www.cost.esf.org european cooperation in the field of scientific and technical research cost is...

www.cost.esf.org

European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research

COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme

ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract

ESSEM

COST Office Overview & News, and Managing Your COST Action in 2008

By Carine PetitESSEM Science Officer

Brussels, May 2008



ESSEM

What is COST?

The first and still the widest EU intergovernmental framework for R&D

cooperation was created in 1971 to coordinate nationally funded research activities.

Still a member state initiative, COST is now funded via the EU's Framework Programs and

delivered via the European Science Foundation.



ESSEM

What is the objective of COST?

COST aims at building international networks of nationally-funded research projects in 9 scientific domains, that work together to

resolve clearly-defined scientific challenges, and to deliver:

new knowledge, position papers, standards (inter-comparison, cross cal/val), harmonisation, new systems of reference or

cooperation to develop new technologies.

COST does NOT fund R&D directly!



ESSEM

The 27 EU Member States

EFTA Member States Iceland Norway Switzerland

Acceding & Candidate Countries Croatia

FYR of Macedonia (FYROM) Turkey

Potential Candidate Countries Republic of Serbia

COST Co-operating States Israel

34 COST Countries



ESSEM

COST and our Neighbours

COST Countries

COST neighbouring Countries

• Special budget line to facilitate

collaborations• Special agreement with

Australia, New Zealand• India under negotiation• USA, Asia, Africa: external

experts



ESSEM

COST Actions: global participation (March 2008)

165 non-COST country participations in 58 Actions

Australia - 23

Argentina - 1

China - 6Japan - 11

Canada - 18

New Zealand - 4

South Africa - 1

Tunisia - 2

Bosnia &Herzegovina - 2

Ukraine - 15 Russia - 40

USA - 22Rep of Korea - 2

Hong Kong - 1

Brazil - 1

Algeria - 2

India - 1

Egypt - 1

Cuba - 1

Malaysia - 1

Moldova - 2

Vietnam - 1

Colombia - 1

Armenia - 1Georgia - 2



ESSEM

Non-COST Countries

- Near Neighbours: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Algeria, Egypt,

Lebanon, Lybia, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia, Armenia, Azebaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine.

- Reciprocal agreements: Australia and New Zealand

- Special fund: 100 000 € for Near Neighbour countries and 75 000 € for Countries under reciprocal agreements, in addition to the budget of the Actions. But, one participant per Non-COST Institutions and attendance to one meeting per year.

- Other Non-COST Countries: one representative per institution, 2 max. per country, not reimbursed, no voting rights at MC or WGs; STSMs can occur in these countries. If not official member of the Action, can be invited as external experts to meetings.



ESSEM

• The decision of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the 7th RTD Framework Programme (2007-2013) foresees “financial support for the administration and coordination activities of COST".

• Annex II of the Specific Programme 'Cooperation', in the budget of the Specific Programme, stipulates the financial support for COST: “Of which at least EUR 210 million and up to EUR 250 million for COST, subject to the mid‑term evaluation.”

• In 2007, 228 on-going Actions• 50 new Actions selected from 2 Open Calls per year

COST in FP7: Legal Base



ESSEM

0

50

100

150

200

250

80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

- F

P 4

- F

P 1 -

FP

2

- F

P 6

- F

P 3

- F

P 5

- F

P 7

Year

COST Actions – yearly evolution (1980-2008)

Establishment of the COST OfficeEstablishment of the COST Office



ESSEM

COST Governance



ESSEM

9 COST Research Domains

• Biomedecine & Molecular Biosciences

• Food & Agriculture

• Forests, their Products & Services

• Materials, Physical & Nanosciences

• Chemistry, Molecular Sciences & Technologies

• Earth System Sciences & Environmental Management (ESSEM): 23 Actions

• Information & Communication Technologies

• Transport & Urban Development

• Individuals, Society, Culture & Health

• Trans-Disciplinary



ESSEM

• 2 Collection dates per year: – May 31, 2006;

– March 30, 2007; Sept. 30, 2007;

– March 28, 2008; Sept. 26, 2008;

• 2 stage process: short pre-proposals submitted on-line; invited full proposals are peer reviewed. The final selection depends on funding availability & decisions across Domains. From submission to approval takes six months.

The Open Call: A New Way of Selecting Actions



ESSEM

Results of recent OCs

• CSO approved 25 new COST Actions in November 2007, among which your Action

• Open Call of September 30 2007:

– 4 ESSEM full proposals were successful

– Final approval by the CSO (18 June 2008)

• Open Call of March 28, 2008

– Trans-Disciplinary Domain

– TDP will be examined by a Standing Assessment Body

– 31 ESSEM and 65 TD pre-proposals over 385

• Next Collecting Date: September 26, 2008

• ESSEM Portfolio: Today 23 running Actions

– 2 Actions will end in 2008

– 7 Actions will end in 2009

– 4 Actions should start in 2008



ESSEM

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 (listed in the proposal and MOU);

- the work is carried out on a “volunteer” basis;

- additional projects (countries) can join anytime during the life time of the Action on basis of a MC approval, except during the first year of the project from the CSO approval: any condition being imposed.



