On 5th October 2012, the Council of Ministers approved the launch of the first phase (2012-2017) of the recurrent framework programme for research, BRAIN-be (Belgian Research Action through Interdisciplinary Networks).
This framework programme allows  through the funding of research projects based on scientific excellence and  European and international anchorage to meet the needs for scientific knowledge  of the federal departments and to support the scientific potential of the Federal  Scientific Institutions.
North Sea research is fully  integrated within the BRAIN-be programme. Seen the Federal competences related  to the North Sea and the expertise present in the Federal Scientific  Institutions it will receive the necessary attention in the programme.  
The BRAIN-be programme enables participation in transnational  programmes, such as the ERA-NETs  and the Joint Programming Initiatives (JPI).   The current programmes and  actions concerned and relevant for marine research are:
The total research budget of  BRAIN-be is around 117 MEURO.
  
    PERSUADE 
      ExPERimental  approaches towards Future Sustainable Use of North Sea Artificial HarD  SubstratEs 
      
           - Duration       of the project: 01/01/2017 - 15/04/2021
 
           - Budget:       824.442 €
 
           - Coordinator:       DEGRAER Steven & VANAVERBEKE Jan (IRSNB-KBIN)
 
           - Promotors:       MOENS Tom & SOETAERT Karline & VANCOLEN Carl (UGENT); CATTRIJSE       André (VLIZ)
  
      Documentation 
       
      
           - Project       description
 
           - Project       website
 
          - Fedra
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    TILES  
Transnational and Integrated Long-term Marine Exploitation Strategies 
      
        - Duration of the project: 01/10/2013 - 31/12/2017 
 
        - Budget: 1.041.893 €
 
        - Coordinator: VAN LANCKER Vera  (IRSNB-KBIN) 
 
        - Promotors: DE BATIST Marc (UGent);  DE TRÉ Guy (UGent); STAFFLEU Jan (TNO, NL) 
 
       
      Documentation 
       
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    4DEMON  
      4 decades of Belgian marine monitoring: uplifting historical data to today's needs
      
        - Duration of the project: 01/10/2013  - 31/12/2017
 
        - Budget: 999.071€
 
        - Coordinator: DE CAUWER  Karien (IRSNB-KBIN) 
 
        - Promotors: DE WITTE  Bavo (ILVO); SABBE Koen (UGent); DENEUDT Klaas (VLIZ); BORGES Alberto (ULg) 
 
       
      Documentation 
       
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    PAMIR  
      A Portal to Atmospheric and Marine Information Resources 
      
        - Duration of the project: 01/12/2013  - 29/02/2016
 
        - Budget:  347.409€
 
        - Coordinator: DE  RUDDER Anne (IASB-BIRA)
 
        - Promotors: SCORY  Serge (IRSNB-KBIN); VAN MALDEREN Roeland (IRM-KMI)
 
       
      Documentation 
       
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    NEWSTHEPS  
      New Sampling Tools for Heritage & Emerging Pollutants to facilitate GES assessment in the Marine Environment
      
        - Duration of the project: 15/12/2014 - 15/03/2019 
 
        - Budget:  1.200.000€
 
        - Coordinator: ROOSE Patrick & PARMENTIER Koen (IRSNB-KBIN) 
 
        - Promotors: JANSSEN Colin & DE SCHAMPHELAERE Karel (UGent); DEMEESTERE Kristof & VAN LANGENHOVE Herman (UGent); VANHAECKE Lynn (UGent); GAO Yue & BAEYENS Willy (VUB)
 
       
      Documentation 
       
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    INDI67  
      Developments of methods to improve the monitoring of MSFD indicators 6 and 7
      
           - Duration of the project:       15/12/2014 - 15/03/2019 
 
           - Budget: 648.271 € 
 
           - Coordinator: FETTWEIS       Michael (IRSNB-KBIN) 
 
           - Promotors: TOORMAN Erik       & MONBALIU Jaak (KULeuven)
  
