Dr. Mafalda Quintas Science Officer

1. Dr. MafaldaQuintas Science Officer 11.04.2013 COST: European Cooperation in Science and Technology About COST

2. COST: European Cooperation in Science and Technology An inter-governmental framework, founded in 1971, allowing the coordination of nationally-funded research on a European level through the support of cooperation and mobility of researchers.

3. What is COST Mission? COST enables break-through scientific developments leading to new concepts and products and thereby contributes to strengthen Europe’s research and innovation capacities. COST is a unique means for European researchers to jointly develop their own ideas and new initiatives across all scientific disciplines through trans-European networking of nationally funded research activities. 3

4. What are COST Principles? Highest S&T Quality S&T-driven (bottom-up) Transdisciplinarity Young researchers Sharing knowledge Inclusive Leverage of national resources 4

5. What are COST features? Intergovernmental Pan-European Open to global cooperation on the basis of mutual interest Light-weight administration Easy implementation

6. COST Strenghts networking of researchers (its Actions), which are open to: • all fields of S&T (including interdisciplinary, new and emergent fields) • any novel and original idea (innovative) • all partners (public and private, big and small) • all career stages (young and senior investigators) • all countries (small and big, leader and follower countries), and to non-COST countries (fostering international cooperation)

7. Established in 1971 19 founding COST countries  now 35 + 1 Cooperating State 4 reciprocal agreements with Non-COST countries 250 MEUR of FP7 (0.4% of Total Budget) COST in Figures

8. The 27 EU Member StatesEU Acceding & Candidate Countries Croatia  Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Iceland Turkey Other CountriesBosnia and Herzegovina Republic ofSerbia • Norway  Switzerland COST Cooperating StatesIsrael COST Countries

9. Near Neighbour countries participation 152 Participations in running Actions (15 countries) – September 2012 Russia (52) Belarus (7) Ukraine (28) Moldova (3) Montenegro (7) Albania (13) Georgia (3) Azerbaijan (3) Armenia (4) Tunisia (7) Morocco (9) COST Countries NN countries Lebanon (4) Jordan (2) Algeria (3) Egypt (7) 12

10. COST countries RA countries Reciprocal Agreements (RA) Participation in Actions 215 Participations in running Actions (4 countries) - September 2012 Australia (92) South Africa (39) Argentina (28) New Zealand (56)

11. COST Countries Non-COST Countries Participation in COST Actions excluding Reciprocal Agreements and Near Neighbour Countries Canada (39) China (24) Japan (16) USA (99) Rep of Korea (3) Pakistan (3) Taiwan (1) UAE (1) India (10) Mexico (6) Sudan (1) Hong Kong (2) Thailand (1) Colombia (2) Singapore (2) Peru (1) Indonesia (1) Brazil (13) Mauritius (1) only one Action Namibia (1) Uruguay (1) Chile (1) 229 Participations in running Actions (22 countries) - September 2012

12. COST Governance Action Management Committee (MC) Working Groups (WG) Ministerial Conferences COST Secretariat at the Council Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) Domain Committees (DC) COST Office COST National Coordinators DC Rapporteur

13. COST Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) • Responsible for the overall strategy of COST • Approves all COST Actions, and (rarely) their prolongation • Approves participation from institutions in non-COST countries • President: Dr Ángeles Rodríguez-Peña

14. Domain Committee (DC) • Evaluates proposals for new COST Actions • Monitors running COST Actions through Rapporteurs • Assesses completed COST Actions through Final Evaluation Panels • Proposes strategic initiatives in its Domain • Disseminates and highlights COST activities • Promotes synergies between and among all COST Domains, the European Commission (EC) and other relevant stakeholders

15. COST Scientific Domains

16. European Commission FP7 ESF COST Office COST Funding • Funded through the FP7 ‘Cooperation’ programme • The European Science Foundation (ESF) is COST’s implementing agent • Operated by the COST Office (Brussels)

17. What is a COST Action? • COST Actions are networks integrating nationally funded research, with a minimum of 5 participating COST countries, AND pursuing tangible aims and objectives . • They receive a financial contribution based on a 4-year joint work programme for: • Scientific/Working Group meetings • Workshops and Seminars • Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) • Training Schools • Dissemination

18. Thorir Assistant Professor Ülle Full Professor John Consultant Lech Post-doc Clémentine Senior Researcher Maria phD Zeynep Industry representative

19. Nationally/institutionally funded activities Thorir (Assistant Professor) 1 project Hanna (Full Professor) 2 projects John (Consultant) 4 Projects Lech (Post-doc) 1 draftproject Clémentine (Senior Researcher) 3 projects Zeynep (Insdustry representative) Several on-going projects Maria (phD) 1 phD thesis

