ENC-Network Start & Strategy

2010-2015

Managing director: Prof. dr A.B. Brussaard

Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam

http://www.enc-network.eu

1

Contact

Prof. dr. A. (Arjen) B. Brussaard director Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam VU University Medical Center Visiting and mail-address B4 wing – Science Building (FALW) Room B428 De Boelelaan 1085 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands Tel + 31 20 5987098 Email: arjen.brussaard@neurosciencecampus-amsterdam.nl www.neurosciencecampus-amsterdam.nl

2

Executive Summary

Brain disorders, in particular neurodegenerative diseases and mental illnesses are among the most prevalent and debilitating diseases. Prevalent brain disorders are typically caused by the interplay of environmental factors and genetic variation in multiple genes, which is currently being mapped by large international efforts. Future brain research should therefore aim at integrative projects as a next step to characterize the complex interplay between these multiple genetic and environmental factors and to reveal how this translates into brain function and/or disease. In order to succeed, a new generation of neuroscientists is needed, capable of integrating information across different levels, from genes and proteins to synapses, and from networks up to complex brain (dys)function. To this end five home institutes with a long and established track record in PhD training have set up the European Neuroscience Campus Network (ENC Network, see www.enc-network.eu). Partners have already successfully worked together with the aim to promote young group leaders in the field of Neuroscience, within the Network of European Neuroscience Institutes (ENI Net, see www.eni-net.org). ENC Network offers a uniform PhD training programme with synergistic as well as complementary elements embedded in a modern research laboratories focussing on Alzheimer's Disease in either of the five home institutes, in addition to other brain disease mechanisms such as those underlying Multiple Sclerosis (Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Göttingen and Zurich), Parkinson's (Amsterdam, Göttingen and Bordeaux), Addiction (Amsterdam and Bordeaux), Schizophrenia (Göttingen and Zurich) and Epilepsy (Coimbra and Zurich). The core component of PhD training and research careers in the ENC Network will be doctoral training and advancement of knowledge through original research in the field of brain function and disease mechanisms. Up to 10 exchange students per year will perform their projects embedded in a structured common PhD programme with transparent supervision and assessment and with a guarantee of both academic (research) and professional (grant writing, valorization, collaboration with industry etc) training. Considering the need for structured doctoral programmes in Europe and the need to also attract students with a MD-PhD potential we spefically aim at performing 'translational research' from molecule to bedside (and back).

3

Preamble

1) During 2009 four home institutes of ENI Net (www.eni-net.org) have decided to take a concerted action towards a new initiative aimed at organizing PhD training - and funding - at an European level. 2) These four homes (Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Göttingen, Coimbra) have invited Zurich to join their initiative (and become an socalled ENI Net home institute) given the fact that these five home institutes all appear to have excellent track records (and proven joint publications), in addition to having a significant critical mass (~ 400 coworkers in brain research per institute) and joint MD-PhD professional training networks. 3) These five selected home institutes have already joint in the socalled European Neuroscience Campus Network (ENC Network, www.enc-network.eu) aimed at organizing a PhD programme focused in particular on 'brain disease mechanisms' through an integrative neuroscience approach. 4). Partners in the ENC network have already successfully worked together with the aim to promote young group leaders in the field of Neuroscience, within the Network of European Neuroscience Institutes (ENI Net, see www.eni-net.org). 5). Partner-home institutes were selected on their outstanding publication records and ability to integrate different disciplines traditionally already being embedded in the various PhD programmes of the respective institutes. 6) Each partner home institute will act as home and/or partner institute hosting PhD joint doctorate students, provide expertise in education during introductory and/or advanced technology courses. 7) Associated partners will participate in providing expertise in the academic skills courses only.

4

The ENC Network will accomodate up to 10 new PhD exchange students (from Europe and/or third countries) during five consecutive yearly editions, in a newly developed Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctoral (EMJD) Programme. We offer these students scientific training through original research in at least two home institutes in the ENC Network, in combination with tailure-made ENC Network obligatory courses and at least one yearly conference. In addition we offer students the option to enroll in existing and established optional Neurosciences PhD courses throughout the academic year in each of the five Neuroscience programmes of the participating home institutes.

Gourvernance and Partners

The Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam will act as coordinating ENC Institute, which will organize and implement all activities including selection and admission, organizing the kickoff - and other - yearly conferences, an introductory course. The Bordeaux Neuroscience Institute will organise the Advanced Methods courses at the PENS Training Center in Bordeaux. The European Neuroscience Institute Gottingen, the Neuroscience Center Zurich and the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (Coimbra) will give full support to the Advanced Methode yearly course in Bordeaux, in addition to giving support to yearly events and offering in particular also optional PhD courses. The associated partners of the ENC Network, Synaptologics BV and Leloux, Science and Business BV, will offer academic skills courses and provide access to valorization strategy and contacts. Each ENC Institute has selected at least 10 putative PhD Supervisors with excellent track records. These (and other) supervisors may act in socalled twinning PhD projects where each PhD student performs research both in a so-called ENC Home Institute as well as in a ENC Partner Institute.

Implementation 6

Academic and research quality

Brain disorders are among the most prevalent and debilitating diseases. Because most major

brain disorders are chronic, individual’s quality of life and socio-economic prospects are

dramatically impaired. It has been estimated that currently in Western Society up to 40% of

our individuals at ages of over 80 suffer from dementia (in particular Alzheimer’s Disease).

Indeed, increased life expectancy and concomitant cognitive decline will further enhance

the impact of brain dysfunction on society. In the EU of 20 years from now we may expect to

be spending up to half of our national health care budgets on prevention and/or care

regarding aging brain diseases. Thus in the coming decades this burden is expected to grow

into one of the most pressing and costly problems of the EU. Prevalent neurological and

psychiatric diseases are typically caused by the interplay of environmental factors and

genetic variations in multiple genes. Genetic variation is currently being identified by large

international efforts to genotype patient populations (socalled Genome Wide Analyses –

GWAs). Hence scientific research should now aim at generating integrative neuroscience

work-packages as a next step to identify interactions between genetic variations and

environmental factors and to reveal how these translate into brain diseases.

