COST Action Plan to increase
inclusiveness in COST activities while
fostering scientific excellence
throughout Europe COST 4156/12
Progress Report
Katalin ALFÖLDI
JAF Meeting, Brussels, 16-17 April 2013
COST is supported
by the EU Framework Programme
ESF provides the COST Office
through a European Commission contract
Action Plan Progress Report
 Action Plan published 21 June 2012 as a follow up of
the COST Position Paper entitled COST in the next FP
for Research and Innovation "Horizon 2020“ - COST
Position paper: “The COST Framework - A cornerstone
of the ERA” COST 4106/12
 Progress report covers the first year following the
publication of the COST Action Plan to increase
inclusiveness in COST activities while fostering
scientific excellence throughout Europe 21 June 2012
to 15-16 May 2013
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Action Plan Progress Report
Main activities during the reported period (1):
• the recruitment of a Policy Officer with the profile to
work on Inclusiveness and Excellence (Katalin Alföldi
joined the COST Office 13/09/2012)
• establishing an Internal Working Group on
“Inclusiveness and Excellence” within the COST
Office
• locate more COST Domain events in countries that
can benefit more visibility in their COST activities
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Action Plan Progress Report
Main activities during the reported period (2):
• raising awareness and promoting the
Inclusiveness principles at Action and DC level,
• conducting dedicated missions to the COST
Inclusiveness policy target countries,
• work dedicated to implement the planned
actions under the Action Plan
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Action Plan Progress Report
Work dedicated to implement the planned actions
• Systematic meetings organized with COST National
Coordinators (CNC) twice a year
• 16 October 2012
• 14 May 2013
• Intensified cooperation with the COST Near Neighbour
Countries
•
•
•
•
28 September 2012, Podgorica
6 December 2012, Belgrade
5-7 June 2013, Assisi, CMST APC
rules of international cooperation concerning the eligibility of COST
Near Neighbour country participants’ eligibility for reimbursement
• Targeted Networks
• Sci-GENERATION, CAPABAL, Gender STE, PestPrac
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Action Plan Progress Report
• Active inclusion of Early Stage Researchers in
COST Actions’ activities
• 11-12 March 2013 the FPS domain COST-FTP Young Researchers
Forum
• 25-26 March 2013 “visibility country ESR initiative”
• 3-4 July 2013, Rijeka, TUD Domain APC
• 14-15 February 2013 strategic policy workshop about Relationship
between Genome and Epigenome
• Connecting research infrastructures to all potential
users and contribute to dissemination on their
accessibility
•
MERIL seminar and ESF Member Organisation Forum, 11-13
November 2012 in Strasbourg
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Action Plan Progress Report
Lessons learnt:
• The Action Plan implementation
has started and is progressively
accelerating
• Barriers had to be overcome (i.e.
time from decision to
implementation, communication)
• By now the message is clear and
common work is in progress
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Action Plan Progress Report
Next steps:
• Have more insights from Country and Domain
point of views
• Aim for more reach out and intensify current
Action Plan related activities
• Open up towards fields that are less usual for
COST but very natural to inclusiveness (i.e.
regional innovation, financial engineering of
Community funds for RTDI)
• COST added value (the networking effect)
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