Transnational Educational Initiatives (TNE)

PNRR (NRRP) TNE 23-0034 NEUROBRIDGE 

Field of interest

National Recovery and Resilience Plan

• Mission 4 – Education and research
• Component 1 – Enhancement of the range of educational services: from nursery school to university.

M4C1 has the aim of significantly reducing the structural deficiency evident at all levels of education, through tangible and intangible investments.

Investment

Investment 3.4 – Advanced university teaching and skills

• Sub-measure T4 «Transnational Educational Initiatives (TNE)»

The putting into practice of the operations envisaged in the investment will involve the Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation) (MAECI)

Objective

The TNE initiatives have the general aim of promoting co-operation with universities abroad in order to incentivise the internationalisation of the Italian universities and to promote the model of Italian higher education as a best practice at international level.

NEUROBRIDGE - a bridge between the neurosciences and the neurotechnologies: an international programme of advanced education 

NEUROBRIDGE is a collaborative project led by five Italian universities, dedicated to the promotion of education in the field of the neurosciences and neurotechnologies It is dedicated to international students pursuing their undergraduate and Ph.D. studies, or to international postdoctoral researchers willing to improve their skills.

NEUROBRIDGE is designed to improve the quality of education in neurosciences and neurotechnologies and to update their curricula, raising them to global standards. The project undertakes to promote internationalisation by creating lasting relationships with institutions abroad, in order to attract talented international students to the Italian PhD programmes in neurosciences and neurotechnologies. This is designed to enhance international research partnerships and to enhance Italian academic excellence in areas with a sizeable Italian presence.

To attain these goals, NEUROBRIDGE places emphasis on the enhancement of the hospitality for international students by allocating further resources for dedicated lodgings and laboratories. 
The import of the project has aroused interest on the part of institutions in Asia, Africa and South America, as proof of its global appeal, thus creating opportunities for the creation of double degree programmes. NEUROBRIDGE adopts an interdisciplinary approach, to include molecular and cellular neurosciences, neuroengineering and artificial intelligence. This unique educational initiative is considered essential for the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry. 

The partner universities contribute with their competence in various sectors, guaranteeing students a complete education. The subjects covered include basic neurosciences, biorobotics, human neurosciences, neuropharmacology and intelligent systems based on biomedical images and signals for the assessment of neurodegenerative diseases. 
In synthesis, NEUROBRIDGE is a transformative project designed to raise educational standards on a global scale in neurosciences and neurotechnologies, by cultivating sustainable international collaboration and attracting the attention and the interest of university institutions worldwide. Moreover, NEUROBRIDGE is expected to make important contributions to growth and innovation in the Italian sectors of bioengineering and biotechnology.

Opportunities for student mobility 

Students (three-year degree, master's and PhD) will have the opportunity to spend from 2 to 6 months in one of the research laboratories of the partner institutions or overseas institutions listed, in order to acquire new methods and techniques or to prepare their thesis. During the period of stay they will also be able to take exams.

Opportunities for mobility for lecturers and research personnel 

Lecturers and researchers from Italian universities will be able to spend a period of teaching at an associated university abroad; lecturers and researchers from universities abroad will be able to spend a period of teaching at an Italian partner university. The duration of the stay can vary from a minimum of 5 days to a maximum of 3 months.

Other opportunities

Students, post-docs and researchers will be able to take part in technical workshops, seasonal schools and events dedicated to the topics of the NEUROBRIDGE project.
 

Italian partner institutions 

• Scuola Normale Superiore 
• Politecnico di Bari 
• Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna 
• Università degli Studi di Cagliari 
• Università di Pisa

International partner institutions

• University of Sydney School of Psychology (USYD, Australia)
• University of Western Australia School of Psychological Science (UWA, Australia)
• The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health (FLOREY, Australia), 
• Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP, Brasil) 
• University of São Paulo Institute of Biomedical Science Department of Physiology and Biophysics (USP, Brasil) 
• Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU, Brasil) 
• Universidad de la República, Facultad de Ciencias (UDELAR, Uruguay)
• Universidad de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias (CINV, Chile) 
• Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas (UNC, Argentina)
• Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá (UDISTRITAL, Colombia)
• Université Cadi Ayyad Faculty of Sciences- Semlalia Marrakech (FSSM, Morocco) 
• University of Tunis El Manar Faculty of Sciences (UTM, Tunisia) 
• Kenya Medical Research Institute Kemri Graduate School (KMRI, Kenya) 
• University of Zimbabwe, Medical School Surgical Sciences Department (UZ, Zimbabwe) 
• University of Yaoundé Faculty of Science (UY1, Camerun)
• University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (WITS, South Africa)

How to Apply

Students: Read the Student Mobility Call carefully and fill out the form.

If you are applying to take exams, among other required documents, you will need to attach the Exam Program Proposal Form, which you can download from the "TNE-NEUROBRIDGE Mobility Calls" page (See "Collegamenti" section).

If you are applying for a training opportunity, among other required documents, you will need to attach the Training Program Proposal Form, which you can download from the "TNE-NEUROBRIDGE Calls" page (See "Collegamenti" section).

Faculty and Research Staff: Read the Short-Term Mobility Call for Teaching and/or Training carefully and fill out the form .

Among other required documents, you will need to attach the Teaching/Training Program Form, which you can download from the "TNE-NEUROBRIDGE Calls" page (See "Collegamenti" section).