the relevant field. During the defence, the candidate explains their research and answers questions from the committee. After a successful defence, they are awarded the doctoral degree (PhD).

Who Carries Out the Research?
Within a research group, several researchers often work together on different projects. Much of the day-to-day research is carried out by PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers.
PhD candidates usually focus on a single research project and are supervised by experienced researchers, such as (assistant) principal investigators and often postdoctoral researchers as well. These supervisors are typically involved in several research projects simultaneously.
Postdoctoral researchers often conduct their own research projects while also helping to supervise PhD candidates.


Research Groups Build Knowledge Over Time
Scientific research rarely takes place in isolation. Research groups often spend many years building expertise around a particular scientific theme. New studies build on previous work, allowing knowledge to develop step by step. For example, a research group with extensive expertise in the immune system may apply that knowledge to several different diseases in which the immune system plays an important role. As a result, the same research group may simultaneously investigate ME/CFS, post-COVID, and other conditions.
Researchers also collaborate closely with colleagues in other countries. By sharing expertise, data, and research findings, scientific understanding continues to grow.

Research Requires Funding
Conducting scientific research requires funding. Researchers need laboratories, specialised equipment, software, and technical support, in addition to personnel.
Although some researchers are funded directly by their university or UMC, most research projects require additional external funding.

Where Does Research Funding Come From?
Research is financed through several different sources. In the Netherlands, these are often referred to as the three funding streams.

First Funding Stream
The first funding stream consists of government funding allocated directly to universities. This funding supports education, staff salaries, research infrastructure, and part of the university’s research activities. As a result, relatively limited funding remains available for launching new large-scale research projects.
Second Funding Stream
The second funding stream consists of competitive research grants provided by organisations such as ZonMw, NWO, and the European Union. Researchers submit research proposals, which are evaluated through a competitive review process. Only the highest-rated proposals receive funding.
The ZonMw ME/CFS Research Programme is an example of such a funding programme. A large proportion of biomedical research is financed in this way.
Third Funding Stream
The third funding stream consists of funding from other organisations, such as companies, health charities, and private initiatives. This type of funding is also generally provided under specific conditions regarding the research being supported.

Why Do Researchers Publish on Multiple Topics?
Research projects usually take several years to complete. For this reason, researchers continuously develop new research proposals and apply for funding for follow-up studies. As a result, several projects are often running simultaneously within a single research group.
These projects usually focus on the same scientific theme—such as the immune system or energy metabolism—but may investigate different diseases, including ME/CFS, post-COVID, or autoimmune disorders. (Assistant) principal investigators often supervise multiple projects at the same time and therefore publish research on several different conditions.

This is actually one of the strengths of this way of working. Although diseases differ from one another, the underlying biological mechanisms, research questions, and research methods are often remarkably similar. By bringing together expertise within a research group, scientists can apply knowledge, techniques, and ideas more efficiently across different fields of research.
For example, if researchers identify a promising biomarker or a potential therapeutic target in post-COVID, they can investigate whether the same finding is also relevant for ME/CFS. Likewise, discoveries made in ME/CFS research may contribute to research into other diseases. In this way, research on related conditions strengthens one another, and the expertise developed within a single research group often has a much broader scientific impact.

So, when you see researchers publishing on several different diseases, this usually does not mean they are less specialised. On the contrary, researchers develop deep expertise in a particular biological mechanism or scientific field and then apply that expertise to multiple diseases in which the same mechanism may play a role.