COST Action networks

COST Action networks
Name	COST Action networks
Formed	1971
Type	Network of researchers
Purpose	Networking, coordination, research collaboration
Headquarters	Brussels
Region served	Europe
Parent organization	European Commission

COST Action networks are pan-European research and innovation coordination frameworks that support networking among researchers, engineers, and stakeholders across Europe and partner countries. They provide short- to medium-term funding for collaborative activities that foster knowledge exchange, capacity building, and interdisciplinary links among institutions such as universities, research institutes, and small and medium-sized enterprises. COST Actions operate within the broader context of European research programmes and interact with national agencies, supranational bodies, and international partnerships.

Overview

COST Action networks function as transnational instruments complementing European Research Area initiatives, linking participants from countries involved in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe partnerships, as well as cooperations with European Cooperation in Science and Technology peers, national research councils such as the European Research Council, and institutions like the European Commission. Actions typically convene researchers from universities such as University of Oxford, Sorbonne University, Heidelberg University, and technical institutes including the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and the Technical University of Munich. They enable interactions with organisations such as the World Health Organization, European Space Agency, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and professional societies like the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Royal Society. Networks often bridge to projects funded by bodies such as the European Investment Bank or national ministries, creating synergies with regional development programmes.

History and development

COST began as a mechanism in the early 1970s to coordinate scientific collaboration among European states, shaped by discussions involving entities like the Council of Europe and the European Economic Community. Over decades it evolved alongside milestones such as the launch of the Eureka (European) initiative, the formation of the European Union, and the development of successive research frameworks including FP6, FP7, and Horizon 2020. Influential actors in its maturation include policy-makers from member states, research administrators from institutions such as the Max Planck Society, and leaders from funding agencies like the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the National Science Foundation (United States) through international exchange. The governance, funding modalities, and thematic priorities adapted in response to strategic reports issued by bodies including the European Science Foundation and recommendations emerging from summits such as the Lisbon Summit (2000).

Structure and governance

Each Action is coordinated by a Management Committee composed of nominated delegates from participating countries and overseen by a Chair and Vice-Chair, interacting with an Executive Group and Working Groups that may include researchers from institutions such as University of Cambridge, Università di Bologna, Karolinska Institutet, and CNRS. Administrative support is provided by a Grant Holder institution, which may be a university, an academy of sciences like the Polish Academy of Sciences, or a research organization such as CERN. Strategic oversight involves liaison with the COST Association and meetings at venues such as the European Parliament or national academies. Rules of procedure and scientific remit are informed by documents produced by bodies like the European Court of Auditors and national ministries of science.

Funding and eligibility

Funding for Actions is provided through COST’s budgetary allocations approved by the COST Association and linked to contributions by member states and cooperating partners, with eligibility criteria referencing participation from countries that are members of COST and approved partner countries including institutions in Israel, Turkey, and the Republic of North Macedonia. Eligible participants typically include researchers employed by universities such as University of Warsaw, public research institutes like the Italian National Research Council, and industry partners including Siemens and Philips in collaborative roles. Funding supports networking expenses—meetings, workshops, short-term scientific missions, training schools—and is distinct from project funding provided by instruments such as the European Structural and Investment Funds or competitive grants from the European Research Council.

Activities and outputs

Common activities include international workshops at venues such as Trinity College Dublin or the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, training schools involving institutions like the University of Leiden and the University of Barcelona, conferences linked with societies such as the American Chemical Society and the European Geosciences Union, and exchanges through Short-Term Scientific Missions connecting labs such as Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Tartu Observatory. Outputs span white papers, position statements submitted to bodies like the European Commission, joint publications in journals including Nature, Lancet, and Science, development of open databases, standards proposals to organisations like ISO, and spin-off collaborations that feed into funded projects under Horizon Europe. Capacity-building often manifests through doctoral training networks and stakeholder engagement with civil society groups and companies.

Impact and evaluation

Evaluations of Actions are conducted through periodic monitoring and external reviews by panels comprising experts from institutions such as the Royal Society of Edinburgh, ETH Zurich, and national academies, with impact assessed against indicators including publications indexed in Web of Science, patents registered with offices like the European Patent Office, and contributions to policy papers for the European Commission or the United Nations. Case studies document influence on regional innovation ecosystems exemplified by collaborations in the Benelux region, the Baltic states, and the Mediterranean research hubs. Success stories cite enhanced mobility between laboratories such as Institut Pasteur and Max Planck Institutes, interdisciplinary synergies with centres like the Francis Crick Institute, and leveraging of COST coordination to secure larger grants.

Criticisms and challenges

Critiques include limitations in scale when compared to large competitive grants like those from the European Research Council, administrative complexity reported by national representatives and universities including University of Vienna, and unequal participation from smaller or less-resourced countries despite outreach efforts to organisations such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Other challenges involve measuring long-term impact versus immediate networking outputs, aligning diverse national priorities, and ensuring sustained follow-through into funded research projects with partners including European Investment Fund stakeholders.