The COST Association has three different sources for the assessment of performance and progress:
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), assessed on a quarterly basis.
- COST Actions are required to monitor their own performance, through the Monitoring and Final Assessment (MFA) system, validated by an external and independent rapporteur.
- General and targeted impact studies, as foreseen by the FPA, assessing the impact of COST-funded activities.
The expected impacts of COST are described in the COST Impact Model and can be summarised as follows:
Scientific impact: interdisciplinary collaborations enabling activities that lead to breakthrough science
This foreseen impact relates to the coordination of nationally funded research initiatives and the pooling of dedicated funds in science and technology, in particular bridging geographic, disciplinary and professional boundaries. The COST Association regularly monitors the size of networks and the geographical and national diversity of participants against specific targets set dedicated to this objective. The COST Monitoring and Final Assessment system (MFA) requires COST-funded activities to report on the results of their operations, in the form of common projects and common publications. A particular focus is given to resulting Horizon 2020 projects, underlining the role of COST Actions as the pre-portal to Horizon 2020. Additionally, COST regularly monitors through automated data analysis collaborative scientific publications associated to the Action activities.
Societal impact: bridging the innovation divide and participation gaps, and brain circulation in the ERA
Within COST, 24 countries are designated as COST Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs). COST is committed to contribute to the connectedness of these researchers with leading knowledge hubs. COST regularly measures the running COST Actions’ S&T budget benefiting ITCs, the proportion of researchers from ITCs in Actions, and the representation of ITCs in Actions. On all counts, the COST Association has set specific targets, on which the performance and progress is regularly assessed. Similarly, COST is through several policies and initiatives promoting the inclusion of young and female researchers in all the aspects of the COST Actions, including the leadership positions. Beyond the COST inclusiveness policy, COST regularly monitors impact of COST Actions on societal challenges, for example through science-informed policy advice, standardisation activities or academia-industry cooperation.
