European COoperation in the Field of Scientific and

European COoperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research COST Office Overview & News and Managing Your COST Action in 2007 E. Paola de Rose Science Officer Earth Systems Science & Environmental Management COST Office, Brussels

What is COST? An intergovernmental framework for R&D which began in 1971. In other words: national governments created COST as the EU's first R&D initiative. Still a member state initiative, COST is now funded via the EU's Framework Programs and delivered via the European Science Foundation February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 2

What Does COST Do? COST builds international networks of nationally-funded research projects, that work together to resolve clearly-defined scientific challenges, and deliver new knowledge, standards, systems or technologies. COST does NOT fund R&D directly February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 3

COST Countries The 27 EU Member States u EFTA Member States Iceland Norway Switzerland Acceding & Candidate Countries Croatia FYR of Macedonia (FYROM)* Turkey Other Countries Republic of Serbia * COST Co-operating States Israel * not associated with FP February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 4

Global Participation in COST Actions Canada - 22 USA - 14 Bosnia & Herzegovina - 1 Ukraina - 15 Armenia - 1 Albania - 1 Algeria - 1 Eritrea - 1 Russia - 27 China - 10 Japan - 6 Rep of Korea - 1 China (Taiwan) - 1 China (Macao) - 1 India - 1 Ethiopia - 1 Brazil - 1 Australia - 7 South Africa - 1 Argentina - 2 New-Zealand - 1 Total number of participations in running Actions: 120 (incl. 5 NGO) February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 5

The COST Scientific Domains 1. Biomedicine and Molecular Biosciences 2. Food and Agriculture 3. Forests, their Products and Services 4. Materials, Physical & Nanosciences 5. Chemistry and Molecular Sciences & Technologies 6. Earth System Science & Environmental Management 7. Information & Communication Technologies 8. Transport & Urban Development 9. Individuals, Society, Culture & Health February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 6

What is a COST Action? - a network of at least 5 nationally-funded projects, from different COST countries, that are individually working on elements of the same scientific agenda; - the network undertakes a joint work programme, as defined in the initial Action Proposal, over a 4 yr period; - goal: produce deliverables (named in the proposal); - the work is carried out on a “volunteer” basis; - additional projects (countries) can join if the scientific work programme and deliverables interest them; February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 7

The Open Call: A New Way of Selecting Actions • First collection date: May 31, 2006. Next: March 30, 2007. • 2 stage process: pre-proposals (2 -3 pages) submitted online; invited full proposals submitted later. Selection criteria are published on-line. After a peer review, proposals are approved based on funding availability & decisions across Domains. From submission to approval takes six months. • First round: 800+ pre-proposals (695 assessed); 79 invited full proposals (11 in the ESSEM Domain) and 39 new COST Actions starting in 2007 (4 in the ESSEM Domain) February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 8

COST Running Actions from 1980 -2005 (status 30/11/2005) February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 9

COST Structure Council COST Secretariat COMMITTEE OF SENIOR OFFICIALS (CSO) COST National Coordinators COST OFFICE 9 COST Domain Committees COST Actions (~200) …. . ESSEM …… ……. MC Action WGs WORKING GROUPS (NETWORKS) …… ~30. 000 researchers Scientific Domain February 2006 MC = Management Committee European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 10

How do COST Actions work? The network collaborates to produce the deliverables. The COST financing supports: • • • Science management and working meetings Scientific workshops and seminars Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) Training Schools and Research Conferences Dissemination (Publications, etc) All activities must be approved by the MC and must conform to the COST Guidelines (see the website) February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 11

The COST Grant System • The MC continues to make all Action decisions, including budget allocations, in accordance with the COST rules. • Responsibility for administering the budget passes from the COST Office to a Grant Holding Institution, selected by the MC. • Grant Agreements are signed and lump sums are transferred to the grant holder, who is legally responsible for appropriate procedures, and subject to audit. February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 12

Selecting a Grant Holder = U of Freiburg • The Grant Holder must be an institution, not an individual. Private companies must be approved on a case-by-case basis by the COST office. Allow several months for the assessment of a company. • In some nations, problems with VAT, income tax, or bank charges have arisen. Select a grant holder based on the list provided to the Chair, or make careful enquiries. • Grouping COST Actions in certain institutions may make sense. February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 13

Legal & Contractual Grant Documents **templates on the website will be updated • Action’s Memorandum of Understanding (including Technical Annex) • Grant agreement signed between the ESF-COST and the Grant holder (for a 1 -4 year period) • Annual Work Plan: description of the Action’s work programme (their full operations) for the coming year. • Annual Budget Plan: breakdown of the expenditures outlined in the annual work plan, showing how the grant for the year will be used. February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 14

Grant Holder Rights & Responsibilities • delivers the Annual Work Plan, by providing administrative/financial support (eg: meeting invitations, minutes, reimbursements, bill payments, financial record keeping…. etc) • adheres to the COST Guidelines and ensures all funds are spent in keeping with COST rules • is entitled to retain up to 15% of the grant toward overhead costs related to the grant holder duties • will be routinely audited and held accountable (all documentation must be held for 5 years) February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 15

Reporting by the Grant Holder *being updated • • Assists with preparation of scientific reports and Final Report (Scientific) • prepares a Preliminary Financial Report (excel file) 6 -9 months into each grant year triggers the release of the remaining 35% • February 2006 prepares Annual Progress Monitoring Reports and Final Report (administrative) prepares Final Financial reports after each 12 month period European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 16

COST Office Web-based IT Tool A ‘common database’, with remote on-line access for Grant Holders, allowing applications, reporting, standard document generation, management of bank details, etc. Objectives: – Central storage and shared access to information (including scientific: eg: key-word search) – Statistics: ex: number of participants per country – Audits – Reporting to EC – Archives / Document Retrieval February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 17

www. cost. esf. org February 2006 European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research 18