ESSEM

CSO approves draft MOUCSO approves draft MOU

Two Stage Process(6 months)

Dissemination(x years)

timetime

5 countries sign MOU5 countries sign MOU

Open CallCollection Date

Implementation(4 years)

MonitoringDC adopts DC adopts draft MoUdraft MoU

DC DC assesses assesses proposalproposalss

Assessment

Evaluation

1st MC Meeting1st MC Meeting

COST Action Life Cycle



ESSEM

How do COST Actions work?

• Science management and working meetings• Scientific workshops and seminars• Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs)• Training Schools and Research Conferences• Dissemination (Publications, etc), website

All activities must be approved by the MC and must conform to the COST Guidelines (see official vademecum on the website and the handbook for the Chairs)

The network collaborates to produce the deliverables. The COST financing supports:



ESSEM How are COST Actions structured?

• Management Committee (MC): 2 members are nominated by each signatory country, and 1-2 meetings are held yearly to manage the Action

• Working Groups (WGs): 2-4 groups, based on the Work Programme, undertake the scientific activity. All MC members should be in a WG. Additional WG members should be recruited from signatory countries based on expertise and interest.

• Core Group: Chair, VC and WG Chairs, Grant Holder, Webmaster; can be mandated by the MC to take decisions not exceeding for example 5000 €

Note: All Action members must be invited to and are reimbursable for meetings of their group



ESSEM

• End Date: 13/11/2012 • CSO Approval Date: 16/11/2007 => spontaneous

applications of new countries until 15/11/2008• 8 Signatories to MOU: CH, FR, DE, HU, IT, NL, ES, UK• 2 intentions: FI, PT, SE• DC Rapporteur: Mr Manuel Palomares

• 14 May 2008 - 31 May 2008 Budget : 30 000 € • Activities Planned to date: First MC Meeting (12 800 €

planned)• Next budget from 1st June 2008 to 31 May 2009: 55 000 €• If 10 countries, you should be refunded up to 63 000 €

COST Action ES0702 “EG-CLIMET European Ground-Based Observations of Essential Variables for Climate

and Operational Meteorology ”



ESSEM

• Understand how to manage a COST Action• Understand COST Rules and Procedures• Understand MC responsibilities for COST Grant System• Elect a Chair, Vice-Chair, WG Leaders, Grant Holder, Webmaster• Start development of the Annual Work Plan and Annual Budget

Plan for May1st 2008 – May 31, 2009 period• Expressions of Commitment: to be submitted to Chair ASAP to

implement the WGs• An up-to-date WG member list must be available to the COST

Office• Notification of decision in minutes: MC1D1

Today: First Management Committee (MC) Meeting



ESSEM

• June 15: name Grant Holding Institution for COST ES0702• June 30: submit the first Work Plan and Budget Plan to COST

Office (June 1, 2008 – May 31, 2009) in order to commit the money and to prepare the Grant Contract

• July 2008 - December 2008: • Signature of the Grant Contract• Training and migration to the Grant System

• DC6 meeting: presentation of the Action at the ESSEM scientific days in Helsinki, 25-26 June 2008 by the Chair; The ESSEM Chair, Vice-Chair and SO will meet the Actions Chairs for an informal meeting and open discussions

Key Dates for COST ES0702 for the first 6 months



ESSEM

• Actions must now pro-actively plan their activities: actual expenditures must reflect the work plan prepared by the MC!

• The migration towards the Grant System will start in July 2008. The migration should be ended by December 2008.

• Publications: the Actions have to take care of their publications (e.g. Proceedings of events, Special Issue, etc.).

• The COST Office will finance the final publication of ending or ended Actions only.

• A new “one-year” budget will be allocated to the migrating Actions when the CGS contract will be prepared (e.g. from August 2008 to August 2009)

Towards the Grant System…



ESSEM

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 the Grant Holding Institution

• Grant Agreements are signed and lump sums are

transferred to the grant holder, who is legally responsible for appropriate procedures, and subject to audit.



ESSEM 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.



ESSEM

Grant Holder Rights & ResponsibilitiesGrant 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 actual expenses toward overhead costs related to the grant holder duties

• will be routinely audited and held accountable (all documentation must be held for 5 years)



ESSEM Reporting by the Grant Holder *being updated each year*being updated each year

• prepares Annual Progress Monitoring Reports and Final Report (administrative, cumulative)

• 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%

• prepares Final Financial reports after each 12 month period



ESSEM

COST Office Web-based IT Tool

A ‘common database’, with A ‘common database’, with remote on-line access for Grant remote on-line access for Grant HoldersHolders, allowing applications, reporting, standard document , allowing applications, reporting, standard document generation, management of bank details, etc. generation, management of bank details, etc.

