The Virtual Physiological Human Network of Excellence (VPH NoE) proposal has been designed with 'service to the community' of VPH researchers as its primary purpose. Its aims range from the development of a VPH ToolKit and associated infrastructural resources, through integration of models and data across the various relevant levels of physiological structure and functional organisation, to VPH community building and support. The VPH NoE aims to foster the development of new and sustainable educational, training and career structures for those involved in VPH related science, technology and medicine, and will lay the foundations for a future Virtual Physiological Human Institute.

The VPH NoE constitutes a leading group of universities, institutes and organisations who will, by integrating their experience and ongoing activities in VPH research, promote the creation of an environment that actively supports and nurtures interdisciplinary research, education, training and strategic development. The VPH NoE will lead the coordination of diverse activities within the VPH initiative to deliver: new environments for predictive, patient-specific, evidence-based, more effective and safer healthcare; improved semantic interoperability of biomedical information and contribution to a common health information infrastructure; facile, on-demand access to distributed European computational infrastructure to support clinical decision making; and increased European multidisciplinary research excellence in biomedical informatics and molecular medicine by fostering closer cooperation between ICT, medical device, medical imaging, pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

The VPH NoE will connect the diverse VPH projects, including not only those funded as part of the VPH initiative but also those of previous EC frameworks and national funding schemes, together with industry, healthcare providers, and international organisations, thereby ensuring that these impacts will be realised.