1. 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 ICT COST IC0702 MC Meeting, Warsaw (PL) 20 October 2008 By Sophie Beaubron ICT Administrative Officer

2. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT What is COST ? Multigovernmental Agreement –Created in 1971 –9 Scientific and Technical Domains Participation –35 COST Countries –European Commission –International Organisations –Organisations from Non-COST Countries on Mutual Benefit Basis COST Actions –Coordination of research funded otherwise –Pre-competitive and bottom-up –A tool for networking researchers

3. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT Coordination of research funded otherwise –Nationally, EC, etc –COST does not fund the research effort Pre-competitive and bottom-up –No strategic objectives –No narrow-focussed contracts –Based on a research agenda Networking researchers –Effective instrument for integration –Incubator for proposals –Collective scientific knowledge pool –Some 1000 institutions/3000 researchers in ICT What is a COST Action ?

4. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT COST Secretariat at the Council COST Office Domain Committees (DC) Actions Management Committees (MC) Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) COST National Coordinators Working Groups (WG) COST Structure

5. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT   The 27 EU Member States   EFTA Member States  Iceland  Norway  Switzerland   Acceding & Candidate Countries  Croatia  FYR of Macedonia (FYROM)*  Turkey   Other Countries  Republic of Serbia*   COST Co-operating States  Israel * not associated with FP COST Countries

6. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT COST Funds Contract between the EC and the European Science Foundation (ESF) Under FP6: SSA – Strengthening the European Research Area 80 M€ for 2003-2007 Funded under FP7 Cooperation 210 M€ - 250 M€ for 2007-2013 50% - 80% increase on FP6/year Operated by the COST Office

7. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT Science management meetings Scientific workshops and seminars Short Term Scientific Missions Training Schools Dissemination What is funded ?

8. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT COST Countries: –“Open Call” with collection dates –Membership is open to all countries within 12 months of Action approval –After that, approval of MC is required Non-COST researchers: –Should directly contact Chair of the Action –If “mutual benefit” then official membership MC Approval, DC recommendation, CSO approval How to participate ?

9. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT COST Actions: Global Participation 181 non-COST country participations in 65 Actions (2007) Australia - 21 Argentina - 1 China - 8 Japan - 11 Canada - 26 New Zealand - 4 South Africa - 2 Tunisia - 2 Bosnia & Herzegovina - 2 Ethiopia - 1 Ukraine - 19 Russia - 44 USA - 23 Rep of Korea - 2 China (Taiwan) - 1 Hong Kong - 1 Brazil - 1 Algeria - 2 India - 1 Egypt - 1 Cuba - 1 Malaysia - 1 Moldova - 2 Vietnam - 1 Colombia - 1 Armenia - 1 Georgia - 1

10. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT ICT Topics Antennas, Radio Propagation and Interference Knowledge and Information Management Nanotechnologies and Optical Components Network Design and Analysis New ICT Services User Aspects Wireless and Mobile Communications.

11. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT Communications e-Society Information Systems Knowledge & Information Management Algorithms Software Engineering RF & Signal Processing Global Integrated Networks (Nano) Optics Networks & Traffic monitoring Antennas Security & Trust Human-Machine Interaction Intelligent Transport Radio Propagation eHealth Agreement Technologies Soft Computing ICT in COST

12. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT Communications e-Society Information Systems COST 293, 295, 296, 297, 299, 2100, IC0603 IC0703, IC0802, IC0803 COST 294, 298, 2101, 2102, 2103, IC0601, IC0604 COST 292, IC0602, IC0701, IC0702, IC0801 COST-ICT Portfolio

13. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT IC0702: Combining Soft Computing Techniques and Statistical Methods to Improve Data Analysis Solutions Chair: Christian Borgelt Vice Chair: Frank Klawonn Grant Holder: Fundacion para el Progreso del Soft Computing Rapporteur: Leon Van der Torre (LU) Science Officer: Gian Mario Maggio Administrative Officer: Sophie Beaubron CSO Approval date: 16/11/2007 End date: 30/03/2012 16 Parties + 1 Intention (Cyprus) Budget 2008/2009: 83,500 EUR Website: to be set-up

14. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT Annual Grant Contract COST-ICT support: Annual Grant Contracts with Grant Holder institution Contract covers costs (ie, instruments) for: –Secretariat (administration + charges) max 15% of scientific expenses –Meetings (MC and WGs) –Seminars, Workshops, and Training Schools –Short Term Scientific Missions - STSMs –Publications & Dissemination activities these may be financed centrally at the COST Office for Final Publications

15. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT Deliverables from MC Preliminary Financial Report –15 Jan 2009 Work and budget plan for 2009-10 –submitted by Chair on behalf of MC, Feb/Mar 2009 Progress Report –6 weeks before APC (27 Apr 2009 – provisional) APC: presentation of the Action’s activities during the past year, by the MC Chair; –8-9 June 2009, Santander, Spain (provisional) Final Financial Report –30 July 2009

16. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT COST Tools (1) Support of Early Stage Researchers (1) Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs): minimum 1 one week, maximum 6 months; total shall not exceed 3.500 EUR; prior MC approval (or approval of STSM coordinator); learn new techniques, etc. Training Schools: normally between 3 days and two weeks; aim at providing dissemination from the Action activities and intensive training in a new emerging subject (general support for organisation, travel and subsistence for lecturers, fixed grants for attendees)

17. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT COST Tools (1) Support of Early Stage Researchers (2) Action Think Tank: an early stage researchers‘ network may be created within the action; each year, 1 workshop could involve early stage researchers to strengthen links with each other and with experience scientists Conference Grant: will shortly be established, with 3 grants per Domain per year, of max 3.000 EUR, to participate in an international conference outside the COST Action activities; accepted oral contribution is required for eligibility; selection process

18. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT COST Tools (2) Near Neighbours: Aim: stimulate the participation of researchers from non- COST Balkan countries (i.e. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Egyp, Lebanon, Libya, Morroco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia), Eastern European countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine) A dedicated sum has been set aside to fund attendance by researchers from these countries at meetings of COST Actions Up to 2 researchers per country may attend the meetings

19. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT COST Tools (3) Pilot scheme with Australia and New Zealand (1): Bring European and AU/NZ researchers closer together Specifically addresses researchers involved in COST Actions and provides: –STSM grants for European scientists travelling to AU/NZ (covered by COST Office) –Travel grants to AU/NZ researchers travelling to Europe to attend a COST meeting (covered by the Australian Academy of Science and the NZ Ministry of Research, Science & Technology)

20. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT COST Tools (3) Pilot scheme with Australia and New Zealand (2): If no formal contacts exist between Action MC and AU/NZ researchers, the latter need to seek positive feedback for collaborating with a particular COST action Together with the Action Chair, the AU/NZ researchers will launch a formal request for participation as non- COST country institution (approval by MC, DC-ICT and CSO)

21. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through an EC contract ICT Thanks! sbeaubron@cost.esf.org www.cost.esf.org Questions ?