COST Actions
COST Association is an organization established to ensure the coordination of researchers conducting research with national resources at the European level and to support the networking activities of European scientists. COST, whose full name is "European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST Association)", was established in 1971 and Turkey was among the founding countries.
The organization has 40 member countries. These countries are as follows:
Germany, Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Cyprus, Georgia, Croatia, Italy, Iceland, Iceland, Montenegro, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Macedonia, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and Greece. In addition, Israel is a COST "Collaborating Partner" and all COST activities are also available to scientists working in Israel.
COST's mission is to strengthen Europe in scientific and technical research for peaceful purposes by promoting interaction and cooperation among European researchers.
COST aims to bring together national researchers who are experts in their fields with expert scientists in their fields of study in Europe-based international thematic networks. It is possible to participate in COST Actions, which continue their activities for 4 years, during this period.
The basic elements of the COST mechanism are as follows:While no research support is provided within the scope of the Actions, only network support is provided.
Each COST Action has 1 Management Committee (MC) and different numbers of Working Groups. In the Management Committee, decisions are taken on administrative issues related to that Action. There are maximum 2 members from each COST member country in the Management Committee of an Action. Appointments to the Steering Committee are made by the national coordinators of the country. In Turkey, this task is carried out by TÜBİTAK. Working Groups are thematic groups on the sub-scientific topics of the Action and Working Group members are appointed directly by the Action Management. There is no limit to the number of Working Group members and new members are appointed based on the expertise of the member and the available budget of the Action. Meeting attendance expenses of both Working Group and Steering Committee members are covered by the relevant COST Action. (Click here for detailed information on Action Steering Committee and Working Group memberships).
Citizens of COST member countries can propose a new COST Action (Click here for more information)
Click here for the official website of COST Organization.
Click here for COST 2020 Annual Report.
COST Areas of Activity:
Biomedical and Molecular Biosciences
Food and Agriculture
Forests Products and Services
Materials Physics and Nanosciences
Chemical and Molecular Sciences and Technologies
Earth System Science and Environmental Management
Information and Communication Technologies
Transportation and Urban Development
Individuals, Society, Culture and Health
Interdisciplinary Studies
COST NETWORK SUPPORTS
1. Participation in an existing COST Action as a Management Committee (MC) Member:
Two members can be appointed to the Management Committee of each COST Action from among the researchers of the member countries. Appointment to COST Actions on behalf of Turkey is carried out by TUBITAK in accordance with TUBITAK "Rules for Participation in COST Actions".
Finding a Suitable COST Action:
You can access the COST Actions search engine by clicking on the link to access COST Actions suitable for your field of study: https://www.cost.eu/cost-actions-event/browse-actions/
It is possible to access the list of all ongoing Actions in that area by typing a keyword in the "Action Number or Text" section of the search engine.
When a suitable Action is found, detailed information about the Action can be obtained by accessing the Action page by clicking on the Action title. On the COST Action page, you can get more information about the Action with a short summary of the Action, you can download the "Memorandum of Understanding" by clicking on the "Memorandum of Understanding-MoU" link under the "Action Documents" heading at the bottom of the page, and you can get information about the Action objectives, sub-Working Groups, researchers and managers involved in the proposal process.
To find out the CSO Approval date of an Action, it is sufficient to click on the "Description" tab on the Action's web page. The CSO approval date of the Action can be seen under the heading "CSO Approval Date" in the said tab.
The list of researchers, Working Group leaders and other managers appointed as members of the Steering Committee of the Action can be seen by clicking on the "Management Structure" heading. A maximum of two Management Committee (MC) members from each country can be appointed to an Action. If there are two Management Committee members appointed from Turkey in an Action, no other Management Committee member can be appointed for that Action.
When there is an Action in force that is suitable for participation in terms of subject and Action quota, the application can be made by the most appropriate method in the Rules for Participation in COST Actions.
2. Participation as a Working Group (WG) Member in an Existing COST Action:
Each COST Action has a different number of Working Groups to achieve the scientific objectives of the Action. Working Group members are appointed by the Steering Committee. There is no limit to the number of researchers to be included in the Working Group, but new researchers can be included in line with the person's field of expertise and the available budget of the Action.
