How to Conduct Impactful and Sustainable Clinical Research in IBD: A Toolbox for Researchers

ABSTRACT Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research faces critical challenges, including underrepresentation of diverse populations and orphan phenotypes, as well as trial designs that often prioritise narrow eligibility over real‐world applicability. This review provides a strategic toolbox to enhance the impact and sustainability of IBD clinical research by addressing these gaps through innovative methodologies and collaborative frameworks. To improve generalizability, we advocate for inclusive trial populations, spanning age, gender, ethnicity and disease phenotypes, while proposing solutions like global partnerships and regulatory mandates. Pragmatic investigator‐initiated trials, Bayesian statistics and adaptive platform designs are highlighted as alternatives to traditional industry‐sponsored studies, which could suffer from slow recruitment and limited clinical relevance. Patient‐centred outcomes, including patient‐reported outcomes and core outcome sets, are essential to align research with patient priorities beyond endoscopic remission. For junior researchers, we outline career‐building strategies, such as skill development in data science and trial design, networking via ECCO and Y‐ECCO and securing competitive funding. Research unit leaders must focus on operational excellence, including standardised procedures, patient engagement and cross‐disciplinary collaborations, while global consortia demonstrate how collective efforts can standardise research and drive innovation. By integrating diverse representation, adaptive trial designs and patient‐driven endpoints, the field can overcome current limitations and accelerate the translation of evidence into clinical practice. This review underscores the need for collaborative, sustainable research to advance IBD care, ensuring equitable access and meaningful improvements for all patients.