To succeed, a new generation of neuroscientists is needed, capable of integrating

information across different levels of research, from genes and proteins to synapses, and

from networks up to complex brain (dys)function. In order to boost future multidisciplinary

brain research in Europe, we want to offer a stimulating, multidisciplinary training

environment for young neuroscientists and to prepare them for future challenges in

neuroscience research. Training in complex trait analysis and integrative neuroscience

ensures first-class career opportunities and prospects to become future leaders in

neuroscience. Hence we propose to establish the European Neuroscience Campus (ENC)

Network Joint PhD Programme, where integration and translation from bedside-to-bench

and from bench-to-bedside are the key guides in training as well as in research approach.

The current time provides a unique momentum for studying brain

(dys)function, because the spectrum of genetic, electrophysiological,

imaging, and behavioral tools has only recently become powerful enough

to do so. Moreover the need of a European multidisciplinary Neuroscience

training network is pressing and its availability should be considered as the

means to train talented young scientists for future European research. These

training activities should counteract the brain drain especially to non-

European countries. A sizeable fraction of young European researchers who

pursue further studies in the USA is recruited by American establishments

and will stay there for an extended period or even permanently. We would like to reverse this

trend and promote immigration and recruitment of top talents from all continents to Europe.

The possibility of receiving high quality training and be introduced to many European

contacts via the ENC network will significantly improve the perspectives of junior researchers

to develop their carrier within the European community.

Implementation 7

The objectives

The strategic objectives of the ENC joint PhD programme are to provide research-training by

a) focusing on a basic understanding of brain disease mechanisms

b) developing the knowledge base, tools and resources needed to decipher the

function of genes and gene products, cellular processes and neuronal networks and

relevant to human health

c) establishing bilateral translational links between lab and clinic (and back).

These aims will be made possible by multidisciplinary approaches, as used within the existing

and forthcoming (European) collaborations in International Training network (ITN)-like

networks where MDs and PhDs work side-by-side. Thus, the training of young competent

biomedical researchers, as well as MDs, in the Neuroscience field is crucial to maintain the

competitiveness of the European community in Neuroscience-based research. Also, the

success in these fields matters economically considering high added value of

pharmaceutical products to treat cognitive and/or mood disorders, and the increasing

demand for these products in health care. The new generation of neuroscientists should be

capable of integrating information across different levels. Likewise, they should participate in

integrative projects as a next step to characterize complex interplay between multiple

genetic and environmental factors to reveal how this translates into brain function and/or

disease.

Doctoral education is a major priority for European Universities and should be further

synergized amongst different countries. The ENC Network wants to contribute to this goal. It

aims at establishing closer links between the European Higher Education Institutes in the field

of Neurociences in an endurable network. This objective will be translated into action by

means of organizing joint doctoral programmes and research careers. The ENC joint PhD

programme is designed for PhD training and generating opportunities for early stage

investigators in the field of Neurosciences. In doing so the ENC Network in the long run will

also provide a solid basis for successful European post doctoral exchanges.

To this end, five home institutes with a long and established track record in PhD training in the

field of molecular, cellular and integrative Neurosciences have already started to set up a

so-called European Neuroscience Campus Network (ENC Network). We have launched a

website (see www.enc-network.eu) that is due to be be extended once the Eramus Mundus

is awarded. Building the ENC Network for endurable collaboration in a European setting was

a logical step, since the ENC partner-institutes have already a successful trackrecord of

training young group leaders in the Network of European Neuroscience Institutes (ENI Net,

see www.eni-net.org). As such, ENI-Net may be regarded as the "stepping stone" to the ENC

Network.

The key training objectives of the ENC Network are to offer

1) scientific training with innovative and multidisciplinary brain research methodology

(task Academic Partners)

2) advanced technology courses (task Academic Partners)

3) training through original research aimed at the translation from bedside-to-bench

and from bench-to-bedside (task PhD supervisors)

4) academic skills training (task of associate partners)

5) training in Technology Transfer methods (task of associate partners)

Implementation 8

The ENC Network is established to address the problem of sustainability. The ENC Network

joint doctorate programme will be embedded in the current formation of campus-wide

organizations. By generating an accredited network between these large research institutes

and by focusing on integrated Master-PhD training, we aim at setting up an endurable

training network, where the strong institutes in Europe are assembled in an accredited

training network with a clear translational perspective on bedside-to-bench and bench-to-

bedside activities. The envisioned multidisciplinary setting of our ENC Network programme will

provide optimal training and network opportunities that help the trainees in obtaining a

position after the completion of their work-package, either in industry or in academics. In

particular, the focus on their future should be emphasized, since a prerequisite for the

success of the upcoming calls in the life sciences program of FP7 and FP8 (with prominent

role for neuroscience-based research) is that there will be suitable applicants. As such, the

Erasmus Mundus Action 1B, in our opinion, creates an ideal setting in which researchers

trained in our ENC Network programme, will have the opportunity to participate in EU-funded

neuroscience research. The proposed ENC Network education and research policy follow

the guidelines of the Bologna Declaration that have been put forward by the EU to create a

frontier-free science in Europe, the consolidation of excellence in research and teaching,

and the establishment of an education system that allows the effective professional

recognition of the degrees.

