Executive Committee:
The Executive Committee is responsible for implementing the activities linked to consortium-level financial and accounting management and legal issues, and for the co-ordination of the knowledge management, as well as, when appropriate, other innovation-related activities. The Executive Committee will oversee the promotion of gender equality within the network and the training and teaching activities. In direct collaboration with the workpackage co-ordinators, the Executive Committee will ensure that the objectives of the network are performed within the strategy of the work plans. This will entail complying with the agreed milestones and ensuring that each participant fulfils their commitment to each workpackage.

Governing Board:
The Governing Board is composed of one institutional representative of each partner. The Governing Board will consider the Institutional consequences of the activities of the EVGN and will set the envelope within which the Network will operate. It will be ultimately responsible for the effectiveness and financial probity of the Network.

Scientific Committee:
Scientific Committee is composed of the members of the Executive Committee, and a representative of each of the partner laboratories. It is in charge of managing the network, its operability and submitting decisions to be taken by the Governing Board. It will meet once a year, and be responsible for: •ratifying the decisions of the executive committee; •approving the budget; •discussing and developing strategy, proposing the network activity plan. •the acceptance of proposed new partners. •developing the gender equality plan for the executive committee

Scientific Advisory Board:
The Scientific Advisory Board, a scientific consultative body, is composed of outside experts recognised for their expertise in fields directly related to the project, as well as in complementary fields. Members of the board are Pr. Bradford C. Berk, Pr. John Gordon, Pr. Paul M. Vanhoutte and Pr. Bernard Swynghedaw. The Scientific Advisory Board may be consulted by the Governing Board on a number of scientific issues: •advise the Governing Board and Scientific Committee on global project orientations including the definition of the procedures for spreading excellence within Europe; •evaluate the joint programme of activities and the results obtained; •make any proposal it deems useful or necessary.

Sub-committees:
The Education Sub-Committee chaired by Harry Struijker-Boudier, Maastricht, NL is responsible for organising and delivering the PhD student training programme, including summer school. The Gender and Equality Sub-Committee is headed by Carlie De Vries, Amsterdam, NL, is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the gender and equalities policy of the EVGN. The Exploitation Sub-Committee chaired by John Martin, London, UK is responsible for optimising exploitation of new Intellectual Property generated within the EVGN (see below). The Exchanges Sub-Committee directed by Bernard Lévy, Paris, F is responsible for: •preparing and overseeing the exchange and master class schemes; •recommending funding of applications within the budget agreed by the scientific committee. The Communication Sub-Committee headed by Göran K Hansson, Stockholm, S is charge of the internal and public web sites, newsletters, the annual European Vascular Biology Research Conference. The Finance Sub-Committee chaired by Alain Tedgui, Paris, F is responsible for a good financial management of ressources of the EVGN.