In late 2019, the European Brain Council (EBC) launched the development of the Shared European Brain Research Agenda (SEBRA). 

The aim of SEBRA is to identify research opportunities and research and innovation gaps to be addressed in the field and to provide recommendations on future areas for excellent, innovative and translational brain research in Europe. SEBRA covers all brain research fields and brain disorders, including both psychiatric and neurological disorders and will serve as a framework to guide future brain research investments in Europe. Such a framework allows to: 

  • Increase the impact of brain research 

  • Advance basic, translational, and clinical brain research 

  • Improve the lives of persons with brain disorders 

  • Enable brain innovation 

  • Address societal and economic challenges in Europe and globally. 

 SEBRA integrates pre-existing documents, such as the Strategic Research Agenda of the different initiatives participating in EBRA (for instance, the JPND and NEURON agendas and HBP strategic plan 2020-2023) and the EBC Consensus Statement. It also includes input from brain research experts, including expert patients/patient representatives, basic, translational, and clinical neuroscientists, psychiatrists and neurologists. 

 An open consultation has been launched to gather the perspectives from the broader brain research community (patients, caregivers, associations, industry, scientists, neurologists, psychiatrists, regulators, decision makers, politicians, funders, etc.) at national, EU and global level.