Initiated by a grant by the Zukunftsfonds of the state Styria, the NeuroCenter Styria aims at promoting research into different aspects of cognitive neurosciences, by facilitating the interdisciplinary collaboration of scientists from many diverse fields, such as engineering, psychology, medicine and computer sciences. One of the main goals of the Center is the development of methodology and solutions for the direct communication between computers and the brain (Brain-Computer Interface - BCI). Different methodologies are being explored and translated into workable appliances, involving online biosignal processing of correlates of the brain's electrical activity using brain imaging methods, such as electroencephalography (EEG), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Successful appliances have already been designed in the fields of prosthetics, rehabilitation, and communication technology for completely paralyzed patients.