COST Networking Tools
Researchers participating in COST Actions can embark upon a wide range of networking opportunities. Discover more!
COST Actions are science and technology networks open to researchers and stakeholders. They are set up to achieve specific objectives within their four-year duration, defining the collective creation, diffusion and application of knowledge in the frame of the COST Action. These objectives can be reached throughout a wide range of networking tools supported by COST, such as workshops, conferences, training schools, short-term scientific missions (STSMs) and dissemination activities.
Meetings, Workshops and Conferences
Meetings are organised by COST Actions' Management Committee in any COST country participating in the network. They can be of different types, such as Management Committee meetings, Working Group Meetings, Workshops and Conferences. They may be open to the whole scientific community and provide visibility opportunities for the COST Action. COST will contribute to the travel and subsistence costs of participating scientists, and to the organisation costs of the meeting.
Short-term scientific missions (STSM)
Short-term scientific missions (STSM) are exchange visits between researchers involved in a COST Action, allowing scientists to visit an institution or laboratory in another COST country. They are aimed at fostering collaboration, sharing new techniques and infrastructure that may not be available in other participants' institutions or laboratories. STSM are especially intended for young reasearchers.
Training Schools
Another networking tool that COST Actions can use to share knowledge and support collaboration are Training Schools. Training Schools can be organised by a COST Action on related research topics and provide dissemination opportunities for the Action's activities. Training Schools provide intensive training in emerging research topics within the laboratories and organisations involved in the COST Action. Participants are mainly, but not exclusively, young researchers involved in COST Actions. Training Schools also cover appropriate re-training as part of life-long learning.
Dissemination Activities and Publications
Disseminating scientific results achieved by COST Actions is a core value of COST. COST encourages and supports COST Actions and their participants to disseminate the outcome of their research to the COST science and technology networks, the scientific community, the media, policy-makers and society. COST supports its Actions through a series of visibility opportunities, dissemination channels and publications.
Any further information can be obtained by contacting the COST Office Science Officers.
Relevant Documents
The documents below are intended for COST Action participants and for researchers that wish to gather more information about the functioning of COST Actions.
The Financial Documents & Rules relate to financial aspects of the activities carried out by COST Actions. These also include the COST Vademecum, which provides the terms and conditions for financing COST activities.
The COST Action template centre provides document that COST Actions may use to report on their activities.
