The Equine Research Collaboration Network (ERCN) has launched its free, searchable database at equineresearchnetwork.org. The platform enables equine researchers worldwide to register, submit descriptive metadata for their studies and biological resources, and connect with colleagues whose work complements their own.
ERCN addresses a longstanding challenge in equine science: Valuable research data, biospecimens, and datasets remain siloed within individual laboratories, institutions, and companies, limiting opportunities for collaboration and slowing the pace of discovery. By providing a centralized, standardized registry of equine research resources, ERCN makes it possible for investigators to find relevant work, initiate collaboration requests, and build on existing knowledge rather than duplicating efforts.
“Our goal is to give the equine research community a shared database for finding and connecting with one another,” said Chris Kawcak, website co-creator and Professor at Colorado State University. “Every record added to the database is an opportunity for a collaboration that might not have happened otherwise.”
ERCN’s development was shaped directly by the equine research community itself. Researchers from across the world identified the need for a platform like this and completed an online survey, sharing their priorities, preferences, and feedback. This ultimately provided a clear roadmap that allowed the ERCN team to design and launch the site quickly and efficiently. Critically, the survey emphasized that the database should be for researchers working with all equine breeds and disciplines.
“This website exists because equine researchers helped us understand exactly what they would need to make the website useful. This collaboration platform is as much theirs as it is ours,” said Allen Page, website co-creator and Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky. “Their survey responses gave us a blueprint, and we took it from there. When researchers share their knowledge and data, connect with other researchers, and advance the science together, the horses ultimately win. And that’s why the website’s motto is Share. Connect. Advance.”
More information on the website, along with application instructions, can be found at www.equineresearchnetwork.org. While the site is free to all users, membership is restricted to academic researchers, veterinary professionals, and research-affiliated industry personnel with a genuine and demonstrable interest in equine science.
About ERCN
The Equine Research Collaboration Network is a researcher-led initiative. Our mission is to advance equine science through open collaboration, data sharing, and network-building across institutions.
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