Objectives: Objectives: – Central storage and shared access to information Central storage and shared access to information

(including scientific: eg: key-word search)(including scientific: eg: key-word search)– Statistics: ex: number of participants per countryStatistics: ex: number of participants per country– AuditsAudits– Reporting to ECReporting to EC– Archives / Document Retrieval Archives / Document Retrieval



ESSEM

News from ESSEM

• Annual Progress Report will be expected by 15 May 2008

• If less than 4 STSMs, justification needed

• New reporting item: non-COST participations’ contributions

– Was there any substantial non-COST contribution in 2007?

– What are the mutual benefits of those contributions?

– Not only factual but also qualitative reporting



ESSEM

News from ESSEM

• LAST DC meeting (10-11 March): – The Vice-Chair, Mr John Ingram, resigned

– A rotation between the Chair and the Vice-Chair was expected for June 2008 according to the decision of the first DC meeting.

– No candidature for chairing the domain was received

– The Chair, Prof. Sylvain Joffre, was elected Chair of the Domain for the next two years

– Dr Ipek Erzi from Turkey was elected Vice-Chair of the Domain

• Open Call of March 2007 led to 2 new ESSEM Actions:– ES0701 Improved constraints on models of glacial isostatic adjustment (29

April 2008)

– ES0702 EG-CLIMET European Ground-based observations of essential variables for CLImate and operational METeorology (14-15 May 2008)



ESSEM

News from ESSEM

• Open Call of September 2007 will probably lead to 4 new ESSEM Actions:

– OC-2007-2-1816: Developing space weather products and services in Europe

– OC-2007-2-1528: The ocean chemistry of bioactive trace elements and paleoclimate proxies

– OC-2007-2-1603: Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in atmospheric research

– OC-2007-2-1832: Advancing the integrated monitoring of trace gas exchange between biosphere and atmosphere



ESSEM

Useful to know…• Early Stage Researchers (i.e. PhD + <10 years)

– Open Call participation and WG leading

– Increased duration of Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) beyond 3 months

– 3 ESSEM Conference Grants per year of 3000 € for attending International Conference

– More Training schools

– Increased involvement in existing COST Activities (Think Tank)

• At least once a year, an Action workshop should foster the participation of ESR

• Actions are encouraged – To meet in COST premises, Brussels

– To organize training schools

– To conform to their timetable. Prolongation/Extension will be consider only without additional budget and on basis of strong scientific justification



ESSEM

• The COST Office will finance the publication of the final report

• You will have to support the costs of any additional publication (special issue, proceedings)

Steps to be followed:

1) MC decision needed for each publication with budget dedicated

2) Official request from Chair to SO with MC decision

3) Validation of request by COST PR Manager and COST reference

4) Notification by SO to Chair and invitation to choose a publisher- OPOCE or Private Publisher

- If Private Publisher: 2 offers in case of price exceeding 3000 € (excl. VAT); COST needs 5 copies

Useful to know about Publications (1/2)



ESSEM

Steps to be followed:

5) Chair sends offer(s) to SO, with strong justification if the most expensive solution is requested

6) Preparation of documents and distribution list (logos, etc.)

7) Confirmation of order by SO

8) Print proof to be sent to SO

9) Printing and Distribution

10)Payment

Please refer to the official document available under “vademecum”:

http://www.cost.esf.org/index.php?id=guidelines

Useful to know about Publications (2/2)



ESSEM

• New template for application of non-COST Countries

• Better description of mutual benefits is requested and of the contribution of the non-COST Institution in the Working Groups

• Motivation letter must be submitted by the non-COST Institution to the Chair and the Science Officer

• The application must be approved by:

• Management Committee

• ESSEM Domain Committee

• JAF Committee of COST

Useful to know about non-COST Countries



ESSEM Australia and New Zealand

• COST pays for European visiting AU or NZ scientists involved in the Action: grant of normally EUR 2500 per visit maximum. The visit must be approved by the MC (STSM).

• AU and NZ pay for their scientists attending your meeting in Europe as soon as their Institute will be an official member of the Action.

• On basis of a prior approval by the MC, the AU or NZ participant has to submit a demand for a STSM to attend the meeting in Europe.

• Applications will be submitted to the Action Chair for endorsement, submitted to the COST Office and the implementing agent of the country:

FEAST – Forum for European-Australian Science and Technology Cooperation: http://www.feast.org/

MORST – Ministry of Research, Science and Technology: http://www.morst.govt.nz/



ESSEM

At this MC meeting

• Sign the Attendance List • Complete and sign your Travel Reimbursement Form and

submit it, together with receipts, to the local organizer or to the Chair

• Send additional receipts by scan/email or fax until 26 May 2008• Save energy and money by using public transportation instead

of taxis (prepare carefully your travels)! Max 40 € per participant and per meeting will be reimburse for taxi. Thanks for the planet!

International Year of Planet Earth (2007-2009)http://yearofplanetearth.org/index.html



ESSEM

Mrs Chandrasa SjamsudinAdministrative Officer

[email protected]

&

Dr Carine PetitScience Officer - ESSEM

[email protected] Tel: 32-2-533-3831

ESSEM team

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