We will also create opportunities for further integration of the assembly of expertise and

techniques by addressing the challenge both at the level of Master as well as graduate

Neuroscience training. We offer a training environment that inspires studentd to tackle

difficult analyses covering multiple levels of neuroscience using innovative and

multidisciplinary techniques. The integrative and multidisciplinary scientific training of the ENC

Network program will be combined with educational training that covers a range of specific

workshops in neurosciences (by academics and by associated SMEs, see below) aimed at

acquiring a broad knowledge. Therefore, the ENC Network guarantees that young

researchers get both in-depth knowledge and broad overview of the neuroscience field as it

currently develops across Europe. In addition, the individual institutes offer complementary

courses aimed at acquiring general and cultural knowledge (e.g. language, writing

(scientific) English).

The scientific quality

The core component of PhD training and research careers in the ENC Network will be

doctoral training and advancement of knowledge through original research in the field of

brain function and disease mechanisms. Each ENC partner institute has selected at least ten

PhD supervisors (tutors), which have been selected in view of their outstanding publication

records and their ability to integrate different disciplines. Their scientific quality is not only

evident from their excellent track records but also apparent from the long histories and

success of their local PhD programmes. Future ENC students each year may apply for so-

called exchange PhD projects where two ENC Institutes each make available one senior

PhD supervisor, one acting as primary (or Home Institute) supervisor and one acting as

secondary (or Partner Institute) supervisor. By the twinning of PhD supervision the projects will

embedded in a structured common PhD programme distributed throughout the ENC

Network with transparent supervision and assessment and with a guarantee of both

academic (research) - and professional - training (grant writing, valorization, collaboration

with industry). Considering the need for structured doctorate programmes in Europe and the

need to also attract students with a MD-PhD potential, we specifically aim at performing

'translational research' from molecule to bedside (and back). As a consequence of this we

also selected a number of senior professors with joint MD-PhD degrees. In doing so the ENC

Implementation 9

Network, with the instrument of the Erasmus Mundus funding, hopes to accommodate up to

10 new PhD exchange students (from European and/or Third Countries) each year in a joint

doctoral programme. Projects will last least 3 years and students will be offered scientific

training through original research in at least two host institutes in the ENC Network, in

combination with tailor-made ENC Network obligatory courses and at least one yearly

conference (see B3). In addition we offer students the chance to enroll in existing and

established optional Neurosciences PhD courses throughout the academic year in each of

the five Neuroscience programmes of the participating home institutes (see Annex E-5 -

structure of programme and Annex E-6 optional course scheme).

The intersector collaboration with associate partners

In addition to academic scientific training, ENC Network also offers educational training and

orientation towards the domain of technology transfer and/or collaboration with industry. To

this end we offer training via collaboration with Leloux, Science & Business BV (S&B BV;

associated ENC Network partner). Leloux S&B BV aims at technology transfer of academic

research in its broadest sense and organizes various workshops and presentations in the field

of technology transfer, licensing and intellectual property management, and publish in

several scientific peer reviewed and general journals (www.scienceandbusiness.nl). They

especially focus on the development of novel business valuation methods of new

technology. Their experience will support the set-up of training modules and workshops in the

field of technology transfer for academics (see Annex E-5 - structure of programme and

Annex E-6 optional course scheme). In addition Synaptologics BV (Sylics; associated ENC

Network partner) will host PhD student work in several projects, and organizes parts of the

introduction course together with the Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam. The expertise of

Sylics is to develop novel tools for analysis of complex data sets for instance derived from

automated home-cage behavioral phenotyping and from live cell imaging of cultured

neurons. The execution of automated behavioral screening and life cell imaging by Sylics are

also part of the several other conditional funded research programs, including NeuroCypres

and NeuroBsik (see www.synaptologics.com). Sylics has experience in the daily

management and coordination of currently running two EU programs (6th & 7th framework

program) and will work with the administrative official of the ENC Network consortium to give

support in project logistics (e.g. mobility, data-management/sharing, providing web-tools for

a virtual learning environment).

The outcomes

The ENC Network will function as an endurable multi-site training network to enhance

European neuroscience education, building on technologies and expertise across excellent

neuroscience institutes, as a primary scaffold for early training. ENC Network realizes a unique

multidisciplinary training network established by world-leading neuroscientists throughout the

EU. It bridges molecular biology and genetics to behavior analysis and physiology studies.

The ENC Network will enhance European neuroscience education and future career

opportunities of young researchers, especially as currently there is not yet a field of

integrative ‘neuronal systems biology’. This program will help to establish this field, which

might grow into a strong scientific asset for the EU (as in line with the recommendation:

‘Systems Biology: a grand challenge for Europe’; www.esf.org). We aim to increase the

career opportunities of young trainees by helping them to find leading positions in

neuroscience research (in academia or industry) after completion of their studies. For this,

ENC Network has set up a training infrastructure that promotes synergy through intensive

collaboration with successful network partners that have an excellent reputation in the field

of neurosciences. As such the exchange PhD programme will demonstrate added value for

the home institutes as well as for doctoral candidates, in particular by counteracting their

Implementation 10

isolation from other disciplines and from a larger peer group. ENC Network will improve

transparency, quality and admission and assessment procedures and create synergies

regarding transferable skills development. Hence we will help these young neuroscientists to

become firmly anchored into a new timely tradition Integrative Neuroscience and

Experimental Medicine of the 21st century.

Implementation 11

Partner experience and composition

The capacity, expertise and experience

The ENC Network forms the largest neuroscience research community gathered in Europe.

The participating partners have outstanding publication records and are dedicated to offer

the highest quality education. On a yearly basis many MSc-students and PhD's in the field of

Neuroscience graduate. The raison d’être of the ENC Network partners is a shared ambition

to integrate their current MSc - PhD Programmes at a European level. We have strong

synergy since we all focus on molecular neurobiology and experimental medicine and

physiology, going all the way from biophysics, genetics, genomics and systems biology of the

synapse, to heritability and genetic basis of brain function. Next, we all want to combine

experimental and clinical research. Moreover, what is of major importance for the current

project, we offer a synergistic PhD training that provides an ideal basis for integration.

Fig 1: Synergy in the ENC Network based on common track

record, synergistic research lines, clear MD-PhD potential,

historic membership in the ENI Net and EU Synapse (FP7 consort).

Earlier examples of common publications where young investigators provided the ‘bridge-

function’ between ENCN institutes are shown in Table 1. Moreover in all institutes (with the

exception of Coimbra) an MD-PhD programme is being offered, which exemplifies the

translation ambitions of our organizations. Finally, substantial patient cohorts have been

collected, for instance on Alzheimer’s disease, in Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Zurich and

Göttingen.

Table 1: Examples

of Previous previous

collaborations of

ENC Network

partners that have

led to high impact

publications

Examples of common publications between primary tutoring labs of the ENC Network

Amsterdam Bordeaux Theodosis DT, Koksma JJ, cs, Oliet SH, Brussaard AB. Oxytocin and

estrogen promote rapid formation of functional GABA synapses in the adult

supraoptic nucleus. Mol Cell Neurosci. 2006 Apr;31(4):785-94

Amsterdam Goettingen Voets T, Toonen RF, Brian EC, de Wit H, Moser T, Rettig J, Südhof TC, Neher E,

Verhage M. Munc18-1 promotes large dense-core vesicle docking. Neuron

(2001) 31(4):581-91

Amsterdam Zurich Koksma JJ, Fritschy JM, Mack V, Van Kesteren RE, Brussaard AB.

Differential GABAA receptor clustering determines GABA synapse plasticity in

rat oxytocin neurons around parturition and the onset of lactation. Mol Cell

Neurosci. (2005) 28(1):128-40

Bordeaux Amsterdam Adriani W, Spijker S, cs, Smit AB, Piazza PV. Evidence for enhanced

neurobehavioral vulnerability to nicotine during periadolescence in rats. J

Neurosci. 2003 Jun 1;23(11):4712-6

Bordeaux Coimbra Rebola N, Lujan R, Cunha RA, Mulle C. Adenosine A2A receptors are essential

for long-term potentiation of NMDA-EPSCs at hippocampal mossy fiber

synapses. Neuron. 2008 Jan 10;57(1):121-34

ENC Network - Synergy

Trac

k re

cord

Syne

rgistic

res

earch po

tent

ial

MD-P

hD tra

nslatio

nal p

oten

tial

Patie

nt coh

orts

ENI Net

Amsterdam Bordeaux

Amsterdam Goettingen

Amsterdam Coimbra

Amsterdam Zurich

Bordeaux Coimbra

Bordeaux Goettingen

Bordeaux Zurich

Coimbra Goettingen

Coimbra Zurich

Goettingen Zurich

Criteria

Track record (previous common publications)

Synergistic research lines

MD-PhD translational potential

Patient cohorts

ENI Net

Implementation 12

The diversity and complementarity

For the ENC Network we have brought together five partner institutes, each offering a

diversity of expertise, that have previously shown to be opinion-leading and that often

operate in collaboration within and between institutes. Each of the ENC Institutes currently

organizes its’ local PhD programme in Neurosciences. However, to further integrate and to

promote mobility, here we propose to merge several aspects of these local PhD

programmes into a joint doctoral programme with tailor-made joint courses (obligatory

courses for the ENC PhD students), as well as the option to select training elements from the

local PhD programmes at either of the five ENC institutes. Moreover we offer Advanced

Technology courses to include a diverse range of complementary advanced technologies,

including a focus on excitable membranes and synaptic transmission in particular in Zurich,

Göttingen, Bordeaux and Amsterdam, advanced laster techniques expertise in Amsterdam,

Bordeaux, Göttingen and Zurich, in addition to advanced MRI and PET imaging in Zurich and

Amsterdam, 'molecular biotechnology' in Coimbra), bio- and neuro-informatics in

Amsterdam, biophysics in Göttingen and networks and neurocomputation in Bordeaux.

In short, by collaboration within the ENC Network we will offer complementary expertise and

training in Integrative Neuroscience research approaches ranging from 'genes and the

brain’ up to ‘brain disease mechanisms'. In particular, the latter element summarizes also the

putative synergy and common interest at each of the ENC Institutes; for instance we all

focus on the molecular and cellular (and synaptic) mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's

Disease. In addition there is potential strong synergy in solving other brain disease

mechanisms such as those underlying Multiple Sclerosis (Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Göttingen

and Zurich), Parkinson (Amsterdam, Göttingen and Bordeaux), Addiction (Amsterdam and

Bordeaux), Schizophrenia (Göttingen and Zurich) and Epilepsy (Coimbra and Zurich).

The internationalization

Of our > 1500 researchers and technicians ~ 25% come from a Second (EU) or Third Country.

In addition, distributed over the five institutes we have > 350 undergraduate students

involved in two year MSc programmes, > 400 PhD fellows (pending in four-year projects) and

many visiting researchers. The international students in MSc education, depending on the

ENC Institute range from 25%-75% of the total population. At the PhD level around 50% of the

graduates is from another EU (or Third) country. Also, each of the ENC Network partners

fosters good relationships with many domestic and international universities and institutions.

We have established collaborative research centers with the private sector (for instance with

pharmaceutical multinationals). We have also set up many national and international

research platforms to organize our various activities, including brain bank sampling, patients-

biobanking, DNA- and RNA sampling, proteomics, cellomics, mouse-phenomics,

neuroinformatics and genetics research activities (see for instance

http://www.neurosciencecampus-amsterdam.nl). Our doctors are MD and PhD and interact

to graduate and PhD investigators from other disciplines on a daily basis. By planning events

such as weekly seminars in the various departments, annual meetings and get-togethers,

symposia and tutorial series for young neuroscientists like pizza-meetings, we actively nurture

young scientists in the international neuroscience community. We do this both within and

between neuroscience institutes in the Netherlands, in Europe and beyond.

