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Brain Science explores the essence of brain, research on the principle and model
of natural intelligence in molecular, cell and behavior level.
Human Brain Project:
Understanding brain function requires the integration of information from the level of the gene
to the level of behavior. At each of these many and diverse levels there has been an explosion of
information, with a concomitant specialization of scientists. The price of this progress and
specialization is that it is becoming virtually impossible for any individual researcher to maintain
an integrated view of the brain and to relate his or her narrow findings to this whole cloth.
Although the amount of information to be integrated far exceeds human limitations, solutions
to this problem are available from the advanced technologies of computer and information sciences.
On April 2, 1993, the Human Brain Project was announced and published in the NIH Guide,
grant applications for Phase I feasibility studies were solicited. Four new program announcements
were issued on December 6, 2002.
The human brain project (neuroinformatics): Phase I - feasibity; Phase I & II - Refinements,
maintenance and integration;
Institutional mentored research scientist development award for neuroinformatics;
Innovative exploratory studies and technology development in neuroinformatics research;
Research core centers for advanced neuroinformatics research.
The Human Brain Project is a broad-based initiative which supports research and development
of advanced technologies, and infrastructure support, through cooperative efforts among
neuroscientists and information scientists (computer scientists, engineers, physicists, and mathematicians).
The goal is to produce new digital capabilities providing a World Wide Web (WWW) based information
management system in the form of interoperable databases, and associated data management tools.
Tools would include, and are not limited to, graphical interfaces, querying and mining approaches,
information retrieval, data analysis, visualization and manipulation, integrating tools for data
analysis, biological modeling and simulation, and tools for electronic collaboration. The
Neuroscience database will be interoperable with other databases, such as genomic and protein
databases, to create the capability to analyze functional interactions in greater depth. Tools
will also need to be created to manage, integrate and share this resource via the WWW providing
the capability for channels of communication and collaboration between geographically distinct sites.
These databases and tools will be used by neuroscientists, behavioral scientists, clinicians and
educators, in their respective fields, to understand brain structure, function, and development
across the many levels and areas of data collection and analysis.
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