Abstract Background Investigator-initiated clinical cancer research (IICCR) contributes in a major way to improved prognosis of cancer patients. However, increased complexity of legislation and regulation, lack of uniformity in local procedures among participating hospitals, and increasing demands on monitoring seriously endanger IICCR, since insufficient staff/funding is available to meet these requirements. In addition, better characterization of patient subgroups requiring specific treatments hamper the feasibility of randomized studies with classic design, and calls for innovative study designs. In The Netherlands, tumor-specific research groups exist for almost every tumor type, which however have different levels of professionalization, but which all face the same problems. This seriously hampers future development of IICCR. Methods A national infrastructure (DORP) has been developed to facilitate IICCR. DORP has 3 pillars: statistical support, monitoring, and project management. DORP provides statistical and logistic support in protocol development according to up-to-date standards, and, once financial support for the conduct of the study (i.e. datamanagement) has been obtained, provides support for monitoring and project management. The latter includes implementation of the study in participating hospitals, and administrative/financial management of the study. DORP statisticians will develop innovative trial designs that provide more feasible alternatives to classic phase 3 studies in small subgroups of patients, and DORP project managers will aim to harmonize local study procedures in hospitals in order to speed up study initiation. Results The DORP initiative has been received with great enthousiasm among stakeholders (i.e. research groups, patient advocacy groups, large trial offices, professional and hospital organisations, insurance companies). DORP has recently received a 6.5 million euro starting grant from the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF Kankerbestrijding), which has allowed to established DORP as a cooperation in which all stakeholders participate. A total of approx. 30 statisticians, monitors and project managers will be recruited and will be employed at institutions with established expertise in the respective fields. A director has been commissioned by the board. Trial development with DORP support has been initiated in January 2018. Conclusion The objective of DORP is more trials, for more patients, of better quality, that are timely completed. DORP may internationally provide an example for IICCR support. Citation Format: Cornelis J. Punt. The Dutch Oncology Research Platform (DORP), a national infrastructure for investigator-initiated multicenter clinical cancer research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr CT089.