When will I have obtained my BROK certification?

The aim of this course is for you to obtain a BROK certification. To obtain your BROK certification, you must fulfil four conditions:

• The obligatory modules and at least one in-depth module of the eBROK must have been completed in full (completion percentage at 100%).  
• You have to have attended a Centre-Specific Meeting [Centrum-Specifieke Bijeenkomst] (CSB).
• You must have passed the BROK examination (a score of at least 80%).
• You must have read all the news items in the news overview.

If you fulfil all these requirements, you will be eligible for a BROK certification. You can also indicate whether you want to receive a BROK certificate and whether you want to be included in the public BROK register. The examination, certificate and the BROK register are managed by the Medical Scientific Researcher Examinations Office [Examenbureau Medisch-Wetenschappelijk Onderzoeker] (EMWO).

How long is my BROK certification valid?

Your BROK certification is valid for three years. The certification commences on the date on which you have fulfilled all four conditions for obtaining the BROK certification and this has been acknowledged by the EMWO. If you want to receive a certificate and/or be included in the BROK register, this date will also be stated.  

The BROK certification will expire after three years. It is important that you renew the BROK certification on time if you want to continue working in the field of medical scientific research. If you do not do this before your registration has expired, you will have to take and pass the entire course again. You will also have to redo exams. The only thing you will not have to do is attend a centre-specific meeting. The costs of this are €275.00.  

How can I renew my BROK certification?

In order to remain BROK certified after three years, it is important that you keep a close eye on the eBROK learning environment. There you will regularly find new information. In order to retain your BROK certification, you must stay up-to-date on this information and be familiar with it before your certification expires. In order to retain your BROK certification you must have fulfilled the following two conditions before it expires:

• You must have completed all the obligatory modules and at least one in-depth module in full (completion percentage 100%)
• You must have read all the news items in the news overview.

The best way to do this is by logging in regularly to the eBROK learning environment to ensure that you stay up-to-date on all new developments. If you fulfil these conditions at the end of the BROK certification process, your BROK certification will be renewed for three years. In order to retain access to the eBROK learning environment, you can take out a subscription. You can find more information about this subscription under the heading entitled 'the eBROK subscription' in these FAQ.

How long do I have access to the eBROK learning environment?

When you have completed the entire eBROK course, or have access to Continuous Registration, you will immediately have access to the eBROK learning environment for one year.  If you yourself are paying, this year will commence after you have paid for the access. If your employer at a umc, the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital/Netherlands Cancer Institute, or the Princess Maxima Centres is paying, you will gain access as soon as the BROK coordinator of the institution in question has approved your participation.  NB: There may be a few working days between your registration and the approval by the BROK coordinator. If your employer pays via a 'different institution’, you will gain access as soon as the invoice has been paid. 

If you want to retain access to the course materials and the learning environment for longer, you can take out a subscription. You can find more information about this subscription under the heading entitled 'the eBROK subscription' in these FAQ.

NB: access to the eBROK learning environment is separate from BROK certification. The BROK certificate you are awarded is valid for three years. You need to have access to the eBROK learning environment in order to renew it.  

What are the obligatory modules and where can I find them?

The eBROK consists of six obligatory modules and four in-depth modules. In order to finish the eBROK, all obligatory modules must have been completed plus at least one in-depth module. You can find an overview of all modules on 'My homepage'.  

Obligatory modules="">	In-depth Modules
Introduction	Research on medicinal products
Legislation and regulations	Design and execution of research
Design and execution of research	Other research which is subject to the WMO
Organisation	Non-WMO research
Assessment
Practical

What is the Centre-Specific Meeting (CSB) and how can I register?

You have to attend a Centre-Specific Meeting (CSB) in order to fulfil the requirements for obtaining your BROK certificate. Each institution organises these meetings in their own way. You can register under the Schedule tab. After participating in the CSB, the BROK coordinator will indicate in the eBROK learning environment that you have fulfilled the requirements for obtaining the BROK certification. If you have any questions about the CSB, contact the BROK coordinator of your institution. 

NB: You should attend the CSB at your own institution! If your institution does not have its own CSB and/or BROK coordinator, you can register for a CSB that is organised by a different institution. The BROK coordinator in question will check the attendance list and indicate in the system that you have attended.

What does the BROK examination imply and where can I register?

The BROK examination is organised by the EMWO. Under the Schedule tab tab you will find the dates of the examinations at the various institutions. The examination is a computer-based examination. During this open book examination, you are only allowed to use the information from the eBROK environment (including urls to the websites which the study text refers to), except the forum. Other websites are not allowed.

Do I have to do the BROK examination at my own institution?

NNo, you do not have to. You can also take the BROK examination somewhere else. Under the Schedule tab you can find the dates of the various examinations at the different institutions. You can choose where you take the examination yourself.

Am I only allowed to take the BROK examination after attending the CSB and completing the activities in the eBROK learning environment

No, not necessarily, but it is our preference. To obtain your BROK certification, you must fulfil all four of the conditions: It is preferable first to complete the activities in the eBROK learning environment, then attend the CSB and then finally take the examination. However, this is not a must.

When will I have passed the BROK examination?

A score of at least 80% is sufficient to pass the examination.

I failed the examination. What should I do now?

You will need to apply for a resit. You can do that via the eBROK learning environment. The related costs are €110.00. Do not forget, this only covers you taking a resit. The initial access to the eBROK learning environment is valid for one year.

I have a complaint about the examination. Where can I submit it?

Complaints or questions about the examination can be submitted to the examinations office, by sending an email to info@EMWO.nl.

I have a question which is not included in the FAQ. Where can I submit it?

You can ask questions in several ways. For example, you can look to see whether your question has perhaps already been dealt with on the forum. The forum is checked by the eBROK service desk and they use references to indicate where you can find certain answers. You can also discuss certain questions there with other course participants. If you are unwilling or unable to post your question on the forum, you can also contact the eBROK service desk (servicedesk@elevatehealth.eu). You will receive a response to your question within 2 working days. Content-related questions about your own research will not be answered.

Where can I ask my questions?

You can ask questions in several ways. For example, you can look to see whether your question has perhaps already been dealt with on the  forum. The forum is checked by the eBROK service desk and they use references to indicate where you can find certain answers. You can also discuss certain questions there with other course participants. If you are unwilling or unable to post your question on the forum, you can also contact the eBROK service desk (servicedesk@elevatehealth.eu). You will receive a response to your question within 2 working days. Content-related questions about your own research will not be answered.

I would like to use the forum. How do I access it?

You access the forum by clicking the messages icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen to the left of your name.

How does the navigation within the learning environment work?

You can navigate between the various tabs on 'My homepage'. Here, you will find information about the Schedule, News, etc. Click a module to go to the module content. Complete all the relevant activities. Your progress can be followed on 'My homepage' and within a module itself.

When you log in to the eBROK learning environment for the first time, you will be given a user's tour of the course and the various functionalities. You can find this on 'My homepage’ and go through it again whenever you want. 

How can I change my profile and preferences?

Click 'My homepage’ on your photo on the top right of your screen and go directly to your profile. Click [Edit profile] to change your profile. Click at the top right on your name to change your notification settings via [Preferences].

What is Continuous Registration?

Continuous Registration is for course participants who have previously obtained BROK certification by means of the old (e)BROK and who are now joining the eBROK learning environment. Previously, you were able to renew your BROK certification by following the re-registration process at your own institution. Since the start of the collaboration between the NFU and Elevate, this has changed and has been aligned for all institutions. 

NB: You are only eligible for Continuous Registration if your current certificate expires within 18 months. Is your certificate valid longer than 18 months? More information on how you can register will be available soon.  

The re-registration process has been changed into Continuous Registration. After Continuous Registration has been fully completed, you will be able to retain BROK certification for three more years. You will then also be fully enrolled in the eBROK learning environment. In order to continue learning after that and in order to retain your BROK certification, you must regularly log in and you must have fulfilled the requirements imposed on renewing BROK certification before your BROK certification expires. You can find these requirements under the 'How can I renew my BROK certification?’ heading in these FAQ. 

How do I renew my BROK certification via Continuous Registration?

Continuous Registration is for course participants who have previously obtained BROK certification by means of the old (e)BROK and who are now joining the eBROK learning environment. The fact that you have a valid BROK certificate means you do not have to complete the entire course, attend a course and take the examination. In order to join the eBROK learning environment and directly renew your current BROK certification, you must complete the Continuous Registration process in full. 

NB: You are only eligible for Continuous Registration if your current certificate expires within 18 months. 

Continuous Registration consists of three modules:

1. 1. The 'Refresh' module  
2. The 'Test yourself' module 
3. The 'Case' module

You must complete all three modules in full. After completing the 'Refresh’ module, you will have access to all eBROK course materials in the obligatory and in-depth modules. When you have fully completed all three Continuous Registration modules, your BROK certification will be renewed for three years and you will be fully enrolled in the eBROK learning environment.  

NB: If you want to renew your BROK certification again after completing the Continuous Registration process and three year BROK certification, there is a way you can do that. You must fulfil the requirements for retaining the BROK certification as stated under the 'How can I renew my BROK certification?’ heading in these FAQ.

NB: After Continuous Registration has been fully completed, you will be able to renew your BROK certification for three years. Access to the eBROK learning environment is separate from BROK certification. Completion of the Continuous Registration process will give you access to the eBROK learning environment for one year. The renewed BROK certificate is valid for three years. To renew it again after that period, you need to have access to the eBROK learning environment. Study the information under the heading entitled 'the eBROK subscription’ in these FAQ about how you can retain access to the learning environment.

I have a question which is not included in the FAQ. Where can I submit it?

You can ask questions in several ways. For example, you can look to see whether your question has perhaps already been dealt with on the forum. The forum is checked by the eBROK service desk and they use references to indicate where you can find certain answers. You can also discuss certain questions there with other course participants. If you are unwilling or unable to post your question on the forum, you can also contact the eBROK service desk (servicedesk@elevatehealth.eu). You will receive a response to your question within 2 working days. Content-related questions about your own research will not be answered.