COST (European Co-operation in Science and Technology)

COST (European Co-operation in Science and Technology) - Framework Partnership Agreement no. 101052382

The European Commission funds almost the entire programme under a Framework Partnership Agreement with underlying Specific Grant Agreements. In these agreements, the COST Association commits to a mandatory conditionality to spend at least 50% of the budget for the benefit of researchers from Widening countries and to run 80% of the activities with a significant widening dimension.

This specific grant agreement has the objective to support the transition of the COST programme towards a more efficient implementation while focusing activities on the interdisciplinary research networks called COST Actions. The applicant should outline in its proposal how the measures proposed to increase efficiency and limiting activities to core activities around the COST actions allow to reduce the implementation costs[[Implementation costs are in this context defined as the ratio of the total grant amount minus financial support to third parties, to the financial support provided to third parties.]] for the financial support to third parties significantly, compared of the level of the first specific grant agreement under the current Framework Partnership Agreement. These measures should be reflected in an action plan with clear milestones.

The expected duration for this specific grant agreement is two years.

The costs incurred by the COST Association as the implementing structure are eligible as direct cost up to a maximum of EUR 16 million as far as they are necessary for the implementation of the COST programme, networking actions and related other support activities. Within this capping, cost for other goods and services and subcontracting are eligible up to a cumulated maximum of EUR 2 million.

COST actions will be implemented by third party grant holders receiving financial support to third parties.

The COST Association will organise competitive open calls and an independent evaluation and selection procedure according to its own rules in agreement with the European Commission. At proposal stage at least 50% of the participants must be located in Widening countries.

Specific conditions: Beneficiaries must provide financial support to third parties (FSTP). The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. In derogation to article 207 EU Financial Regulation, the maximum amount to be granted to each third party can exceed EUR 60,000 and reach up to EUR 900 000 per COST action. This derogation is motivated by the fact that FSTP actions are expected to support a very large numbers of individual researchers (up to around 200).