      Documentation 
       
      
        - Project description
 
        - Project website
 
        - Fedra
 
           
         
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    FACE-IT  
      Functional biodiversity in a Changing sedimentary Environment: Implications for biogeochemistry and food webs in a managerial setting
      
        - Duration of the project:       15/12/2015       - 15/03/2020
 
        - Budget:       973.650€
 
        - Coordinator: DEGRAER Steven, De MESEL Ilse,       VANAVERBEKE Jan (IRSNB-KBIN)
 
        - Promotors: SOETAERT Karline, MOENS Tom       (UGent); VAN HOEY Gert (ILVO); GREGOIRE       Marilaure (ULg)      
 
       
      Documentation 
     
      
        - Project description
 
        - Project website
 
        - Fedra
 
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    TRIAS 
      Tracking  Invasive Alien Species: Building a data-driven framework to inform policy.
     - Duration       of the project: 15/12/2016 - 15/03/2021
 
     - Budget:       720.619 €
 
     - Coordinator:       Quentin GROOM (JBM-PM)
 
     - Promotors:       ADRIAENS Tim & DESMET Peter (INBO); VAN SCHAEYBROECK Bert & TERMONIA       Piet (IRM - KMI); EGGERMONT Hilde & BACKELJAU Thierry & VANDERHOEVEN       Sonia & HEUGHEBAERT André (IRSNB-KBIN); LENS Luc & STRUBBE       Diederik (UGent) ; VAN DE KERCHOVE Ruben (VITO); VAN HOEY Gert & HOSTENS       Kris & VANSTEENBRUGGE Lies (ILVO) ; VERLEYE Thomas (VLIZ); MONTY       Arnaud & MAHY Grégory (ULg); JACQUEMART Anne-Laure (UCL); BARBIER Yvan       & PRÉVOT Céline (DEMNA); ROELANDT Sophie (CODA-CERVA)
  
      Documentation 
     
      
           - Project       description
 
           - Project       website
 
           - Fedra
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    CHICXULUB 
      Chicxulub  2016 IODP-ICDP deep drilling: From cratering to mass extinction
     - Duration       of the project: 15/01/2017 - 15/04/2021
 
     - Budget:       586.905 €
 
     - Coordinator:       CLAEYS Philippe (VUB)
 
     - Promotors:       KARATEKIN Ozgur (ORB-KSB); GODEFROIT Pascal (IRSNB-KBIN)
  
      Documentation 
     
      
        - Project       description
 
        - Project       website
 
        - Fedra
 
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    RECTO  
      Refugia and Ecosystem Tolerance in the Southern Ocean 
      
        - Duration of the project: 15/12/2015 - 15/03/2020
 
        - Budget: 1.673.532€
 
        - Coordinator: SCHON Isa, VAN DE PUTTE Anton (IRSNB-KBIN)
 
        - Promotors:       DANIS Bruno, DUBOIS Philippe, DE RIDDER Chantal (ULB) ; LEPOINT Gilles,       FREDERICH Bruno (ULg); KOCHZIUS Marc (VUB); VANREUSEL Ann, LELIAERT       Frederik (UGent); VOLCKAERT Filip (KULeuven)      
  
      Documentation 
     
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    RAVEN 
      RAdar registrations of bird  migration Validation through an interdisciplinary approach 
      
        - Duration of the project: 15/12/2015 - 15/03/2018
 
        - Budget: 136.025€
 
        - Coordinator: DEGRAER Steven, BRABANT Robin       (IRSNB-KBIN)
 
        - Promotors: REYNIERS Maarten (IRM-KMI)
 
       
      Documentation 
       
      
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    UAV_Reunion  
UAV Deployment at Reunion Island for TCCON Calibration and Shipping Emissions Mapping 
      
        - Duration of the project: 01/10/2013  - 31/12/2015
 
        - Budget:  149.973€
 
        - Promotor:  DESMET Filip (IASB-BIRA)
 
       
      Documentation 
       
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    AQUARES  
      Aquatic species Register Exchange and Services 
      
