CERNOHL

CERNOHL is an international non-profit research network dedicated to interdisciplinary study of neurobiology and language, with a strong emphasis on open science, data sharing, and collaborative methodology. It coordinates projects across member institutions worldwide and operates a framework for multi-site research and annual conferences.

Originating in the early 2000s from a consortium of universities and research centers, CERNOHL sought to bridge neuroscience and linguistics and to standardize data practices. Over time it expanded to include dozens of member institutions, regional hubs, and joint training programs.

Governance rests on a General Assembly of representatives, a seven-member Council that sets scientific strategy, and an independent Ethics and Data Governance Board that establishes data-sharing policies and research conduct standards. An external advisory panel provides subject-matter guidance.

Core activities include funding and coordinating international research projects, maintaining a centralized repository for neuroimaging data, language corpora, and related metadata, and disseminating results through an open-access journal and conference proceedings.

Flagship initiatives include the Open Neuro-Linguistic Data Repository (ONLD-R) and the Cross-Linguistic Neuroimaging Initiative (CLNI). CERNOHL also runs training programs to promote reproducibility, interoperability, and responsible data stewardship.

In policy and science discussions, CERNOHL is cited as an example of international collaboration and open science governance. Critics note potential governance complexity and challenges in sustaining long-term data-sharing commitments across diverse legal environments.