COST Logo


COeu-logo-jpgST is supported
by the EU Framework
Programme Horizon 2020


    Eva-Mayr-Stihl-Stiftung Logo

 
 

     COST
     (European Cooperation
     in Science and Technology)
     is a pan-European inter-
     governmental framework.

     Its mission is to enable
     break-through scientific and
     technological developments
     leading to new concepts and
     products and thereby contribute
     to strengthening Europe’s
     research and innovation
     capacities. www.cost.eu.

     COST rules and guidelines can
     be found here:
     www.cost.eu/participate

 

 

About - COST

COST Logo

Founded in 1971, COST is an intergovernmental framework for European Cooperation in Science and Technology, allowing the coordination of nationally-funded research on a European level. COST Actions cover basic and pre-competitive research as well as activities of public utility.
 

COST does not fund research itself but provides a platform for European scientists to cooperate on a particular project and exchange expertise. These projects are called "Actions". Activities are launched following a "bottom-up" approach, meaning that the initiative of launching a COST Action comes from the European researchers themselves.
 

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  provides the formal basis of an Action, and is signed by the Governments of the COST countries wishing to participate in the Action. The duration of an action is generally 4 years.
 

A detailed description of COST is available on the COST website.
 

COST Actions are set up to achieve specific objectives within their four-year duration, centred around the creation, diffusion and application of knowledge in the frame of the COST Action. These objectives can be reached through a wide range of networking tools supported by COST, such as workshops, conferences, training schools, short-term scientific missions (STSMs) and dissemination activities.

 

  •  Meetings, workshops and conferences

Meetings are organised by COST Action Management Committees in any COST country participating in the network. They can be of different types, such as Management Committee meetings, Working Group Meetings, Workshops and Conferences. They may be open to the whole scientific community and provide visibility opportunities for the COST Action. COST will contribute to the travel and subsistence costs of participating scientists, and to the organisation costs of the meeting.
 

  • Short-term scientific missions (STSM)

STSMs are exchange visits between researchers involved in a COST Action, allowing scientists to visit an institution or laboratory in another COST country. They are aimed at fostering collaboration, sharing new techniques and infrastructure that may not be available in other participants' institutions or laboratories. STSM are intended especially for young researchers.
 

  • Training schools (TS)

COST Actions can share knowledge and support collaboration also through Training Schools. Training Schools can be organised by a COST Action on related research topics and can provide dissemination opportunities for an Action's activities. Training Schools provide intensive training in emerging research topics within the laboratories and organisations involved in the COST Action. Participants are mainly, but not exclusively, young researchers involved in COST Actions. Training Schools also cover appropriate re-training as part of life-long learning.


For more information on COST please visit http://www.cost.eu/participate/networking


Reimbursement entitlements for networking activities are subject to www.cost.eu/Vademecum
 

Personal tools