Project description
A boost for neuroinformatics at the University of Ljubljana
Neuroinformatics is an important field in brain research, dealing with the processing of diverse and multi-dimensional neuroscience data. The University of Ljubljana (UL) is facing specific challenges in this domain: suboptimal research management and open innovation, slow improvement in structural changes, restricted research excellence and lack of innovative training at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoc levels. The EU-funded CONI project will address these challenges by supporting the UL in establishing the proper conditions and opportunities, appointing a high-level researcher and research manager with an academic rank of professor or equivalent as ERA Chair holder (ECH). The ECH will be able to apply for funding, manage and improve UL's Chair of Neuroinformatics and deploy independent lines of research. The project will have access to existing multimodal and multidimensional clinical data from Alzheimer’ patients for advanced digital research.
Objective
Neuroinformatics (NI) is now an essential approach in brain research, to organise, analyse, integrate and interpret an increasing volume of diverse, multi-dimensional, fine-grain neuroscience data. University of Ljubljana's (UL's) challenges in this field are suboptimal research management & open innovation (OI), slow pace of structural changes, limited research excellence in NI, and lack of innovative NI training at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoc levels. The proposed ERA-Chair Project will enable UL, located in a low R&I performing country, to create appropriate conditions and opportunities for a high-quality researcher & research manager (ERA-Chair holder, ECH) to address these challenges and foster sustainable NI excellence as well as training in research management & administration. The selected ECH, with an academic rank of Professor or equivalent, will lead UL's Chair of NI (CONI) and will have the authority and autonomy to apply for funding, manage and develop CONI, and develop independent lines of research. The ECH will be supported by 4 research fellows, a Data & OI Manager, and a Public Relations Manager. CONI will have access to existing multimodal and multidimensional clinical data from Alzheimer’s disease patients, including national and international data, for research into computer generated multi-domain markers and advanced clinical ICT tools. ECH & CONI's staff will have full access to UL's research infrastructure and capital equipment. UL's senior research staff will assist ECH & CONI's staff to participate in UL’s under graduate, graduate and postdoc programs, to integrate CONI into UL's national and international NI research network and to implement structural changes at the UL. Collaboration will be established with healthcare data SMEs and a stakeholder network. In 5 years, the ECH will apply or co-apply for 20 national or international grants; publish 20 high-impact research papers, and mentor or co-mentor, 15 MSc and 15 PhD students.
Keywords
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.4.c. - Establishing ‚ERA Chairs’ Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia