SEMF: A society for multidisciplinary research in neuroscience and beyond.

Introduction: Multidisciplinarity is crucial for contemporary neurosciences. Nowadays, excessive specialization, and a relative lack of integration efforts of the vast amounts of data, pose a risk to neuroscientific progress. Given the diverse and complex challenges, we need not only collaborations but also intellectual cross-pollination, and rethinking how we develop, review, and publish scientific endeavors. SEMF (in Spanish, Spanish Society for Multidisciplinary and Fundamental Research, https://semf.org.es) is a non-profit organization with the ambition to create social spaces and events where deep theoretical and practical blending of ideas and tools happen. We aim at bridging the gap between STEM, humanities, and artistic disciplines, through an open, inclusive community. Methods: For 13 years, we have designed and organized successful online and hybrid events (see https://www.youtube.com/@SEMF), covering topics from psychobiology to physics and music. Our speakers have come from many renowned research institutions. These events have also helped us build an online community on Discord, with multiple channels by topic for extensive discussion and freely organizing new events and collaborations. Moreover, we have established many partnerships with academic and non-academic institutions (such as national science academies, companies…). Importantly, SEMF is designed upon key principles: open science, minimal bureaucracy, strict open-mindedness, and integration of diversity. We now intend to extend our network in several neuroscience-related congresses. Results: We have achieved active participation of people from many countries and fields. For instance, the 2023 Summer School (https://semf.org.es/school2023/; report here: https://semf.org.es/school2023/school23report.pdf) gathered 300 people, coming from >100 institutions across all continents. On the Discord server, an active group of 330 people daily shares diverse content and perspectives, engaging in biweekly, online events that intertwine diverse subjects. Moreover, several collaborative projects have been founded. Conclusions: Our organization is successfully bringing together people from scientific and artistic disciplines, catalyzing the reconception of theoretical backgrounds, tool applications, and academic structures.