The "Working Groups" of the Actions are detailed in the "Memorandum of Understanding" documents, which can be downloaded from the web page of the relevant Action. If the researcher identifies a Working Group suitable for his/her field of study, it is sufficient to apply to become a Working Group Member by using the application system in the "Working Groups and Members" section on the web page of the relevant Action. The request will be discussed by the members of the Management Committee and if the researcher in question is found suitable for the Working Group area, the appointment will be made.
TÜBİTAK does not have any authority and responsibility in Working Group appointments.
The expenses of the Working Group members for attending the Working Group meetings are also covered from the Action budget.
Researchers serving as a Working Group member in a COST Action can apply to the 2519 COST Working Group Support Program. Click here for detailed information.
3. COST Other Network Supports:
3.1. COST INCLUSIVENESS TARGET COUNTIES-ITC CONFERENCE GRANT
COST Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC)[1] Conference grants are grants for participation in international science and technology conferences that are not organized by any COST Action. Early Career Investigator (ECI)[2] and PhD students can apply for these supports. The international conference subject to the application must be compatible in terms of subject matter with the subject of the Action for which support will be requested.
Who Can Apply:PhD students in ITC countries and Early Career Researchers working at institutions in ITC countries are eligible for ITC Conference support.
The applicant must be presenting a poster/ oral presentation at the conference and his/her name must be included in the meeting program. The topic of the oral/poster presentation at the conference must be in line with the topic of the Action for which the application will be submitted.
Each applicant's conference support must be approved by the Management Committee (MC) of the Action to which the application is submitted. Participation in conferences in Europe is preferred, but applications for conferences outside Europe are also considered.
Applications can be submitted via https://e-services.cost.eu/conferencegrant.
ITC Conference Application Process:
The researcher receives an invitation to give an oral/poster presentation at an international scientific conference.
In order to apply for COST ITC Conference support, he/she finds a COST Action compatible with the subject of the international scientific conference he/she will attend. (To find the appropriate COST Action; https://www.cost.eu/cost-actions/browse-actions/)
After finding a COST Action that is compatible with the subject of the conference they will attend, they make their application at https://e-services.cost.eu/conferencegrant. The relevant Action must be selected during the application.
The application is evaluated by the Action management. The compatibility of the subject of the Action with the subject of the international conference to be attended is examined.
The result of the evaluation is notified to the applicant.
Evaluation and Selection of Applications:
The evaluation of each Conference Support application received is carried out by the Management Committee of the Action to which the application is made. The Chair of the Action or the Vice Chair of the Action or the coordinator/committee assigned by the Action management may carry out the evaluation process on behalf of the Action Management Committee. The criteria for the evaluation of Conference Applications are determined by the Management Committee of each Action and the applicants should be informed of the evaluation criteria.
The evaluation and selection of the application is based on the scientific compatibility of the international conference subject to the application with the subject of the Action to which the application is made and how it can contribute to achieving the scientific objectives of the Action.
ITC Conference Support Budget:
The amount of conference support is determined based on the applicant's budget request and the evaluation conducted. The conference support may not cover all costs related to the applicant's participation in the conference subject to the application. It is a contribution towards the applicant's travel, accommodation and meal expenses.
The following criteria are taken into account in the calculation of an ITC Conference Grant:
Each applicant can receive a maximum of EUR 2,500 in total.
Within the total amount of support, up to a maximum of EUR 160 per day can be allocated for meals and accommodation costs.
If conference participation is paid, a maximum of EUR 500 of the total support can be allocated to cover these costs.
In addition, if food and accommodation costs are covered by the conference, the amount of the daily costs is deducted from the total support. Documentation of the conference participation fee must be submitted by the applicant to the Action to which the application is submitted.
Approval of ITC Conference Support Payment:
Within 1 to 15 days after attending the conference, the applicant receives a warning message that he/she must write a "Scientific Report" about the conference participation and upload it to the system. The Scientific Report must be uploaded to the system within 30 days from the last day of the meeting. If the report is not uploaded or uploaded late, the participation support will be canceled.
Click here for COST ITC Conference Support Application Guide.
Click here for ITC Conference Support Application process information note.
3.2. COST SHORT TERM SCIENTIFIC MISSIONS (STSM)
Short-Term Scientific Visit (STSM) support is individual support for researcher mobilization based on institutional visits. The main objective is to increase scientific interaction between individuals.
Who Can Apply?
Researchers enrolled as PhD students or postdoctoral students in a formal research program,
Researchers working in a legal entity, institution or organization related to the research planned to be carried out.
