European Doctoral Network for Neural Prostheses and Brain Research

DONUT, European Doctoral Network for Neural Prostheses and Brain Research has the mission to provide a multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral network for young talented researchers.

The ambition of the project is to serve as a springboard for the expansion of EU partners into the fast-developing Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology and connected scientific disciplines.

The DN will leverage the complementary expertise of 7 academic beneficiaries and 8 associated partners from 8 EU countries, to guide its 10 doctoral candidates (DCs) to address and solve deep problems in brain research, development of different BCI applications and systems with the latest technological advancements.The proposed DN will integrate existing research in BCI systems to make it more user-friendly, suitable for different types of potential end-users and for modern medical diagnostics.

The DN would also provide excellent opportunities for career development of young researchers under the umbrella of German doctorate graduate school PK NRW (Graduate School for Applied Research in North Rhine-Westphalia, with over 180 participating professors), regularly offering specialised trainings and courses including Scientific Research Writing, Academic Presentation Skills, etc.

Early scientific independence is one of key goals of training programmes.It is the ambition of DONUT to build a strong and lasting network not only between the DCs but also between the participating beneficiaries and associated partners.

DONUT researchers will benefit of a dense network of contacts with scientists acquired during network-wide training events, to improve their career prospects in the European and worldwide innovation sector, having the opportunity to become scientists employable in both the industrial and academic sectors.

The participation of 7 industrial participants in research and training programmes will guarantee extensive inter-sectoral experience for the trainees and maximise the impact.