european co operation in the field of s cientific and t echnical research

European COoperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research

European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical researchCOST

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1 March 2005

Strengthen Europe in scientific and technical research for peaceful purposes through the support of cooperation and interaction between European Researchers

Mission:


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1 March 2005

COST Characteristics

• Networking & Co-ordination

• Pan-European• “Non-competitive” (pre-

normative; environmental and cross-border problems; public utility)

• National Financing of Researchers – national responsibility

• Bottom-up / Flexible• “A la carte” participation• Multi-disciplinary: wide

range of disciplines covered

• Open to wider cooperation


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1 March 2005

COST Member States

The 25 EU Member States1

EFTA Member States Iceland

Norway

Switzerland

Candidate Countries Bulgaria

Romania

Turkey

Other Countries Serbia and Montenegro2

Croatia2

FYR of Macedonia (FYROM)2

COST Co-operating States Israel

1 from 1 May 04

2 Not Associated to FP

COST Countries


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1 March 2005

COST- Sixth Framework Programme

FPCouncil &

EP Decision

ESF/CSOMoU

EuropeanCommission

CSO

ESF

ESFCOSTOffice

TCs

Actions

Contract Implementation

Consultation

Negotiation

EuropeanResearch

Community


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1 March 2005

COST Financing


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1 March 2005

Committee of Senior Officials(CSO)

2 representatives per COST Country

Responsible for:

• the overall strategy and steering of COST

• deciding on the launching of individual Actions

• approving participation of institutes from non-COST countries

• approving the prolongation/extension of Actions


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1 March 2005

1 representative per COST country

Responsible for:

• selection of new COST Actions (quality control)

• monitoring of ongoing COST Actions

• evaluation of completed COST Actions

• dissemination and valorisation of COST activities

• strategic developments in its domain

• synergies

Domain Committees (DC)


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1 March 2005

• Maximum of 2 representatives per signatory country

• 1 representative per non-COST institution

• Representatives of the European Commission (observer)

• Observers from other organisations

Responsible for :

• supervising and co-ordinating implementation of the Action

• ensuring scientific coordination at a national level

Management Committee (MC)


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1 March 2005

Working Group (WG)

• a small number of researchers working together per WG

• MC members or other scientists from the signatory countries

• Invited experts/ speakers (workshops/ conferences)

• Members from non-COST institutes


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1 March 2005

Agriculture and Biotechnology 1.514.439Chemistry 1.334.631Environment 639.225Food Technology 507.732 Forests and Forestry Products 1.753.348Materials 861.352Medicine and Health 948.987 Metereology 932.935 Miscellaneous 188.484 Physics 742.262 Social Sciences 982.630 TIST 1.737.296 Transport 683.812 Urban Civil Engineering 672.868

TOTAL (€) 13,500,000

COST Domain

Allocation 2005


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1 March 2005

COST Actions – Running Actions 1980-2005COST Actions – Running Actions 1980-2005(Running any time of the year - status 30/11/2005)(Running any time of the year - status 30/11/2005)

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

Year


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1 March 2005

COST Actions – what is supported:

• MC and WG meetings

• Scientific workshops, seminars and conferences

• Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs)

• Training Schools

• Dissemination


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1 March 2005

Who can be reimbursed?

• Max. 2 per signatory country per meeting• Combined meetings: MC+1WG: max 4 per

country; MC+2WGs: max. 6 per country.• Workshops/Conferences: reasonable

division over the signatory countries• Invited speakers (max. 4)• Special fund for neighbouring countries


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1 March 2005

Financing systems in COST

• Pay-as-you-go (most of the domains including Food and Agriculture)

• Annual Grant System (TIST domain)


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1 March 2005

How does pay-as-you-go work?

• CSO approves annual budget division over domains/ actions

• MC decides how to spend the actions’ budget• For each meeting, STSM, etc. MC chair sends a request• COST Office takes care of administration• ESF is doing the payments• Action reports with annual progress report• COST Office has to deal with auditors


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1 March 2005

How does the grant system work?

