What Is the International Brain Research Organization?

The International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) is a worldwide association of neuroscience societies dedicated to advancing equitable access to brain research, education, training, and public engagement across all regions of the globe. Founded in 1961 with support from UNESCO, IBRO emerged from a series of international neuroscience colloquia in the late 1950s, including the Moscow Colloquium of 1958, as researchers recognized the need for a formal global body to coordinate brain science. Today, IBRO functions as an umbrella federation representing more than 90 international, national, and regional member organizations, with its secretariat based in Brussels.

Mission and Governance

IBRO's central purpose is to reduce inequities in neuroscience capacity by providing funding, training, and networking opportunities to scientists worldwide, with particular attention to researchers in economically disadvantaged regions. The organization is governed by a Governing Council drawn from its member societies, a Board of Directors that manages operational matters, and five Regional Committees covering Africa, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Central and Eastern Europe. These regional bodies allow IBRO to tailor programming to local research environments and infrastructure constraints. The historical roots of this structure are documented in the early history of IBRO published in the journal Neuroscience, which traces the organizational development from its founding through the consolidation of neuroscience as a recognized discipline.

Training and Funding Programs

IBRO operates an active portfolio of grants and fellowships administered through its online grants platform. Collaborative Research Grants support joint projects between established and emerging research groups, with emphasis on international partnerships that would not otherwise form. Exchange Fellowships allow early-career neuroscientists to conduct goal-directed laboratory visits at institutions outside their home countries, building technical skills and international networks. Schools Support grants fund intensive training schools on specialized topics, prioritizing participants from countries with limited local research infrastructure. Full descriptions of current programs are available through IBRO's grants and funding pages, where applications are submitted and reviewed on a rolling or periodic basis.

Scientific Publications and the World Congress

IBRO publishes two peer-reviewed journals. Neuroscience, co-owned with Elsevier, is one of the oldest and largest journals in the field and covers cellular, molecular, systems, and behavioral neuroscience. IBRO Neuroscience Reports serves as an open-access companion focused on increasing the visibility of research from scientists in low- and middle-income countries. In addition to its publications, IBRO convenes the IBRO World Congress every four years, bringing together thousands of neuroscientists from across its member societies for presentations, workshops, and satellite symposia. The Congress serves as a venue for announcing major research findings, launching new collaborative initiatives, and strengthening ties among national neuroscience communities. The organizational mandate guiding these activities is described in detail on the IBRO About page.

Applications

The International Brain Research Organization has applications in a wide range of disciplines, including:

• Neuroscience workforce development in low- and middle-income countries
• Coordinating global research responses to neurological and psychiatric disorders
• Standardizing protocols for cross-national brain research studies
• Supporting science policy advocacy at national and international levels
• Training programs in cellular, molecular, and cognitive neuroscience