BROWN UNIVERSITY

Their core work

Brown University is a leading Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, participating in H2020 exclusively as a third-party or partner institution — typically hosting visiting researchers through Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships. Their H2020 involvement centers on humanities and social sciences, particularly early modern history, colonial studies, and transnational migration, with a recent expansion into health-related machine learning and nanofabrication. They serve as an international knowledge hub where European-funded researchers access Brown's deep expertise in historical scholarship, applied econometrics, and interdisciplinary research.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Brown's early H2020 engagement (2016–2019) was almost entirely rooted in humanities — colonial history, transnational adoption, migration studies, and the social dynamics of Iberian empires. From 2020 onward, a clear diversification emerges: nanofabrication coordination (SUSNANOFAB), machine learning for stroke rehabilitation (MAESTRO), and refugee econometrics (SYRREFTDHS) join the portfolio alongside continued historical work. This signals a university broadening its EU collaboration footprint from a humanities stronghold toward applied science and health.

Brown is diversifying from its humanities base toward quantitative and applied fields, making it increasingly relevant for interdisciplinary consortia that bridge social science with technology or health.

How they like to work

Brown participates exclusively as a partner or third party — never as coordinator — which is typical for a non-EU institution in H2020. With 43 unique consortium partners across 19 countries from just 10 projects, they connect into large, geographically diverse networks. This makes them a valuable international anchor for consortia seeking a prestigious US-based research partner without expecting them to handle project management.

Brown has collaborated with 43 unique partners across 19 countries, reflecting broad international reach driven by MSCA mobility schemes. Their network spans Europe widely, with connections likely concentrated in Portugal, Spain, and the UK given the Iberian history focus of several projects.

What sets them apart

As a US-based Ivy League university, Brown offers something most H2020 participants cannot: deep American academic networks, world-class humanities and social science departments, and a research environment that attracts top global talent. Their unusual combination of colonial history expertise with emerging capabilities in health AI and nanofabrication makes them a versatile partner. For consortium builders, Brown adds international prestige and access to US-based research infrastructure that strengthens global collaboration narratives.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SUSNANOFAB
  Only non-humanities project in the portfolio, marking Brown's expansion into nanofabrication and manufacturing — a significant departure from their typical profile.
• MAESTRO
  Applies machine learning to stroke rehabilitation forecasting, signaling Brown's move into health-tech and clinical AI.
• REVFAIL
  Unusually creative research concept — studying the genealogy of failure and unsuccess across centuries, spanning Iberian empires and Latin America.