• Action has to deliver work-plan + budget + dissemination plan for the following year

• DC/ COST Office has to approve work-plan and allocates budget• The annual grant contract is signed• The MC decides how to spend the actions’ budget• The money is transferred to the contract holder: 65% of the budget

and 35% after approval of the preliminary financial report after around 9 months

• Action reports with annual progress report, a preliminary financial report and financial report

• All COST rules still valid• Action has to deal with administration,reimbursements and

auditors


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1 March 2005

Contract holder

• Institute of chair (or other MC member)

• Preferable in euro-zone or possibility for euro-account at bank (less transfer and valuta change costs

• Check VAT-position institute (non-eligible costs!)


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1 March 2005

Pay-as-you-go

Procedures for requests


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1 March 2005

Meeting request

• Request chair by email, including reference to MC decision (legal basis!); at least one month in advance; preferable earlier

• Programme (venue, local organiser, dates, time schedule, presentations, etc)

• List of participants (including email-addresses)


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1 March 2005

Workshops/ Conferences

• Request for organising money by local organiser at least one month in advance

• Reference to MC decision to ask this money• Up to 3.000 euro without financial reporting• From 3.000-10.000 euro with financial reporting

+ invoices• MC approval financial report


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1 March 2005

Combining with non-COST meetings

• COST finances only COST meetings; therefore the COST meeting as such has to be justified!

• COST meetings to be organised before or after the other meeting

• Reimbursement is restricted to travel + accommodation during COST meeting

• COST does not sponsor other meetings


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1 March 2005

Short Term Scientific Missions

Aim: promote exchange within an Action’s scientific objectives.

How: by allowing a scientist (especially a junior researcher) to go to a

laboratory in another signatory country to learn a new technique or to make measurements using instruments and/or methods not available in their own laboratory. Period: minimum 5 working days and maximum 3 months.

Means: Maximum contribution for a mission of 3 months is EURO 2,500


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1 March 2005

Publications

Possibilities:• COST finances certain number of copies

of book or special volume journal• COST takes care of printing through

OPOCE• COST can print folders per COST Action

on request


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1 March 2005

General support chair

• Maximum 2000 euro per year can be asked by the chair

• In principle for the website of the Action

• MC decision needed


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1 March 2005

Positive arguments for pay-as-you-go

• More money available for activities (up to 15% can be spent on management by contract holder in grant system)

• More flexible in planning• Less under spending (reallocation of money

not-used)• Cash is operated by professional service

(accounting, auditing); secure for operation of the contract with the CEC


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1 March 2005

Positive arguments for Grant system

• More financial support for MC chair > better status in institute

• More certainty about the available budget

• Delays in reimbursements could be further reduced


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1 March 2005

Grant system next year

• Web-based IT tool will be developed for actions activities (ready March 2007)

• Contracts for 2 years in stead of 1 year: under discussion

• Training for contract holders will be organised• Per domain switch to grant system in the same

month


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1 March 2005

Budget 2007 for COST 869

General rule: fixed amount of 54.000 euro for each action + 2000 per signatory country.

Budget COST 869: 54.000 + 21 x 2.000 = 96.000

Asked from the first MC 869: activity plan for 2007 (and possibly rough planning for following years); next MC meeting when and where


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1 March 2005

How to plan reimbursements

• Overall average cost per person per meeting is at the moment 800 euro

• Counting with real costs: 150 euro per night + 400 travel (higher for remote places)


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1 March 2005

Discussion items MC 869

• Reimburse 1 MC member per country?• Executive Committee for MC?• WG-leaders?• Committee/ coordinator for STSMs?• Ask for general support for chair?• Who is doing the website?• Who will be the future contract holder?


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1 March 2005

COST Office

• Address: Bouktje Stol

149 avenue Louise

1050 Brussels

Belgium• Tel: +32 (0)2 533 3800• Fax: +32 (0)2 533 3890• E-mail: [email protected]• Website: http://cost.cordis.lu

european co operation in the field of s cientific and t echnical research

Documents

field of scientific

technical researchcost

cost countryresponsible

noncost countries

cost member states

support of cooperation

cost domain allocation

signatory countries