29 June 2009 | General, President
COST Statement: the Role of COST in the ERA 2020
COST Vision 2020 is framed by the Strategic 2020 Vision for the European Research Area (ERA). There are several modes of cooperation and instruments to fulfil the mission of ERA. One of them is COST - "European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research" - with long and unique experience in the coordination of nationally-funded research activities.
COST Vision 2020 is framed by the Strategic 2020 Vision for the European Research Area (ERA). There are several modes of cooperation and instruments to fulfil the mission of ERA. One of them is COST - "European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research" - with long and unique experience in the coordination of nationally-funded research activities.
COST activities have been continuously developed in response to the needs of the European scientific community and the COST member states, whilst however maintaining its principal values and characteristics. A series of reforms has influenced and changed the whole COST system. Its structure now encourages more multidisciplinarity. The COST Actions have become more objective driven. Open Calls have been included. Scientific quality control has been reinforced. Dissemination of results has been diversified. Global participation in COST Actions has increased significantly and Early Stage Researchers have gained a stronger role. These and further adaptations will continue to adjust COST to a changing environment and demonstrate COST’s dynamism and ability to adapt to the changing needs of international cooperation.
In Europe's balanced multitude of different systems for the support of research, education and innovation, COST continues to play a very distinct role and to complement other actors in the ERA, providing openness and equality of access to activities in a unique way. There continues to be a strong demand for coordination of bottom-up research activities, and the basic principles of COST – flexibility and openness – are widely recognised. Therefore the level of COST's activities has been maintained and those activities broadened. COST's Vision of its place in the European Research Area in 2020 is:
- COST continues to be a flexible, fast, effective and efficient tool to network and coordinate nationally funded research activities at project level, bringing motivated scientists together under light strategic guidance and letting them work out their ideas, thus contributing to overcome the fragmentation of research in the ERA. A significant share of the European scientific community is involved, directly or indirectly, in COST activities.
- COST responds to future needs; it acts as an exploratorium for ideas and addresses emerging and unforeseen developments. It addresses ambitious goals and more complex questions and has enhanced its precursor role. COST Actions are objective-driven and often multidisciplinary. Their objectives are clearly defined and information arising from COST Actions provides well-structured evidence-based input for policy making and they contribute to Europe's competitiveness and socio-economic development. Whilst maintaining its bottom-up character, COST is open to support longer-term planning processes in the development of new COST Actions.
- COST acts as a catalyst for long-term networking and in particular supports early career scientists and newly established research groups, strengthening their future participation in European and other international research initiatives.
- COST provides a framework for pre-normative cooperation leading to international norms and standards.
- COST is an inclusive and flexible international framework for the benefit of the European scientific community. COST has a worldwide geographical coverage which will be further extended in a pragmatic way by continuing to involve Non-Member Countries in its Actions and through a more structured series of collaborative arrangements.
