COST Action IS1404 Evolution of reading in the age of digitisation (E-READ) First Management Committee Meeting Dr Rossella Magli Science Officer, COST Association Brussels, 28 November 2014 2 Valentina Vignoli Administrative OfficerTel: Rossella Magli Science Officer Tel: COST Association Contact Points Action IS1404 Agenda (morning) 0. Welcome to participants 1. Adoption of the agenda 2. Status of the COST Action 3. Presentation of the delegations 4. General information on COST mechanism and on the funding and reporting of coordination activities Work and Budget plans Eligible expenses STSMs Financial reports Web-site 5. Acceptance of the internal rules of procedure for the Management Committee of COST Actions 6. Election of the Chair and Vice-Chair 7. Identification of the Grant Holder as the Actions budget administrator Lunch Minutes by COST Association Minutes by COST Association Agenda (afternoon) 8. Work plan for the implementation of the COST Action (based on the Memorandum of Understanding Presentation of the Action by the proponent). Objectives and working programme Working method - organisation and management (including working groups) Distribution of tasks Promotion of gender balance and of Early Stage Researchers (ESR) Time-table 9. Budget plan 10. Place and date of next meeting 12. AOB 13. Closing Minutes by MC Presentation of the delegations IS1404: Evolution of reading in the age of digitisation (E-READ) Status of the Action CSO approval: 14/05/2014 Start of Action:28/11/2014 End of Action:27/11/2018 Duration:4 years Parties: Currently 26 (BE, BG, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IL, IRL, IT, LT, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RS, SE, SI, SK, UK) MC Chair: to be elected at 1 st MC Meeting MC Vice Chair: to be elected at 1 st MC Meeting Budget 1 st GP: About COST 7 What is COST? COST is the oldest and widest European intergovernmental framework for transnational Cooperation in Science and Technology COST has been supporting the networking of research activities across 35 Member Countries and beyond since 1971 COST is open to all disciplines, all novel and ground- breaking science and technology (S&T) ideas and to all categories of partners where mutual benefit is real 8 Key Principles Supporting excellence Being open Being inclusive Driving Forces Fostering new ideas Sharing knowledge Output orientation 9 Key Principles and Driving Forces 10 COST was established in 1971 Growing from: 19 member states in 1971 to 35 Member States and 1 Cooperating State in 2011 7 Actions in 1971 to more than 300 Actions in 2014 (in total more than 850 COST Actions have been funded) From a few hundred thousands in FP1 to 300 Million in Horizon 2020 COST History COST Countries 11 328 running Actions in March 2014 Country participation in COST Actions 12 Resolution adopted by all the Representatives of the Governments of the 35 COST Member Countries: the COST Association was established on 19 September 2013 with the aim of providing the legal entity for the implementation of COST activities in the near future The COST Association is established as an International Non-Profit Association under Belgian law (ASBL). COST Association in H2020 COST Funding 2014 European Commission Horizon 2020 European Commission Horizon 2020 COST Association COST Association COST Organization Under H 15 COST Budget under H2020 EUR 300 million for 7 years, coming from two H2020 work programmes: Challenge 6 Europe in a changing world inclusive, innovative and reflective Societies Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation For trans-European networking of nationally funded research activities COST Policies under H Inclusiveness Aims at: Enabling researchers from less research- intensive countries across the COST Member Countries to set up and/or join COST Actions and get involved in all COST activities. Counterbalancing research communities unequal access to knowledge infrastructures, funding and resources distribution. 17 18 COST Inclusiveness targeted countries 19 SHORT TERM SCIENTIFIC MISSION Early Stage Researchers TRAINING SCHOOLS ACTION THINK TANK CONFERENCES GRANTS Gender balance With the aim to: Enable under-represented gender to be intensively involved in all COST activities. Reach gender equality in science and technology. 20 International Cooperation With the aim to: support the involvement of researchers from Near Neighbour and International Partner countries in COST Actions on the basis of mutual benefit. 21 COST 4115/13: COST International Cooperation Rules About COST Actions 22 Science and Technology Network with a duration of four years and a minimum participation of five COST Member Countries, organised through a range of networking tools: Meetings (MC, WG) Conferences Workshops, Short-term scientific exchanges Training schools, Publications & dissemination activities What is a COST Action? 