CogBooster: Rebooting Psychological Research through Cognitive Neuroscience

Project Information

CogBooster

Grant agreement ID: 101087584

DOI

10.3030/101087584

EC signature date 26 October 2022

Start date 1 March 2023

End date 29 February 2028

Funded under

• Widening participation and spreading excellence

Total cost

€ 2 499 827,50

EU contribution

€ 2 499 827,50

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CogBooster (CogBooster: Rebooting Psychological Research through Cognitive Neuroscience)

Reporting period: 2023-03-01 to 2024-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

CogBooster aims at contributing to closing the research gap in Psychology between Widening and non-Widening countries by implementing a strong line of research in the area of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra, Portugal (FPCE-UC).
To contribute to closing this research gap and increasing research quality and competitiveness at the University of Coimbra and FPCE-UC, CogBooster proposed a series of short (1-2 years), medium (3-5 years), and long (beyond 5 years) term objectives that are directed at different stakeholders. These are (as described in the GA of CogBooster):

• Directed at institutional stakeholders:
1. [Short-term] – To create a strong line of research in Cognitive Neuroscience led by ERA Chair Holder Alfonso Caramazza that is capable of transforming the research and educational landscape of FPCE-UC.
2. [Medium-term] – To bring to Portuguese academia a contemporary understanding of Psychology that includes the neuroscience-informed study of the mind, through better communication of results.
3. [Long-term] – To implement a permanent Cognitive Neuroscience team at the CI and reform research and education efforts at FPCE-UC.
• Directed at the users (i.e. students):
4. [Short-to-medium-term] – To help consolidate a 3-cycle (BSc, MSc, PhD) research-based and international program in Cognitive Neuroscience under development at the CI.
• Directed at the community and policy stakeholders:
5. [Long-term] – To promote the move towards a new contemporary societal perspective of Psychology that includes the study of the mind intimately connected to how the brain supports cognition.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

We believe we have already achieved some of the goals proposed – and certainly all the goals proposed for this first evaluation period. We will summarize the progress in the next couple of paragraphs.
During the first 14 months of CogBooster, we have worked hard within the institution – i.e. the University of Coimbra and FPCE-UC – to lay the ground for a major line of research in Cognitive Neuroscience. Although the creation of a permanent team is a long-term goal of CogBooster (but perhaps the most important one), we believe we have already advanced significantly in creating a permanent team at the host by having managed to open 3 tenured positions (a significant increase from what was originally proposed) – we have hired the Group Leader (GL; a Tenured Full Professor; please note that the GL was the former coordinator of the action, Jorge Almeida), an Associate Professor, and an Assistant Professor. We are currently hiring the teams of these senior researchers. We believe we have also made significant advances in changing how Portuguese Academia and its Psychology Research Arena envisions Psychology as a field. We have started to implement a series of activities – namely the Seeing and Acting Workshop (SAW; https://www.uc.pt/cogbooster/saw/2024/) and the “Mind Brain Lecture” (https://www.uc.pt/cogbooster/talks/) – that have attracted much attention at the institutional and national levels.
We have also worked hard on changing the perceived role of Cognitive Neuroscience and fundamental science in Psychology at the societal level. First, we hired an experienced Science Communicator – Mariana Coimbra – who has been working hard on the DEC plan. As a result, we have been consistently present in national newspapers and television programs, we have put forth several local activities in schools and at the University, and have been present in various international, national and regional outreach activities. Finally, we have also started to focus on promoting educational programs in Psychology that hold Cognitive Neuroscience as one of its major pillars. For instance, the GL is heading a novel Master’s program on Psychological Sciences that focuses on basic psychological research.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

CogBooster presented a series of Expected Outcomes (EOs) under its pathway towards impact, as well as key elements of impact. Overall, these relate to the implementation of the scientific and institutional reform proposed and to the creation of a permanent team of researchers whose research programs focused on Cognitive Neuroscience. If we take into consideration that we are still only within our first reporting period, we believe we have made extensive progress in delivering scientific and societal impact.