The institution/organization/legal entity where the applicant is studying/working is considered as the "Home Institution" and the institution/organization/legal entity where the research subject to the application will be carried out is considered as the "Host Institution".
The Table below provides the titles of "Host Institution" that may be examples for STSM applications:
Host Institution
Institutions, organizations and legal entities in COST Member and COST Cooperating Member countries
International Partner Country (IPC) organizations
Organizations in COST Near Neighbour Countries (NNC)
The European Commission and the departments of the European Union
International Organizations approved by COST
European-based Science, Technology and Development Organizations
Applications can be made through the COST Electronic system. (https://e-services.cost.eu/stsm)
STSM Application Process:
The researcher makes an agreement with the institution/organization where he/she will make an international scientific visit.
In order to apply for COST Short-Term Scientific Visit (STSM) support, he/she finds a COST Action compatible with the subject of the scientific visit. (To find the appropriate COST Action; https://www.cost.eu/cost-actions/browse-actions/)
After finding a COST Action that is compatible with the subject of the scientific visit, the applicant submits his/her application at https://e-services.cost.eu/stsm. The relevant Action must be selected during the application.
The application is evaluated by the Action management. The compatibility of the subject of the scientific visit and the subject of the COST Action is examined.
The result of the evaluation is notified to the applicant.
Evaluation and Selection of Applications
The evaluation of each Short Term Scientific Visit (STSM) application received is carried out by the Management Committee of the Action to which the application is submitted. The Chair of the Action or the Vice Chair of the Action or the coordinator/committee assigned by the Action management may carry out the evaluation process on behalf of the Action Management Committee. The criteria for the evaluation of Conference Applications are determined by the Management Committee of each Action.
The evaluation and selection of the application is based on the scientific compatibility of the scientific visit subject to the application with the subject of the Action to which the application is made and how it can contribute to achieving the scientific objectives of the Action. In addition, the evaluation of applications also takes into account indicators that the COST organization attaches special importance to, such as geographical inclusiveness, gender equality, and support for young researchers.
STSM Criteria
A Short-Term Scientific Visit;
Must be at least 5 days,It should be planned so that it falls entirely within a single COST Grant Period (the budget period that is periodically transferred to COST from the EUCP).
It should be planned to end before the end of an Action.
Applicants are responsible for making their own arrangements for personal safety, health, tax, social security and accommodation.
STSM Financial Support
The applicant's budget request and the evaluation carried out are taken into consideration in determining the amount of Short-Term Scientific Visit support. STSM support may not cover all expenses related to the applicant's research visit subject to the application. The support in question is a contribution towards the applicant's travel, accommodation and meal expenses.
The following criteria are taken into account in the calculation of an STSM support:
Each applicant can receive a maximum of EUR 3,500 in total.
Within the total amount of support, a maximum of EUR 160 per day can be allocated for food and accommodation costs.
For Early Career Researchers (ECI), the support amounts are as follows:
Within the total amount of support, up to a maximum of 160 Euros per day can be allocated for meals and accommodation.
Action administrations can determine the accommodation and meal per diems at varying rates depending on the country where the Short-Term Scientific Visit will take place.
There are additional obligations to increase the participation of researchers from COST Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC)[2]. Researchers from ITC countries will be able to claim 50% of their total STSM support when they complete the first day of their Short-Term Scientific Visit. In order to fulfill this condition, it is sufficient for the representative of the visited institution to send an e-mail to the Action Management at the end of the first day stating that the applicant has successfully completed the first day. The remaining 50% can be paid after the scientific report to be submitted after the STSM.
Confirmation of STSM Payment
The researcher receiving STSM support is required to submit a scientific report on the visit to the Action Management within 30 days after the end of the visit. The submitted report must be approved by the Action Management in order for the payment to be made.
Click here for COST STSM Application Guide.
[1] Researchers who have not completed 8 years since their PhD graduation.
[2] COST Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC): Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Croatia, Montenegro, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Turkey.
COST USEFUL LINKS
Click here for COST TÜBİTAK website.
Click here for COST introduction video.
Click here for COST official website.
Click here for COST Actions.
Click here for TUBITAK Rules for Participation in COST Actions.
Click for COST promotional brochure.
Click here for COST 2020 Annual Report.
Source: ufukavrupa