Governance

The management of OvaNet is anchored in a Coordinating Board, composed of 4-6 representatives including the chair and vice-chair. This board coordinate activities and establishes foundational infrastructure, including the website/communication platforms, funding strategies, governance documents etc. An Interim Board will be formed to initiate these efforts while the full structure is being implemented.

Each participating country or major cryobank appoints 1–2 representatives — ideally including both a clinician and a laboratory scientist — to form the Steering Committee. This committee, meeting quarterly, provides defines strategic direction, prioritizes goals, initiates position papers, and ensures alignment with global partners such as ESHRE, ISFP, FertiPROTEKT, and the Oncofertility Consortium.

To tackle specific challenges and key questions, OvaNet will establish Special Interest Groups (SIGs) — working groups of 6–10 members focused on targeted topics such as clinical outcome reporting, protocol standardization, follow-up after OTT, global registry development, research coordination, and educational outreach. These groups meet bi-monthly and are led by an appointed chair and vice-chair.

Finally, the General Assembly includes all OvaNet members and meets biannually as an open forum to share updates, discuss new initiatives, and shape the consortium’s direction collectively. This structure ensures broad engagement, transparency, and impact across the field of ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation.