The Human Brain Project brings together neuroscientists, computer and robotics experts to build a unique Information and Communications Technology (ICT)-based infrastructure for brain research. This project is one of the first two FET Flagships launched in 2013 by the EU and is one of Europe's biggest ever research initiatives.
The EU-funded core project coordinates:
- 116 partners from universities, research institutes and companies in 19 countries;
- Seven Partnering projects that contribute to the strategic research roadmap;
- More than 800 researchers across Europe and countries associated to Horizon 2020.
The Human Brain Project is very active in finding collaboration with ongoing initiatives in the same domain in Europe and beyond (USA, Japan and Canada).
Improving our the understanding of the brain
The Human Brain Project helps researchers to access and share collections of brain data from different species (from mice to humans), contributing to:
- accelerate the understanding of the brain through modelling and simulation in computers and robots;
- enable further development of targeted new treatments and diagnosis for patients;
- trigger new approaches for future computing, including neuromorphic (brain inspired) systems for AI (artificial intelligence) and robotics;
- advance the development of supercomputers and massive data storage.
Responsible Research and Innovation is also a very important dimension of the project. In addition to ethics management, the Flagship carries out foresight and philosophy work and citizens’ engagement.
Some of the key indicators of the importance of the project are listed below (figures by mid-2017):
- More than 700 scientific publications;
- More than 2300 users of the ICT platform (of which 1400 are external to the project).
The Human Brain Project's findings and approaches are regularly showcased at events such as the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting, and shared with the scientific community, especially with the young researchers, through dedicated workshops organised by the project's education programme.
A collection of the project's stand-out achievements are outlined in the Human Brain Project leaflet and on the dedicated highlights and achievements web page.
How to join the Human Brain Project
Contributing to the Human Brain Project's Flagship objectives and strategic roadmap is possible through calls for expression of interest —which are open when new expertise and ideas are required in the core project — or through the project partnering mechanism. This mechanism is designed for the research projects funded at national, transnational or European level, which can make valuable contributions to the Human Brain Project network.
Useful links
- For latest news on the project: Human Brain Project website
- European Commission Vice President Ansip's blog post: Mapping the brain: computer science teams up with neuroscience in frontier EU research
- The Human Brain Project review (2016-2017)
- Leaflet with an overview of the Human Brain Project
- Human Brain Project activity report (2013-2016)
- European Commission Vice President Ansip's blog post: Future and emerging technologies: investing in Europe's future, improving people's lives
- FET Flagships: lessons learnt
- Blog post:The Human Brain Project and the Graphene Flagships are moving ahead to the next stage of their 10-Year Voyage
- Blog post: News from the FET Flagships – The Voyage Continues.