European Cooperation in Science and Technology

COST is a European intergovernmental framework to foster cooperation in science and technology. COST was founded in 1971.

Objectives

COST is one of many European financial instruments to contribute to the build-up of the European Research Area. COST now involves 36 countries (35 Member States and one cooperating state). COST helps co-operation in common research projects that themselves are funded by national means. COST's projects (called "COST Actions") cover basic and pre-competitive research as well as activities of public utility. The support will cover the costs of networking activities such as meetings (e.g. travel, subsistence, local organiser support), conferences, workshops, short-term scientific exchanges, training schools, publications and dissemination activities. COST does not fund the research itself. In essence COST funds researchers' mobility. In this role COST complements European Commission's Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development.

Finance

The Seventh Framework Programme funded and funds COST during the years 2007-2013 by 250 million euro.

Scientific domains and projects

COST has around 200 running "COST Actions" in nine scientific domains:

• Biomedicine and Molecular Biosciences
• Chemistry and Molecular Sciences and Technologies
• Earth System Science and Environmental Management
• Food and Agriculture
• Forests, their Products and Services
• Individuals, Societies, Cultures and Health
• Information and Communication Technologies
• Materials, Physics and Nanosciences
• Transport and Urban Development

In the Trans-Domain Proposals there is opportunity to make proposals across the scientific domains.

Management

COST is governed by the COST Member States.

Its highest decision-making body is the "Committee of Senior Officials" (CSO) which consists of two representatives per country, one of them being the COST National Coordinator (CNC). It is responsible for the strategic development of COST and decides, amongst other things, on the proposed new Actions following the Open Call.

COST Domain Committees are composed of scientists of the European scientific community.

The European Science Foundation implements the COST Office through a contract with the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. The COST Office is based in Brussels, Belgium. It supports the scientific activities and implements CSO decisions.

See also

• COST Action 231 - Radio Propagation models such as Hata Model
• COST Action MP0902 - Composites of Inorganic nanotubes and Polymers
• COST Action FP1105 - Understanding wood cell wall structure, biopolymer interaction and composition: implications for current products and new materials.
• COST Action FA0804- Molecular Farming: Using Plants to manufacture High Value Products

External links

• COST Secretariat at the Council of the European Union