European CO operation in the field of S cientific and T echnical research

1. European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical research

2. Table of contents 1. COST intention 2. COST countries 3. COST Action principles 4. The nature of COST Actions 5. COST Action Domains and Committees 6. COST structure 7. COST financing 8. Selection of COST Actions’ funding 9. Management Committee responsibilities 10. COST Office contact points

3. Intention? ►intergovernmental framework for the coordination of nationally funded research Dr Martin Grabert Director – COST Office Brussels

4. COST countries • 25 EU Member States  EU Acceding countriesBulgariaRomania EU Candidate countriesCroatia* Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)*  Turkey • three EFTA Member StatesIceland Norway  Switzerland  other European CountriesSerbia and Montenegro* COST Cooperating StatesIsrael *not associated to the EU FP6

5. Five principles of COST Actions • flexible • bottom-up proposals • voluntary and selective participation • nationally funded (coordination contribution) • equal access of researchers

6. The nature of COST Actions • inherently international • beneficial to a number of countries • require harmonization of regulations and policy making • are of public concern • desirable newly emerging or multidisciplinary scientific topics

7. COST Action Domains and Committees • Biomedicine and Molecular Biosciences • Food and Agriculture • Forests, their Products and Services • Materials, Physical and Nanosciences • Chemistry and Molecular Sciences and Technologies • Earth System Science and Environmental Management • Information and Communication Technologies • Transport and Urban Development • Individuals,Society, Culture and Health

8. COST structure MC = Management Committee WG = Working Group EU Council COST Secretariat COMMITTEE OF SENIOR OFFICIALS (CSO) COST National Coordinators COST OFFICE COST Domain Committees …….. ……. …… ….. TUD MC COST Actions (~200) Action WGs WORKING GROUPS (NETWORKS) …… ~30,000 researchers Scientific Domain TUD = Transport and Urban Development

9. COST financing

10. Selection of COST Actions’ funding travel expenses and daily allowances for delegates to Management Committee and Working Group meetings studies publications and dissemination (including a website grant) Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) inter-laboratory exchanges workshops/conferences training schools high level research conferences (jointly with the European Science Foundation (ESF)) special provision for researchers from “near neighbours” countries

11. Management Committee responsibilities planning, implementation, and coordination of the Action concerned within its budget allocation composed of up to two experts nominated by each signatory country by the COST National Coordinator scientific work of the Action is organized by the Working Groups based on the Memorandum of Understanding annual progress reports and a final report of the Action

12. COST Office contact points Transport and Urban Development Domain (TUD) Dr Marcus Zisenis Isabel Silva Science Officer Administrative Officer Office: +32 (0)2 533 38 31 Office: +32 (0)2 533 38 42 Mobile: +32 (0)4 94 52 40 87 COST Office 149 avenue Louise, 1050 Brussels, Belgium E-mail: tud@cost.esf.org Home page: http://www.cost.esf.org Fax: +32 (0)2 533 38 90