20. Nationally/institutionally funded activities Thorir (Assistant Professor) 1 project Hanna (Full Professor) 2 projects John (Consultant) 4 Projects Lech (Post-doc) 1 draft project COST Action Clémentine (Senior Researcher) 3 projects Zeynep (Insdustry representative) Several on-going projects Maria (phD) 1 phD thesis

21. Nationnally/institutionallyfundedactivities Thorir (Assistant Professor) 1 project Hanna (Full Professor) 2 projects John (Consultant) 4 Projects Lech (Post-doc) 1 draft project COST Action Clémentine (Senior Researcher) 3 projects Zeynep (Insdustry representative) Several on-going projects Maria (phD) 1 phD thesis

22. What can be fubnded under a COST Action?

23. Management Committee (MC) • Responsibility • Supervises and coordinates the implementation of the Action • MC minuteddecisions are the only legal basis for expenditures, and must respect COST rules • MC meetings are supported by a template agenda (via Grant Holder and e-COST) • Composition • A maximum of two representatives from each Party • Each party has one vote • One (1) non-voting representative from each participating non-COST institution, with a maximum of two (2) representatives per non-COST country

24. Working Groups (WGs) • Responsibility • Coordinates pre-funded research • Discusses research progress and identifies or makes progress on efforts needed in order to achieve the objectives of the Action • Working Group members may be: • MC members • Other scientists from the accepting parties • Up to 4 invited speakers from non-participating countries or experts may be invited to meetings

25. Coordination and Decision Making Activities • Management Committee Meetings • Define the Action strategy: • Objectives, Milestones, Deliverables and Timeframe • Discussing progress • Planning of activities • Budget allocation • Request for non-COST institutions • Oversees Gender and Age Balance • … • Core Group Meetings • Prepare MC decisions

26. COST Co-Funded Science and Technology Activities • Working Group Meetings • Coordinate the research work • Prepare reports to MC • Workshops and Conferences • To serve the scientific Action objectives and acts as a showcase for the activities of the Action. • Short Term Scientific Missions • all researchers from participating countries but…preference for young scientists (< PhD + 8 years), PhD students… • fostering collaboration, learn a new technique or take measurements using instruments not available in their own institution (excellent mean to produce joint research)

27. COST Co-Funded Science and Technology Activities • Training Schools • Provide intensive training on a subject that contributes to the aim of the Action • If applicable, offer familiarization with unique equipment or know-how in one of the laboratories of the Action • Dissemination(publications, website and outreach activities) • COST Activities from other budget lines • ESR Conference Grant • R-STSMs

28. Joining an Action • COST countries: • Membership in a new Action is open to all COST countries within 12 months of Action approval • After that, MC approval is required • Non-COST countries: • Applicants should directly contact Chair of the Action • If mutual benefit exists, then several approval steps (Action, Domain and COST CSO) taking about 6 months

29. Monitoring/Evaluation of Actions • Monitoring of Actions is carried out via: • Annual Monitoring Progress Reports • Attendance of Action meetings by the DC Rapporteur assigned to each Action • Annual Progress Conference • Annual Progress Conference (APC): • MC Chairs presents Action progress • All MC Chairs are invited • NEXT CMST APC: 5-7 June 2013 in Assisi, Italy

30. Your COST Action COST TD1208 The overall aim of this Action is the establishment of an internationally leading virtual - centre in Europe concerned with the development of theoretical and experimental knowledge and expertise on discharge plasmas-liquid interactions.This Action’s developments will lead to future studies and applications in physics, chemistry, biomedicine and materials engineering. The overall scientific challenge is the development of control strategies for producing plasma- liquid environments that are capable of delivering useful processes and species.

31. Your COST Action COST TD1208 Secondary Objectives • Understand discharge ignition mechanisms in liquid phase • Identify and understand fundamental physical phenomena in the plasma – liquid interaction • Identify the dominating chemical processes in liquids initiated by plasmas • Develop physical- chemical models linked to the topic • Control and utilize the strong non- equilibrium chemistry initiated by plasma- liquid interactions • Develop strategies for specific interdisciplinary applications of plasma- liquid systems

32. Your role as a MC Member • It is YOU, who has been nominated to be a MC member. • YOU are representing your Country in this Action • The SUCCESS of this COST Action is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. • Be OPEN. Be PROACTIVE. • HELP. OFFER yourself for activities. • BRINGIN your expertise (scientific, regional, etc.) • Pass forward information, SHARE knowledge. • It is your chance • To create or enlarge your network • To be recognized (in a working relationship) • Emphasize, that you are working in this COST Action

33. www.cost.eu