Implementation 13

European integration and function

Structure and Integration of ENC Network joint PhD Programme

The EMJD-consortium ENC Network has developed a balanced 3 year joint PhD curriculum

(see ‘ENC Network PhD programme’ – see Figure 2 for the EMJD candidates, comprising

both advanced neuroscience specialization courses, as well as higher level training in

academic skills (writing scientific papers and grant proposals, presentation techniques for

various audiences, language courses, e.g.). The curriculum contains newly developed ENC

NETWORK courses, Advanced Methods workshops, Annual meetings and so on. For the rest, it

is embedded in the international oriented local PhD programmes of the ENC Institutes. The

EMJD fellow will make an Personal Training Plan together with two supervisors at the start of

his PhD, which provides the opportunity to build up an individual profile based on specific

interest linked to the candidates own research topic. This tailor made programme should be

approved by the consortium’s Board of Education ensuring full recognition for all the training

activities of the candidates.

Figure 2 Schematic overview of the ENC Network joint PhD curriculum. The ENC academic year starts at the

beginning of October with a kick-off meeting, followed by an obligatory introductory course. The primary target is

PhD training through original research starting in the so called Home Institute, but complemented in the third year,

with a mobility period of at least 6 months in the Partner Institute. During the three years all PhD students meet at

obligatory Advanced Methods course given in May in Year 1 and 2 at the Bordeaux PENS Training Center. In

addition, they meet during the yearly three day conference towards the end of September (each year at another

campus). The yearly conference overlaps with the kick-off meeting of the next generation of PhD students and is

followed by an obligatory satellite Advanced Skills course delivered by one of the associated SMEs of the ENC

Network. The schedule is somewhat flexible and may started with a 6 months period prior to the start of the official

Erasmus Mundus 3 year training period (financed by the home institute on a voluntary basis). Alternatively, thesis

defence will be delivered at the earliest towards the beginning of Year 4 (being financed from then on by the home

institute. During the three year lasting Erasmus Mundus joint PhD programme the ENC students are employed by the

Home Institute (i.e. also during their mobility period(s)).

The essence of the ENC Network joint PhD programme is training through original research.

However, logically, the first year of the joing curriculum starts off with an ENC Network Kickoff

meeting followed by the ENC Network Introduction course bringing all candidates and

affiliated PhD supervisors - as teaching staff - together at one of the host campuses of the

Implementation 14

ENC Network. Each year this course will be organized at a different city (from the second

year onwards by the students themselves, i.e. by the generation of students entering their

second Eramus Mundus year). In addition, students are training during mandatory Advanced

Methods courses, as well as during mandatory Academic Skills courses (see Figure 2).

Additional training is optional and can be taken at either of the ENC Institutes, where a total

of > 50 eligible optional PhD courses is organized embedded in the local PhD programmes. In

total, the ENC Network training curriculum will include a workload of at least 350 hours of

advanced study. Regularly when one of two additional PhD courses are taken during Year 1

and 2 this will add up to ~ 500 hours, which is the equivalent of 18 ECTS, a little over 3 month

of training during a total of 36 months of the EMJD. The joint ENC curriculum may be

supplemented with local funding, and be preceded by a 6-12 month period in the Home

Institute as junior fellow (such as is likely to be the procedure in the ENI Gottingen, and/or

extended into the fourth year (such as is likely to happen in any of the ENC Institutes) to be

able to prepare for the thesis defence (before the end of 48 months after the start of the

joint curriculum).

As outlined above, an outstanding research environment at the five partner institutes of ENC

Network provides the right educational climate for talented young neuroscientists to start off

a successful career with a keen eye on international collaboration right from the beginning.

The ENC Network partners all has a proven track record of successful international

collaboration at the educational level. The combination of these investments and initiatives

at the PhD level is geared towards the establishment of endurable community of peers at this

very important early stage of the academic career.

The Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam is the largest training centre for Neurogenomics and

Integrative Neurosciences in Europe, with over 400 professionals working at one campus. As

a coordinator of the programme, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam (see also

http://www.neurosciencecampus-amsterdam.nl) will house the ENC Network administrative

office responsible for proper execution of logistics and administrative issues. The Bordeaux

Neuroscience Institute has recently set up the PENS Training Centre and will therefore be the

preferred host to organize the annual ENC Network Advanced Methods workshop (focussing

each year on alternating research themes). This course is mandatory for PhD students during

Year 1 and Year 2 of their training.

Relevance and appropriate organisation of mobility periods

As indicated in the EMJC course schedule (Figure 2) the six-month mandatory mobility period

is positioned at the last semester of the candidates’ joint PhD curriculum of three years

(financed by Erasmus Mundus salary). This implies that candidates start their PhD projects in a

so-called ENC Home Institute in a country that is not the country in which they acquired their

Master’s degree during the 12 months prior to training. After 2,5 years of performing original

research in the ENC Home institute - to create a solid basis for the final requirements of the

programme – the PhD candidate moves to a so-called ENC Partner Institute, also in a 'non-

home' country for at least 6 months. After the visit to the ENC Partner Institute, PhD

candidates returns to their home ENC institutions to keep on working - in the fourth year paid

by the host institution – on writing the thesis, publication of manuscripts and putative extra

experiments for that purpose, and orientation on a postdoc career (which may involve r visits

to other ENC Network labs). ENC Home and Partners institutions are expected to be linked

along the schedule outlined in Figure 2 via potential twinning research potential (estimated

on the basis of previous common research output, complementary methods and a track

record of earlier successful collaboration in for instance FP7 consortia). Out of 20 possible

ENC Network research combinations for host-partner institution research periods, we have

chosen a selection of ENC Network exchange combinations between ENC Home Institutes

Implementation 15

and ENC Partner Institutes that will guarantee excellent opportunities for state of the art

research in a synergistic as well as multidisciplinary joint PhD programme. During the first

cycle exchange the Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam is preferred partner institute

(regardless of the home institute).

