COST Actions

COST Actions:

• Are bottom-up, highly interdisciplinary pan-European networks. They can be in any (new or emerging) science and technology fields (including social sciences). They last 4 years.
• Are typically made up of researchers from academia, public institutions, industry, SMEs, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Help connect research initiatives across Europe and beyond; Promote the creation, exchange, access and application of scientific knowledge. It does so by enabling researchers to meet, grow and share ideas.
• Boost research, innovation and careers. Approximately 45,000 individuals from all career stages currently take part in COST Actions.
• Often pave the way for the development of consortia which go on to participate successfully in EU Research and Innovation bids.

How can you participate in a COST Action?

You can either:

• join a research network once it has started running and throughout the duration of the Action. There are currently over 270 active COST actions.
• propose a COST action.

Make sure to browse existing COST actions before considering proposing a COST action to check if a similar project has not already been funded.

Find a relevant Action you could join by browsing running COST Actions.  (This includes 70 newly approved COST Actions from the 2022 call which will start in Autumn 2023 and to which you can apply to join).

Once you have identified a relevant Action in your field, identify how you could potentially get involved:

• by reading the project plan (Memorandum of Understanding)
• by visiting their COST Action website to find out what opportunities are available (e.g. joining a Working Group, Training School, Short-term scientific mission etc).

There are different ways to participate in a COST Action.

• As a participant in COST Actions activities such as short-term scientific missions (STSM), training schools, workshops, and conferences.
• As a Working Group (WG) member
• As a Management Committee (MC) member
  There are 2 MC members per COST country per COST Action. If you are interested in being a MC member and those two roles have not been filled yet, please contact the UK National Coordinator (CNC).

Please follow the link to learn more about how you can join and participate in a COST Action including which COST representative(s) to contact. The person you need to contact will depend on how you wish to get involved.

Why should you join a COST action?

COST is a great opportunity for researchers (at all career stages):

• who are starting out or wish to get further involved in EU funding;
• who wish to start developing or strengthen their European networks and make important links for potential future consortia.
• COST is a pre-portal for EU R&I programmes. For example, follow-up Collaborative proposals from COST Actions have a 37% success rate. 18.3% of ERC Consolidator grantees successful in the 2021 call are or have been COST Action Participants.
• Researchers (particularly young researchers*) can benefit from participating in:
  - training schools (intensive coaching opportunities on a topic chosen by the Action, lasting up to 15 days)
  - short-term scientific missions (STSM) - exchange visits for researchers, last up to six months. STSM allow researchers to share techniques & gain skills that may not be available at their home institution.
• COST Actions act as a career accelerator for young researchers*
  (*young researchers are defined by the COST Association as those under 40 years old).

COST Actions are bottom-up. Proposals can be on any topic, in any science and technology fields (including social sciences and humanities). COST proposals should:

• Identify a timely research challenge.
• Explain how addressing it could lead to scientific and/or technological advancements.
• Be anonymous.
• Be composed of a network of proposers. At least 7 proposers from 7 different COST Full or Cooperating Members (one Main Proposer plus at least 6 Secondary Proposers).
• At least 50% of Countries in the network of proposers must be from Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs). For example, out of seven eligible countries, a minimum of four countries must be ITCs.
• Respond to COST Excellence and Inclusiveness Policy (Geographic diversity, Empowering young researchers, Gender balance).
• Have an emphasis on excellence and be innovative.

The page limit for the technical annex (core proposal) is 15 pages. If successful, the technical annex become part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). MoU can be consulted when browsing COST actions.

If successful, COST Actions are managed by the Main Proposers. If you intend to apply as the Main Proposer, please contact us first as administrative-related issues would need to be discussed with our Team.

Collection Date (Deadline)

You can submit a proposal for a new COST Action through a continuously open call via the e-COST Portal. There is one collection date (deadline) a year. The next call deadline is 24 October 2024 at 12.00 CEST (11.00 UK Time).

For more information on how to apply, please consult:

• COST page - how to apply?
• COST documents & Guidelines
• Cost Open Call – Applicant Guidelines (Submission, Evaluation, Selection and Approval - SESA)

COST Actions receive funding to cover the expenses of a range of networking activities. This includes:

• Meetings, workshops, conferences;
• Short-term scientific missions (STSM);
• Training schools;
• ITC conference grants;
• Communication & dissemination activities;
• Virtual networking tools.

The financial support averages €130,000 per year for a four-year period.

Once a COST Action is funded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is signed. The MoU provides the Action’s objectives, tasks, activities and milestones.

Based on the MoU, the Management Committee of the Action agrees an annual Work and Budget Plan at the start of the Action and then each year an Annual Grant Agreement is signed between the grant holder and the COST Association.

The evaluation is based on four criteria: Science & Technology Excellence, Networking excellence, impact and implementation.

Evaluation results are received within 8 months from the collection date (deadline). Successful COST Actions are expected to start within three months after approval.

70 new COST Actions have been funded for the 2022 call and will start in Autumn 2023. The success rate for applications for this Open Call was 18.7%.

Consider the following elements when proposing a COST Action:

• Create a new network (rather than seek funding for an existing one);
• Encourage capacity-building, by connecting scientific communities in Europe and beyond;
• Contribute to the coordination & defragmentation of research efforts across Europe by strengthening of Europe's scientific networking capacity
• Contribute strongly and visibly to European society, economic growth and welfare by producing results to relevant stakeholders (e.g. policy-makers, standard bodies etc.)
• Relate to the interest, need and resources of participant countries; Identify and consider R&D efforts supported by other national and international funding schemes
• Demonstrate the Action's added value through the coordination of national research efforts

COST eligibility is independent of UK association to Horizon Europe.

The UK is a COST Full member. As such, UK-based researchers are fully eligible to apply as a main or secondary proposer in COST Open Call for new Actions, participate in all COST activities and receive funding as well as act as expert evaluators.

For more information, please consult:

• the COST Action article on Eligibility of Participation of Swiss and UK researchers in COST.
• 2022 info kit: Growing ideas through networks COST & UNITED KINGDOM.