"The NEUREN project is based on an interdisciplinary consortium of 14 laboratories from 4 EU countries (France, Italy, Spain, Poland), 3 industrialized countries (Australia, Canada, USA) and 3 Mediterranean countries (Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon). It covers a large scope of Neuroscience research topics from molecules to integrated physiology, associate basic, translational, and clinical research, from bench to bedside. EU institutions all share similar basic competences but they show significant complementarities to cover all aspects of Neuroscience. Third countries partners bring their own technical and conceptual expertise to build a consortium of excellence, taking advantage of previous collaborations to exploit existing complementary expertise and synergy between the partners.Given the complexity of neurobiological processes, and the broad range of methodological approaches, it is absolutely necessary to develop multi-sites integrated research projects. Therefore, 6 multi-sites projects have been elaborated, using staff exchange as a tool to develop research collaborations.• Pain sensitization in the spinal cord (Bordeaux, Alexandria, Melbourne, Laval, Turin)• Experimental models for neurological disorders (Turin, Marrakech, Alexandria, NY)• Systems neurobiology of neurological disorders (Valence, Tetuan, Krakow, Melbourne)• Cognitive impairment and neuronal dynamics (Marseille, Alexandria, Marrakech)• Dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex and trait anxiety (Nice, Marrakech)• Medical imaging of neurological disorders (Bordeaux, Laval, Beirut)Such consortium will highly support the current efforts to reach outstanding international research standards. It will contribute to develop poles of technical and scientific excellence that will become the reference for the South Mediterranean area. Northern institutions will fully benefit from this integration to further diversify their technical expertise and to aggregate powerful teams of well-trained researchers."