One of the objectives of EBRA is to promote co-operation and exchange between brain research projects and networks, and thus enable or enhance international collaboration and the emergence of development of clusters in all areas of brain research. A cluster is understood as an association of research projects that can be directed towards basic research, clinical research and/or methodological approaches under a common topic and disease area.

What does EBRA do for clusters?

EBRA focuses on existing or newly created research clusters*:

Supports clusters to: Provides guidance for the following activities:
  • Consolidate or expand further the research community 
  • Engage with policy makers and other relevant stakeholders 
  • Build consensus on various issues (research priorities, research roadmap, data sharing, etc.) 
  • Promote links with existing research infrastructures  
  • Develop the agenda for events 
  • Increase the visibility of the research community in a given field 
  • Workshops/Roundtables/Conferences/ Symposia Agenda  
  • Consultation  
  • Communication and dissemination 
Coordinate the development of the expected deliverables: Provide:
(Which may include)

  • Position/Consensus papers 
  • White papers  
  • Guidelines  
  • Meetings proceedings  
  • In-kind contribution: time of an officer 
  • Financial: part of the costs for venue hire, catering, travel expenses and communication materials.  

How does EBRA select its clusters?

Evaluators carry out an evaluation according to the following criteria:

Coordination needs

A focus on collaboration in research communities and their needs for better coordination (e.g. data and resources sharing, identify synergies, etc.)

Excellence

Scientific excellence of the cluster; evidence of contribution of the individual members of the cluster candidate to the scientific field and international recognition; and aim of the proposed enhanced coordination and the scientific and innovation potential of the proposed cluster.

Impact and Relevance

Research vision demonstrating the added value brought about by the cluster and the potential leverage for the cluster for the further development of the research area.

Quality and Efficiency

Documented evidence of successful participation in current or past projects with collaborative activities linked to brain research; appropriateness of the management structures and procedures; and indicative plan for sustainability beyond EBRA collaboration.

What is expected from a cluster? 

  • Commit time to organise and performed the activities planned and agreed with EBRA 
  • Take responsibility for the preparation of the deliverables planned and agreed with EBRA 
  • Bear the costs exceeding EBRA contribution 

 

What does EBRA not do? 

  • Support single individual researchers; 
  • Support Training programmes 
  • Provide events/conferences/workshops secretariat (e.g. booking travel and hotel rooms, etc) 
  • Provide funding for research grant, personnel, consumables and equipment; 
  • Support activities aiming to develop a new or improve a technology, infrastructure (e.g. databases), product, process, service or solution; 
  • Support activities aimed to prototyping, testing, demonstrating, piloting, large-scale product validation and market replication, 
  • Reward researchers for their outstanding work. 

When did the call for clusters take place?

The EBRA call for clusters is now closed. Over the last two years, EBRA ran three calls for clusters, with deadlines in June 2019, January 2020 and September 2020. The final series of clusters were announced in February 2021.

*a cluster is understood as a research community that can be directed towards basic research, clinical research and/or methodological approaches under a common topic and disease area within brain research;