Project definition

With five ENC Network Institutes participating for 5 consecutive editions of Erasmus Mundus

funding, we aim at a total of 10 PhD joint projects per year. The population of Erasmus

Mundus PhD student will blend in with other (local) populations of PhD students, which run

around ~ 40 other PhD students per ENC Institute per year.

Each year the ENC Network Board of Education (see Figure 3) will announce an Open Call

within the ENC Network for submitting potential PhD projects, each to be organized by two

PhD supervisors coming from two different ENC Institutes. The procedure to select suitable

PhD projects supervised by an appropriate pair of PhD supervisors will by under supervision by

the Board of Education and will be carried out according to the following guide lines:

- PhD supervisors from any of the ENC Home Institutes may submit only 1 PhD project

per year

- selection is based on scientific quality of the projects, with ample consideration for a

fair distribution of awarded projects per ENC Institute and per ENC PhD supervisor.

(see also annex - Budget Plan).

- in doing so, the Board of Education will select a maximum of 10 PhD projects per

year, in such a manner that at least 1 or 2 PhD projects will be prioritized per ENC

Institute annually, but never more than one at any given year to one particular PhD

supervisor.

- when PhD supervisors get their project application awarded in any given year during

the ENC Network Erasmus Mundus funding period (2009-2013), they may not apply as

a Home Institue applicant in the consecutive year (although they may still function as

a Partner Institute PhD supervisor to guide studenst during a 6- month mobility period

in other projects).

A selection of eligible PhD projects is done before February 1 of 2010 by the ENC-Board of

Education.

Student selection

Any student with a master degree in Neurosciences (or equivalent) may apply before

February 1, 2010. Eligible candidates may be invited to come to Europe around March 1,

2010, to meet potential PhD supervisors at their respective ENC Home Institutes. The selection

process involves an interview with - and a data presentation by - the candidate. Together,

the collaborating PhD supervisors of a given PhD project and a representative member of

the ENC Board of Education come to a decision about admission around March 15, 2010.

Thereafter approval of the selection and eligibility in terms of visum application may take

until April 15. In case of selection, "Specific Grant Agreements" will be signed towards the

beginning of June (2010), whereafter the PhD Candidates have another 3-4 months to

accommodate immigration and legal aspects concerning the immigration.

The ambition of the ENC Network consortium is to develop a highly structured overall MSc-

PhD / MD-PhD environment that creates the opportunity for optimal selection and education

of talented young scientists, from within Europe and from Third Countries. The integration of

educational policies at both the MSc and PhD level creates a strong administrative platform

that enables implementation of common standards and mechanisms for application,

Implementation 16

selection, admission and examination of candidates. The ENC Network has four members

from European countries (Germany, France, The Netherlands and Portugal), and one from

an associated country (Switzerland). The different Neuroscience Master Programmes running

at the local ENC institutions are collectively training over 180 MSc students on a yearly basis,

many coming from third countries (about 15-25 % depending on the institute). Selection from

this population of students allowss for the recruitment of candidates with a known

educational track up to selection. Naturally, potential candidates from outside these MSc

programmes are also wellcome to the ENC Network, and particularly the admission of

applicants from outside the EU will draw ample consideration (see also B.4.1).

The common standards for application, selection, admission and examination will be

formalized in the Doctorate Candidate Agreement, implemented and carried out by the

ENC Network Board of Education and Management Team (see Figure 3), that is responsible

for watching over several educational purposes, i.e. it is a benchmark of content and rigor

and functions as examination board, as curriculum board, and at the same time as selection

& admission committee.

Supervision and Monitoring

The two PhD supervisors from the ENC Home and Partner institute keep track of the

candidates’ activities and progress. These principle investigators from different cities

supervising the PhD candidate will participate in the yearly Kick-off Meeting (see figure 2). At

that time also the ‘Personal Training Plan’ will be discussed and decided upon. PhD

supervisors of any given project communicate on a regular basis (either through video

conferencing, visits from the PhD student-team and/or during consecutive yearly

conferences and/or during the Advanced Methods yearly course in Bordeaux) to keep track

of the progress of the student. The proposed programme needs formal approval of the

Board of Education.

The main supervision will be done directly by the supervisors. To ensure good supervision in an

international PhD programme a number of guidelines apply: First of all, the supervisors will

help the student become acquainted with relevant national and international scientific and

academic environments within the discipline. Candidate and supervisor together keep track

of whether the candidate meets the formal requirements for course participation and

change of study environment and write a PhD thesis that meets the academic requirements

for approval (see below). Prior to, and not least after enrolment, the PhD student and the

supervisor meet to present their respective expectations regarding the project, their

expectations of each other and of the programme, as well as to agree on how the project is

to be realised. Together with the supervisors, the student must draw up a research plan for

the project that is regularly updated throughout the process. This PhD project plan, which will

also the student’s Personal Training Plan, must contain the research objectives, experimental

approach and milestone-schedule. The PhD project plan must be a mutually binding

agreement between the PhD student, the two PhD supervisors and the two participating

institutions.

A so-called Framework Partnership Agreement will be issued once the EMJD is awarded

stating that for each PhD project more than one supervisor is to be appointed, the main

supervisor being an employee at the ENC Home Institute and in each individual case, an

Specific Grant Agreement will be made on the basis of Framework Partnership Agreement to

establish the distribution of labour and costs among candidates and institutions. In addition a

generic Doctorate Candidate Agreement will be issued at the start of each ENC project,

which defines the responsibilities of the candidate, supervisors, Board of Education and the

Thesis Committee. The scientific quality of the work is monitored by the supervisors. The

Implementation 17

principle supervisor must be a recognised researcher within the discipline in question, and the

other supervisors must be qualified within the relevant discipline. The supervisor also provides

the student with academic and methodological inspiration and together with the student

keeps active track of the application of skills learned during the ENC Network academic skills

training in their daily work and at conferences and so on. This includes, for example, the task

to ensure that the student achieves an in-depth understanding of research and publication

traditions within the discipline. The supervisor also assists with the establishment of a personal

network for the student, particularly with the people involved from the guest institution but

also within the ENC Network as a whole, and beyond the consortium.