        - Duration of the project: 01/12/2013  - 29/02/2016
 
        - Budget: 316.708  €
 
        - Coordinator: DE  WEVER Aaik (IRSNB-KBIN)
 
        - Promotors: VANDEPITTE  Leen (VLIZ); DANIS Bruno (ULB)
 
       
      Documentation 
       
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    VERSO 
      Ecosystem Responses to global change: a  multiscale approach in the Southern Ocean     
      
        - Duration of the project: 01/12/2013 - 28/02/2018
 
        - Budget: 1.239.038€
 
        - Coordinator : DANIS Bruno (ULB)                         
 
        - Promotors: VANREUSEL Ann (UGent); VOLCKAERT Filip (KULeuven);  DEHAIRS Frank (VUB); LEPOINT Gilles (ULg); VAN DE PUTTE Anton (IRSNB-KBIN)
 
       
      Documentation 
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    QuakeRecNankai 
Paleo-tsunami and earthquake records of ruptures along the Nankai Trough, offshore South-Central Japan 
      
        - Duration of the project: 01/10/2013  - 31/12/2017
 
        - Budget:  1.009.336 €
 
        - Coordinator :  DE BATIST Marc (UGent) 
 
        - Promotors: HEYVAERT  Vanessa (IRSNB-KBIN); HUBERT-FERRARI Aurelia (ULg) ; FUJIWARA Osamu (AIST, JP);  YOKOYAMA Yusuke (AORI,  JP); BRÜCKNER Helmut  (Uni-Koeln, DE)
 
       
      Documentation 
       
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    PRESPHOTO 
      Preservation of microalgae in BCCM collections  
      
        - Duration of the project: 01/12/2013 -       29/02/2016
 
        - Budget: 377.700€
 
        - Coordinator: WILMOTTE Annick (ULg)
 
        - Promotors: VYVERMAN Wim (UGent)
 
       
      Documentation 
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    BRAIN-TRAINS 
      BRAIN-TRansversal Assessment of Intermodal New Strategies  
      
        - Duration of the project: 01/12/2013 -       28/02/2018
 
        - Budget: 780.690 €
 
        - Coordinator : VANELSLANDER Thierry (UA)
 
        - Promotors: LIMBOURG Sabine (ULg); VERHOEST       Koen (UA); LEONARD Angélique (ULg)
 
       
      Documentation 
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    SMEAIS 
      Seismic Monitoring of the East-Antarctic Ice Sheet 
      
           - Duration of the project:       01/10/2013 - 31/12/2015
 
           - Budget: 149.600€
 
           - Promotor: LOMBARDI Denis (ORB-KSB)
  
      Documentation 
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    AEROCLOUD  
      How do aerosols and clouds affect the East Antarctic climate?
      
           - Duration       of the project: 15/12/2014 - 15/03/2019
 
           - Budget:       628 346€
 
           - Coordinator:       VAN LIPZIG Nicole (KULeuven)
 
           - Promotors:       DEBACKER Hugo (IRM-KMI); VAN ROOZENDAEL Michel (IASB-BIRA)
  
      Documentation 
       
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    CORDEX.be 
      COmbining Regional Downscaling EXpertise in Belgium: CORDEX and beyond
      
           - Duration       of the project: 15/12/2014 - 15/03/2017
 
           - Budget:       1 022 525 €
 
           - Coordinator:       TERMONIA Piet (IRM-KMI)
 
           - Promotors:       WILLEMS Patrick (KULeuven); VAN LIPZIG Nicole (KULeuven); VAN YPERSELE       Jean-Pascal (UCL); FETTWEIS Xavier (ULg); DE RIDDER Koen & GOBIN Anne       (VITO); STAVRAKOU Trissevgeni (IASB-BIRA); LUYTEN Patrick & VANDEN       EYNDE Dries & DULIERE Valérie (IRSNB-KBIN); POTTIAUX Eric (ORB-KSB)
  
      Documentation 
       
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