Cost networks of successful european cooperation

COST is supported by

the EU RTD Framework Programme

ESF provides the

COST Office through an EC contract

COST COST -- Networks Networks of succesful European of succesful European cooperationcooperation

Svetlana VoinovaSvetlana Voinova

Coordinator for Balkan ActivitiesCoordinator for Balkan Activities

COST OfficeCOST Office



ESF provides the

COST Office through an EC contractCOST presentation, 21 May 2010

Agenda

• What is COST

• How does COST function

• COST and Western Balkan Countries (WBC)

• Next steps



ESF provides the


It was the first and it is one of the widest

intergovernmental European Networks for

coordination of nationally funded scientific

and technical research



ESF provides the


1971Conference of the Ministers of Research of 19 European countries convened in Brussels in November

AT, BE, CH, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GR, IE, IT, LU, NL, NO, PT, SE, TR, UK, YU



ESF provides the


�� The 27 EU Member StatesThe 27 EU Member States

�� EFTA Member StatesEFTA Member States�� IcelandIceland�� Norway Norway �� SwitzerlandSwitzerland

�� Acceding & Acceding & Candidate CountriesCandidate Countries�� CroatiaCroatia�� FYR of MacedoniaFYR of Macedonia�� TurkeyTurkey

�� Potential Candidate CountriesPotential Candidate Countries�� Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina�� Republic of SerbiaRepublic of Serbia

�� COST CoCOST Co--operating Statesoperating States��IsraelIsrael

TODAY 36 COST CountriesTODAY 36 COST Countries



ESF provides the


COST: global participationCOST: global participation

COST countriesCOST countries

Neighbouring Neighbouring countriescountries

Reciprocal Reciprocal agreements agreements countriescountries



ESF provides the


COSTCOST-- NetworksNetworks based on funded based on funded national researchnational research

•• MultidisciplinaryMultidisciplinary

•• ““NonNon--competitivecompetitive””

•• PanPan--EuropeanEuropean

•• GlobalGlobal

•• ““BottomBottom--upup””

•• ÀÀ la cartela carte

•• Open CallOpen Call

•• TransparentTransparent



ESF provides the


COSTCOST isis ::

a flexible, fast, effective and efficient a flexible, fast, effective and efficient tooltool toto

networknetwork and and coordinatecoordinate nationally funded researchnationally funded research

activities at project level (Actions) activities at project level (Actions)

bringing good scientists togetherbringing good scientists together

under under light strategic guidancelight strategic guidance andand

letting them work out their ideasletting them work out their ideas



ESF provides the


Agenda

• What is COST


• COST and WBC

• Next steps



ESF provides the


COST governance and partnershipCOST governance and partnership

contract with the European

Community



ESF provides the


COST ActionsCOST Actions

• Coordinated research effort (4 years)

• Participation of representatives from minimum 5 countries• Research itself funded through national funds• Coordination funded by COST, covering

– Science management / working group meetings

– Scientific workshops and seminars

– Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs)

– Training Schools and Research Conferences

– Dissemination

Average funding about 100 000 €per year per Action



ESF provides the


• 242 COST Actions

• 900 scientific workshops and meetings (4.3 per working day over the year) with more than 29 500 participants

• 1200 STSMs with an average duration of 3 weeks (5.6 STSMs starting every working day over the year)

• 90 Training Schools with more than 2000 funded participants

• 100 high ranking publications

In the year 2009 COST supported :

What is funded by COST?



ESF provides the


Agenda

• What is COST


• COST and WBC

• Next steps



ESF provides the


COST Actions – Participation by country

0

50

100

150

200

250

U K D E ES F R IT PL C H D K B E N L GR F I PT N O SE A T IE HU IL C Z SI R O TR LT SK R S HR M K B A A L M E

COST

COST WBC

non-COST WBC

A clear difference

between COST

and non-COST WBC

CountriesCountries

Act

ion

sA

ctio

ns



ESF provides the


COST Open Call March 2010

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

IT ES U K D E FR N L B E PT GR R O C H A T FI IE SE D K HR IL PL B G LT C Y C Z HU IS SI R S B A LV N O SK T R

other COSTWBC

Nu

mb

erN

um

ber

of of

prepre

-- pro

po

sals

pro

po

sals

COST CountriesCOST Countries



ESF provides the


WBC in COST - Status

Express interest - All

Participation in Actions - HR, RS, MK, BA, AL

Membership - HR, RS, MK, BA



ESF provides the


What are the barriers to success ?*

„EU bureaucratic barriers“„EU bureaucratic barriers“

INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY OF RESEARCH ORGANISATIONSINSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY OF RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS

ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUREAUCRATIC BARRIERS

NATIONAL CAPACITY BARRIERS

“Project management“ barriers“Project management“ barriers

SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND POLITICAL BARRIERSSOCIAL, CULTURAL AND POLITICAL BARRIERS

“EU scientific superiority”“EU scientific superiority”

Political instability Political instability

Scientific excellence

Personal barriers Not barriers

Country has low scientific imageCountry has low scientific image

Lack of partners Lack of partners

*Source: Barriers in research cooperation of WBC countriesInstitute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, ZagrebSteering Platform Meeting on Research for the Western Balkan Countries, May 2009



ESF provides the


Example: Bosnia and HerzegovinaCOST Member since May 2009

Until May 2009 May 2010Action/DomainAction/Domain InstitutionInstitution Action/DomainAction/Domain InstitutionInstitution

A625/EnvironmentA625/Environment University of SarajevoUniversity of Sarajevo

A30/Social SciencesA30/Social Sciences Media Centre SarajevoMedia Centre Sarajevo

ES0601/EnvironmentES0601/Environment Federal Federal HydrometHydromet. . InstitInstit..

FA0803/Food/AgricultureFA0803/Food/Agriculture Veterinary Institute RSVeterinary Institute RS

639/Environment639/Environment University of SarajevoUniversity of Sarajevo

TD0903/ChemistryTD0903/Chemistry BiHBiH National MuseumNational Museum

2 Actions, 2 institutions 2 Actions, 2 institutions 77 Actions, 5 institutions Actions, 5 institutions

FP0803/ForestryFP0803/Forestry University of SarajevoUniversity of Sarajevo

FP0903/ForestryFP0903/Forestry University of University of BanjaBanja LukaLuka

IS0906/Social SciencesIS0906/Social Sciences University of SarajevoUniversity of Sarajevo

Bosnia started benefiting from its COST membership



ESF provides the


Agenda

• What is COST


• COST and WBC

• Next steps



ESF provides the


Next steps: increase your involvement Next steps: increase your involvement and the number of proposalsand the number of proposals

• Disseminate information on COST

• Leverage COST facilities (e.g. COST days)



ESF provides the


Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!

[email protected]@cost.eu

Art & Photos

Cost networks of successful european cooperation