Three months after enrolment, the PhD project plan must be drawn up and submitted for

discussion to the Board of Education. This plan is a detailed elaboration of the Programme

proposal that underlies it, and forms the basis for subsequent evaluations and should be seen

as a preliminary proposal for the structure of the programme. The subsequent evaluations

should be considered adjustments to the PhD plan. The student should also expect advice

and support in connection with his or her teaching duties. Furthermore, the supervisor should

ensure that the student has the opportunity to present his or her work in relevant forums, e.g.

at internal seminars/workshops, international conferences and in other contexts. The

supervisor should stimulate the student to publish his or her findings in accordance with the

traditions of the research area in question, and assist with advice on the structure of articles,

monographs and other types of research publications.

The mobility period during which the student investigates another research environment

provides a good opportunity for the student to learn a new research technique. If needed,

the supervisor should help with the planning to ensure that the experience is as fruitful as

possible. For instance, the student can benefit from contact between the supervisor and the

contact person at the other institution. Because of the relatively long mobility periods, the

supervisor of the home institution and the student must stay in regular contact with each

other throughout the period.

Joint assessment procedures

The ENC Network will implement independent assessment of the candidates’ professional

skills by working together with two Technology Transfer companies – ‘Synaptologics’ and

‘Science in Business’. The quality of the research part of the PhD training is monitored by the

supervisor (see above) and finally by the reading committee (thesis). Assessment will be

done during obligatory ENC Network courses and annual meetings, and nearing the thesis

defence. In case of conflicts the so-called Student Ombudsman may be contacted (see

Figure 3). At the time of the defence for each ENC project a Thesis Committee will be issued,

that advises as to the achievements of the PhD Candidate to the Board of Education. The

minimum criteria for the PhD thesis are that it should contain at least four experimental

chapters, with at least one publication (with the PhD student as first author) already

published (or accepted) in a peer reviewed journal with impact factor >4 and at least one or

two other papers submitted to similarly qualified journals at the time of the PhD defence. The

Thesis Committee at the time of defence will consist of five ENC PhD Supervisors. At least

three of the members at any given PhD defence should not be affiliated and ideally coming

from either of the non-participating ENC Institutes.

Degree (kind and nature) and ambition to establish a joint PhD degree (or joint PhD

certificate)

The ambition of the ENC Network is to offer PhD students a fully accredited joint degree (or

at least a joint certificate in connection to the PhD degree at the home institute, such as in

Implementation 18

the case of collaboration with Zurich) recognised by both the ENC Home and the ENC

Partner Institution. The ENC Network joint PhD degree may be the step towards a future

European PhD degree in Neuroscience, with standardized requirements and formal

connotations.

Implementation 19

Provisions for EMJD fellows

Services offered to students

The ENC Network provides several services to EMJD candidates to enhance social inclusion,

active citizenship and personal development in the countries of the host and guest

institution. Housing facilities, assistance with visas and social insurance may be provided by

the ENC Network main secretariat and by local secretariats. Each of the local institutions

provides further specific services for grantees with special needs, that candidates can make

use of. Whenever necessary the candidate can ask the ENC Network organizational staff for

help. In addition to all this, ENC Network will work with a tutoring system, assigning a personal

tutor to each fellow. This is a member of the teaching staff that is not one of the supervisors of

the candidate, and that can help out the PhD with various practical problems as well as give

him or her an ‘outside’ perspective to his or her work. To overcome language problems

language courses in the local language and in scientific English can be made part of the

joint curriculum. All the participants’ institutions have in-house possibilities for doing language

courses at different levels. The tutor assigned to each candidate is a native speaker and may

help the candidate with forms and regulations that are not available in English. The period in

the Home and Partner institution offer the opportunity to come into contact with two

different cultures and languages (or three for non English speakers), which will be stimulated

by the consortium by means of partial cost coverage for courses and travel, and the tutoring

system to stimulate local social inclusion, which is the basis for personal development in the

new environment.

Candidate rights and employment contracts

Employment contracts are based on national labour legislations, which fully secure issues

regarding salary, holidays, medical health care and insurance, parental leave, social security

and pension rights.

Fellowship scheme

The fellowship scheme is based upon at least 10 bilateral research combinations as outlined

above. The grantees will be positioned evenly over the 5 institutions, as will be the stipends for

the first three years of each project. The Home Institutes will be financing the salary and other

costs for the fourth year (or alternatively for a 6-12 month period prior to the start of the

programme). Erasmus Mundus money for organizational purposes goes to the coordinating

institute and to the institutes involved in organizing the annual meeting of summer schools.

Career prospects and monitoring development during post doc period

With regard to career prospects, the EMJC candidates will have ample opportunity to get to

know the research of the five cities of the consortium, which may have promising post doc

positions for them. Career development after graduation will be monitored by the

consortium to keep a keen eye on the output of the programme in terms of competitiveness

and internationalization.

Doctorate Candidate Agreement

We will develop a good conduct of recruitment, assessment and examination of ENC PhD

candidates and formalize these in the so-called Doctorate Candidate Agreement. In doing

so, we will benchmark this Agreement to the guidelines currently developed by EU

Implementation 20

participating organization like the European University Association (www.EUA.be) and those

formalized in declarations of ORPHEUS (Organization for PhD Education in Biomedicine and

Health Sciences in the EUropean System, www,orpheus-med.org). The Doctorate Candidate

Agreement will thus include guidelines about the admission criteria, criteria for the

Supervisors, criteria for the Institutions/Universities, structure and organization of the PhD

programme, equal opportunities issues, etc. Moreover, we will make a priori decisions as to

whether a so-called double (or multiple) PhD degree will be issued at graduation, or whether

a singular PhD degree with a joint ENC doctorate certificate may be acquired.

