1. Knowledge and Technology in Developing Countries: Issues of Brain Drain and Transfer
Perspectives from the European Association for Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST)
Sierd Cloetingh
WSF, 8 November 2017

2. COST. The Leading Open Networking Tool in the ERA

3. COST. The Leading Open Networking Tool in the ERA
352
258
2,705
48,000
€129,000
€300 million
*Data throughout the year 2016

4. Implementing COST’s Strategic Priorities
COST Innovators Grant
COST Academy
COST global networking
COST Connect
COST science-informed policy advice
Meetings, workshops
and conferences, and conference grant
Training schools
Short-term Scientific
Missions
Dissemination
activities
COST Actions

5. Role of COST in the ERA – 3 Strategic Priorities
Promoting and spreading excellence
Fostering interdisciplinary research for breakthrough science
Boosting careers young researchers 1 2 3

6. Boosting careers of young researchers

7. Fostering interdisciplinary research for breakthrough science

8. Boosting careers of young researchers

9. COST Association membership
The new Statutes of the COST Association entered into force on 14 September It identifies three categories of membership:
COST Full Member
COST Cooperating Member
COST Partner Member
Kata

10. COST Partner Member
“open to every State that participates adequately or has the ability to participate adequately in COST activities”. COST Partner Members have the following Membership duties:
to notify in writing the name of its current contact person(s) to the Association;
to comply with the Statutes, Internal Rules and policies of the Association;
to maintain a budget dedicated to the participation of its nationals in the COST Actions.
Kata Ambition to at least 5 COST Partner Members end of FP9

11. Near Neighbour Countries (NNC)
243 institutions from NNCs in running COST Actions in 2016
Albania 33
Algeria 5
Armenia 17
Azerbaijan 1
Belarus 8
Egypt 10
Georgia 6
Jordan 6
Lebanon 2
Morocco 5
Palestinian Auth. 6
Moldova 12
Russia 62
Tunisia 16
Ukraine 54
UC - FP9 Ambition double participation

12. International Partner Countries (IPC)
UC –
Higher participation of USA 83, Australia 49, Canada 27 and South Africa 34
275 institutions from IPCs running COST Actions in 2016

13. Participation from non-COST countries
COST Actions are open to welcome non-COST country participants
Participation is based on ascertained mutual benefit
Application procedure is similar for IPCs and NNCs
Funding conditions are different: researchers from NNCs are eligible for reimbursement, COST Actions with NNC participants receive a top-up to their allocated budget
Engaging to COST Actions: secondary proposer, joining an existing Action
Kata
The approval process is faster for NNC

14. Approval process for non-COST country participants
Management Committee of the COST Action
Executive Board of the COST Association on a case by case basis
The same procedure is to be followed for NNC as well as for IPC participants.
The request for joining an Action is made by the institution of the researcher assigning the individual scientist to the Action.
Kata

15. Key Messages
COST is an effective networking instrument to address issues of brain drain and transfer by:
promoting and spreading excellence all over Europe and beyond
fostering interdisciplinary research for breakthrough science, and
boosting careers of young researchers
COST is inclusive by nature and wide open for participation from Near Neighbour Countries and International Partner Countries

16. Fostering interdisciplinary research for breakthrough science
Czech Republic and Switzerland
provide additional national support
to COST Action participants
Budget is available for
Personnel cost of staff assigned to the project (focus on PhD)
Cost of new equipment
Cost of sub-contracting
In addition to the networking tools and the subsequent budget that is dedicated to participants in COST Actions, both Switserland and Czech Republic have additional measures at the disposal for supporting researchers in COST networks. This additional funding is intended to even more support researchers to establish broad international networks, often at an early stage in their carreer.
Support for Swiss participants in COST Actions
Switzerland has a budget line available in the Swiss National Science Foundation, specifically for COST. Budget can be requested for following activities:
For supporting COST activities (workshops, conferences, training schools, etc) taking place in Switzerland. If for example a Management Committee and a Working Group of an action arrange a meeting in Switzerland, then Switzerland will top-up the available budget provided by COST in a similar order of magnitude. Switzerland also supports activities that are only local, e.g. two members of a COST Action (or sometimes from two different Actions with related topics) invite their Swiss colleagues to a workshops or a conference which is directly related to their COST activities (transfer of knowledge). The amount of funding for these kind of activities are in order of up to 3000 EUR max. The handling of the requested budget is very flexible.
For supporting COST activities in “big” conferences with specific COST sessions. If there was a specific interest of Switzerland (political or policy related) the amount could go up to 7000 EUR max. Budget can be requested under the same terms as a).
For funding projects salary and research costs of PhD/doctoral or postdoctoral students embedded in a number of COST Actions. The handling of the funds here is regulated in a much stricter format with rules and regulations. Research projects can be submitted on a template to a call. PhD projects can be submitted only in the first year of a COST Action to guarantee enough overlap of Action and project. Eligible funding costs are salaries, research funds (all funds needed to carry out the project) and subcontracting costs and costs to access large facilities owned by third parties. Projects are evaluated on the basis of scientific relevance, originality, added value through participation in the respective COST Action and the track record and expertise of applicants.
The maximum amount for a four-year project is EUR. The funding will be adapted for a shorter period. Overall, a budget of more than 3.6 MEUR will be available for the period
Support for Czech researchers in COST Actions.
The Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic offers additional support to participants in COST Actions. Beneficiaries can be both research organisations and SME’s operating in the field of research and development. Requests for funding can be submitted to the Department of Strategic Programs & Projects. Proposals are evaluated on the basis of scientific and research quality of the proposal, the expected benefits and the terms of project implementation.
Eligible costs are:
Costs of staff assigned to the project
Costs of new or second hand equipment
Costs of consumables and supplies
Costs of subcontracting
Travel and substance allowances
Indirect costs – overheads
The budget that is available for this program between 2017 and 2024 is 24 million Euro.
It has to be noted that due to the transfer of COST from the Ministry to the Swiss National Science Foundation, both activities described under a) and b) are under revision.

17. Boosting careers of young researchers

18. Fostering interdisciplinary research for breakthrough science
TU1306
Fostering knowledge about the relationship between Information and Communication Technologies and Public Spaces supported by strategies to improve their use and attractiveness (CYBERPARKS)

19. Fostering interdisciplinary research for breakthrough science

20. Fostering interdisciplinary research for breakthrough science

21. The uniqueness of COST COST Action participants
nominated by COST National Coordinators
Main proposer
Secondary proposers

22. Promoting and spreading excellence

23. Promoting and spreading excellence

24. Promoting and spreading excellence
COST Action FP1106
Running from 23/04/2012 – 22/04/2016
STReESS - Studying Tree Responses to extreme Events: a SynthesiS
Lead to establishment of new research facility, the DendroLab Novi Sad, Serbia