The European Research Inventory and Mapping Report shows brain research activities funded at the European level over the last decades, examining the past and current state of brain research in Europe. The statistics demonstrate that annual fundings in Europe can reach significant levels to support highly competitive research projects reaching €550 million in 2014-2018. As the challenges posed by brain disorders remain high, continued funding of research consortia is key for a lasting impact on collaboration and innovation in the European and global brain research area. Attention should be given to initiatives that reduce fragmentation and increase collaboration, to animal models, to increasing public patient engagement and encouraging and to enabling data sharing. Through EBRA, recommendations on future areas for excellent, innovative, and translational research in the brain space were provided. To identify the gaps in currently existing brain research and set the priorities for the future, EBRA, working with experts in the brain space has developed the Shared European Brain Research Agenda (SEBRA). Representatives from the European Brain Council systematically presented the Shared European Brain Research Agenda at several international conferences and global meetings like the IBRO World Congress, the United Nations General Assembly Side Sessions: “Science Digital @ UNGA75”, Science Summit at the 77th UN General Assembly to foster the global brain research agenda. To promote cooperation and exchange in all areas of brain research, the EBRA project regularly had a ‘‘Call for Clusters” to promote cooperation and exchange among specific brain research projects. Six clusters have been selected: BRAINFOOD, EPICLUSTER, PSMD, PREMOS, TRISOMY21 and ECIB. The 6 clusters organised 18 consensus meetings, workshops, and policy conferences. All relevant stakeholders were systematically involved in those meetings including large research initiatives, infrastructures as well as relevant public, private and philanthropy funding bodies and regulatory authorities, in order to ensure effective implementation and impact of this coordination action. Importantly, by highlighting the importance of communication and dissemination of the cluster activities and outcomes on the EBRA website and social media, the visibility of the cluster coordinator, community and research field increased enormously. To enable and accelerate the translation of breakthroughs in brain research into relevant clinical applications, the European Brain Council created the Brain Innovation Days (BIDs) in 2020. The BIDs serve as an instrument to bring together the wider brain community, raising awareness on the importance of brain research and brain innovation. The event brings together both key stakeholders and the broader public through these accessible materials. After three digital sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic, a first in-person event took place in October 2021, under the auspices of the European Brain Council and EBRA and a second in-person event took place in October 2022 in conjunction with the EBRA final conference. The BIDs are now an annual event and will be organised again in October 24-25, 2023.
Crucial stakeholders in the EBRA project were the experts by experience and patient representatives . The EBRA patient involvement strategy was fully embedded and implemented in all EBRA activities. Based on this experience, the European Brain Council wrote “the recommendations for patient involvement best practice”.