Implementation 21

Programme management &

Quality Assurance

The organisational arrangements and cooperation mechanisms

The ENC Board of Education has a central role in the supervision of the ENC Network

consortium (Figure 3) and is responsible for all important decisions. The Board is chaired by

the ENC Network director (coming from the coordinating institute), and each of the other

ENC Institutes is represented by one senior academic member. The Board of Education also

includes two employed PhD students (recruited from the Board of 9 Fellows (or students), see

Figure 3). The Board of Education will meet at least twice per year. The precise conditions of

decision-making, voting, quorum and vetos will be formalized in the Framework Partnership

Agreement, which will be prepared at the start of the consortium.

Figure 3

Organogram

of the ENC

Network PhD

Joint

Programme

(Erasmus

Mundus)

The Board of Education will decide about the commons standards for application, selection,

admission and examination of students. As such, the Board of Education is responsible for

supervision of several educational purposes, i.e. it is a benchmark of content and rigor and

thus functions both as examination board, as curriculum board, and at the same time as

selection & admission committee. The Management Team implements actions during the

progress of the project (specifically the tasks, deliverables, milestones, budget), offers advice

and implements decisions made by the Board of Education, in particular those processes

related to all aspects of the training program. The Management Team consists of the ENC

Network Coordinator (recruited from the coordinating institute) and of four additional ENC

Institute Coordinators, assigned for a six-year period by the Board of Education. In addition,

the Management Team is supplemented with two PhD fellows recruited from the Board of 9

Fellows (thereby representing the PhD student cohort of the various stages of their career).

The student members are on a two-year duty cycle. The management team will

Implementation 22

coordinate/implement all network activities, including financial aspects and interacts with

the EU (project officer, MC monitor) concerning implementation, execution and completion

of the program. Members of the Management Team will meet physically at the joint ENC

Network events and if necessary, during additional management meetings and will

furthermore have regular video-conferences and phone and e-mail contact. The

management team is in charge of the overall management: detailing of the training

program and detailed budgeting at the stipend level, tracking the scientific and integration

progress, safeguard ethics and gender issues, set-up and maintenance of project

documentation archives and make these accessible, set-up and maintenance of project

documentation archives and project procedures, writing and compilation of management

summaries on the basis of 6 month status sheets, progress reports including mid-term

assessment of PhD projects, task reports, organization of annual meetings, annual reports

and final report, effective communication with parties outside the consortium, such as other

European networks, dissemination and training tools. The aim with regard to information

distribution is to keep partners, and the Commission, fully informed about the project status

and all other issues that are relevant to the partners for obtaining transparency, synergy and

interaction of the consortium. The management team will be assisted by an administrative

official, who will be appointed by the ENC network coordinator on the basis of a part time

contract of 20 hours per week for the total duration of the project. This person has various

additional administrative duties such as creating/updating the ENC Network website,

recruitment/handling applications of trainees, helping in the organization of joint ENC

Network events and preparation of progress reports. Minutes of all Board of Education and

Management meetings will be made available to both ENC Network members and ENC

Network students.

We will establish a Board of 9 Fellows (3 PhD students per participating year of entry), to

discuss on issues related to the ENC Network program and assign two representatives

members to the Board of Education. We will also assign an Ombudsman, a trustworthy,

independent and easily accessible person who the ESR could consult on confidential matters

(e.g. problems with offered training, finances, and supervisors). The ombudsman will be

invited to visit all joined ENC Network meetings/workshops and access the ENC Network

website. The ENC Network consortium will also have a Senior Advisory Board with on it, most

likely, the senior and/or scientific directors of all five ENC Institutes. The Senior Advisory Board

will be regularly consulted by the ENC Network director to discuss the quality of training

program as well as strategy development concerning continuity of the funding (and

regarding selection of new ENC partner institutes).

The participation costs

The EMJD fellowships will be allocated to the ENC Home Institutes of Doctorate Candidates

once they have been employed, and includes a total of at least ! 100.800 salary for the first

three years (both for Category A and B) and at least ! 21.600 per Candidate for the

laboratory based participation costs (to be issued directly to the ENC Institutes supervising

the student, with a ratio of 5:1 for Home and Partner ENC Institute respectively); and ! 7.500

contribution to the traveling/installation for Category A (Third Country Candidates) or ! 3.000

similar contribution in the case of Category B students (i.e. EU students).

The gender balance/special needs

Currently 15% of our senior staff, including a limited number of Full Professors is female. In the

new generations of Tenure Track staff members this gender issue ratio is progressing in the

positive direction. Nowadays in our PhD student cohorts there seems to be a fair 50:50%

balance (for instance in Amsterdam and Gottingen), while in the Master of Neuroscience the

Implementation 23

gender balance may sometimes even be reversed with 75% females : 25% males. We are not

sure whether this trend will manifest itself at the higher staff positions in the long run, however,

by providing a professional international training network, the ENC Network hopes to create

a positive and reliable equal opportunity setting for any talent student, male or female, from

European or Third Country origin. The ENC Network will issue specific measures to promote

equal opportunities for early stage researchers. This will be done both at the level of selection

(given equal talent and study results) as well as by providing the opportunity to take paid

leave of absence in the case of pregnancy and/or parental care (depending on local

administrative issues). Moreover, in the Career Development Plan of our students specific

opportunities will be listed (again developing on national issues) including so-called Aspasia

programs (supporting females in science) being endorsed for instance in the Netherlands.

Similarly we look into the adoption of so-called Mozaik-grant programs to favor the

appointment of immigrants from Third Countries during their postdoc career opportunities in

the ENC Network.