An overview of the ethical issues across the Human Brain Project
We prepared an overview of the ethical issues across the Human Brain Project, compiled in the context of the Ethics Rapporteur Programme and in our Ethics Trilateral Meetings. In the overview, we summarise some of the ethical issues and challenges identified by Ethics Rapporteurs across the Human Brain Project during the last phase of the…
#BlackInHBP: Statements from Black HBP members
This text was prepared jointly by Damian Okaibedi Eke, Mathew Abrams, Simi Akintoye, George Ogoh, Paschal Ochang, and Oluyinka Oyeniji on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 21st March is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This offers an occasion to especially reflect on and highlight…
Webinar 18 May 2022: Diversity in Brain Research: Does it matter?
To which extent are brain functions affected by sex hormones? Are sex differences at the level of stem cells relevant? Is it possible to differentiate biological sex from other factors that can influence the brain, like culture or life experiences? Can it be ethically justified to only study homogenous groups when diagnosing and treating diseases,…
Call for submissions: Diversity in Research Paper Award
The Human Brain Project’s Diversity and Equal Opportunities Committee (DEOC) invites you to apply for our Diversity in Research Paper Award (DIRPA): You are eligible if your publication considers diversity traits such as sex, gender, age, ethnicity, etcetera in your specific field of research like neuroscience, AI, Robotics. The deadline has been extended to 17 January! More…
Social, ethical & reflective work in the HBP: The publications list
The HBP is characterised by a profound and broad interdisciplinarity, and it is unique among the large international Brain Initiatives in having included social sciences and humanities in the core research from its very beginning, devoting approximately 5% of the budget to this end. We have compiled a list of all articles, books, and reports related…
Designing a responsible neuroscience research infrastructure
Over the past 8 years, the Human Brain Project (HBP) has tested the strengths and limitations of responsible research & innovation, also known as RRI. To mark the ten-year anniversary of RRI, a group of HBP researchers now share what can be learned from implementing this concept in a large multi-disciplinary research project. This includes…
How do we take responsibility for dual-use research?
We are more often than we think governed by old patterns of thought. As a philosopher, I find it fascinating to see how mental patterns capture us, how we get imprisoned in them, and how we can get out of them. With that in mind, I recently read a book chapter on something that is…
Do you have a vision for your career? Some thoughts on career planning
Do you have a vision for your career and the know-how to plan it? Have you established the right network to support your career? Are you able to keep the life-domain-balance you wish for? For PhD students and postdocs, figuring out the next step on your career path might seem overwhelming. To support young researchers,…
Diversity in research: why do we need it?
Scientific discovery is based on the novelty of the questions you ask. This means that if you want to discover something new, you probably have to ask a different question. And since different people have different preconceptions and experiences than you, they are likely to formulate their questions differently. This makes a case for diversity…