COST’s mission is to enable breakthrough scientific developments leading to new concepts and products. It contributes to strengthen Europe’s research and innovation capacities, and increases the impact on society of scientific and technological research and innovation, in Europe and beyond. Since its establishment in 1971, COST is promoting cooperation in Science and Technology at pan-European level and contributing to closing the gap between science, policy makers and society. It is governed by 38 COST Full and Cooperating Members.
To continue as the leading networking instrument in the ERA, and in line with the COST Vision and Strategic Goals, COST has defined three priorities for its positioning in the remaining part of Horizon 2020 and FP9:
1) Promoting and spreading excellence
2) Fostering interdisciplinary research for breakthrough science
3) Empowering and retaining young researchers and innovators
Pockets of excellence can be found everywhere in Europe and COST has the tools and instruments at its disposal to unlock this untapped potential, creating a win-win situation for Europe as a whole.
COST's interdisciplinary bottom-up research and innovation networks, the COST Actions, are effectively bridging the innovation divide and participation gaps in Europe and are providing a large spectrum of opportunities for young generations of researchers and innovators. Involvement in COST Actions both anticipates and complements the activities of the EU Collaborative Framework Programme, spreading excellence across Europe and beyond. COST Actions are investigator-driven networks, open to researchers and stakeholders of all disciplines. COST encourages participation from all actors, such as academics, non-academics, SMEs, international organisations and public authorities. COST Actions are active through a range of networking tools, such as meetings, workshops, conferences, training schools, short-term scientific missions, Conference Grants, and dissemination activities.
Participation in COST has led to significant results and follow-up in terms of the number of proposals submitted for collaborative research in Horizon 2020, with a striking success rate which more than doubles the average success rates for these programmes. This underpins the role of COST as a pre-portal for follow-up European funding for research and innovation. By networking researchers and innovators from all career levels, from PhD students to Nobel Prize winners, COST connects complementary funding schemes ranging from Erasmus+ to European Research Council (ERC) grants, facilitating the entry of promising young talents into these schemes.
The COST Association is the beneficiary of a Coordination and Support Action following the 2017-18 Work Programme of Horizon 2020. The COST Association AISBL integrates governance, management and implementation functions, creating the base for a responsible and accountable organisation where the Full Members have direct control.
The current report covers the period of 12 months from 01/05/18 to 30/04/19 that represents the 4rd year of the second Specific Grant Agreement (SGA2.4) implementing the FPA signed on 29/07/2015. While the FPA defines the overarching objective and overall strategy to achieve the COST mission for the totality of the Horizon 2020 period, the SGAs set the specific objectives and describe the work and concrete tasks, their timing and required resources for the 12 month implementation period.
An overall budget of EUR 300 million was foreseen for the duration of the FPA covering the total Horizon 2020 period.
