06 June 2008 | General, President
Global interest in COST
“COST does indeed contribute to increasing cooperation in research on a world basis” commented Professor Francesco Fedi, President of the COST Committee of Senior Officials, noting the ever-growing requests received by institutions from non-COST countries to take part in COST Actions.
“One of the key features of COST is its openness towards the rest of the world on the basis of mutual benefit. Institutions from non-COST countries can join an Action on a case-by-case basis once the mutual benefit has been ascertained, without the need for any formal arrangements at government or agency level.
Ms Mary Minch, Director of Directorate D, International Cooperation, at the European Commission’s DG Research, stated during a COST Office seminar last week that “COST is a good tool to complement the European Commission’s activities in international cooperation. It helps to lay the foundations for further collaboration within the Framework Programme”.
With such light, fast and easily accessible procedures, COST is an important opportunity for cooperation between the scientific communities across the 35 COST countries but also a “bridge” for the scientific communities both in European neighbouring countries and on a worldly basis. More than 190 institutions from non-COST countries are currently participating in COST Actions.
In general, researchers from Institutions in non-COST countries do not receive economic support from COST. However, COST established a particular strategy to encourage Mediterranean, North-African, Balkan and Eastern countries to participate in COST Actions. For each COST Action up to two researchers from each country may be reimbursed for attending the Action meetings. They are eligible for support when participating in other activities decided at the level of individual Actions (short-term scientific missions, training schools and conferences).
In July 2007, two pilot schemes entered into force to support the travel and subsistence costs of Australian and New Zealand researchers participating in COST Actions. These reciprocal agreements were developed in collaboration with the Australian Academy of Science and the Royal Society of New Zealand respectively, and draw on dedicated funds from their respective governments. Within ten months participation from these two countries has more than tripled. “This is proof of the ‘easy access’ of COST to third countries, and these reciprocal agreements could be a model which could be extended even further,” commented Dr. Martin Grabert, Director of the COST Office. Now, South Africa, India and Argentina are looking at the possibility of similar arrangements.
COST recently approved 26 new requests from non-COST country institutions to join COST Actions. These requests stem from 13 countries ranging from Azerbaijan to Russia. For the first time researchers from the Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem, Palestine, will join COST Action D43 Colloid and interface chemistry for nanotechnology; This could be an indicator that collaboration in science and research supports peace processes by generating trustful working environments,” he concluded.