23 24 Action Structure MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (MC) MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (MC) WG 1 WG 2 WG X GRANT HOLDER (GH) GRANT HOLDER (GH) WG 3 COST Association COST Association Management Committee Coordination, Implementation, and Management of an Action. Supervising the appropriate allocation and use of funds. To achieve the Actions objectives. DECISION MAKING BODY COMPOSED BY: The MC is composed of delegates nominated by their respective COST National Coordinator (CNC). Up to 2 representatives per COST country. Chair, Vice-Chair, WG leaders, Grant Holder MC Observers. 25 Management Committee ACTION CHAIR ACTION VICE CHAIR WG LEADERS GRANT HOLDER And other horizontal activities Core Group CORE GROUP Prepares MC decisions CORE GROUP Prepares MC decisions CORE GROUP MEETINGS Exception: WG leaders can be exceptionally MC substitutes in the case of best serving the COST mission and Policies. 26 Management Committee Minimum once a year in a participating COST Country. Typical duration day. Decisions only valid if at least 2/3 of the Participating COST Countries are represented. Simple majority vote of MC Members with one vote per Participating COST Country. MC decision must be minuted and sent to the COST Association. DECISION PROCEDURES MC MEETINGS E-VOTE Initiated and managed by the MC Chair. All MC members are in thelist. Vote open (7 days). Simple majority vote of MC Members with one vote per Participating COST Country. MC decision must be minuted and should be included in the official MC minutes of the following MC Meeting. EXCEPT approval IPC and NNC. 27 Management Committee Implement the ACTION STRATEGY as defined in the MoU. Decide the ACTION STRUCTURE: Election of the Action Chair, Vice-chair, Grant Holder and other relevant COST Action positions needed to achieve Actions Objectives. Working Group structure and membership. Submit and approve the ANNUAL WORK & BUDGET PLAN. DISSEMINATION & EXPLOITATION STRATEGY. Approval of NEW PARTICIPANTS after 12 months from start of the Action. Implement COST POLICIES. MONITORING & ASSESMENT. Supervising the appropriate ALLOCATION OF FUNDS. MAIN TASKS TO BE PERFORMED by the MC 28 Working Groups The objectives of Working Groups are to perform the necessary tasks required for the Action to fulfil its scientific objectives as defined in the MoU. WG leaders must be MC Members. Working Group Meetings: Coordinate the research work, production and exchange of research, prepare reports to MC and have specific agenda and minutes. PRODUCTION & EXCHANGE OF RESEARCH COMPOSED BY: Any researchers from Participating COST Member Countries. MC Members, or MC Observers from NNC, IPC, Specific Organisations. Every MC Member must join a Working Group and actively participate as Working Group Member. 29 Working Group Meetings Coordinate the research work Prepare reports to MC Workshops and Conferences To serve the scientific Action objectives and acts as a showcase for the activities of the Action. Dissemination Meetings To showcase an Action at e.g. relevant conference in the field COST Science and Technology Activities (networking tools) Short Term Scientific Missions all researchers from participating countries, but preference for Early Stage Researchers (PhD + 8 years), PhD students fostering collaboration, learn a new technique or take measurements using instruments not available in their own institution (excellent mean to produce joint research) Dissemination publications, website Other outreach activities Implementing COST policies in the Action 32 Leadership roles at Action level. Locating Action meetings, workshops & conferences. Promoting STSMs tool in these countries. Benefiting from COST networking tools. Strategy of the Action in order to attract top-scientist from these countries. 33 IMPLEMENTATION at MC Level: Inclusiveness SOME EXAMPLES: The ACTION should have a plan towards inclusiveness, which should be regularly revised an updated by the MC Set a target figure, from which a percentage of the Action budget shall be used for ESRs-STSMs. Special STSMs for Early Stage Researchers: up to 6 months with a grant of up to EUR. Specific Support for Training Schools An early stage researchers' network may be created within the Action as a think tank. 34 IMPLEMENTATION at MC Level: SOME EXAMPLES: Early Stage Researchers The ACTION should have a plan for the involvement of ESR that should be regularly revised an updated by the MC. Gender balance 35 IMPLEMENTATION at MC Level: SOME EXAMPLES: Leadership roles at Action level (WG leaders) Gender balance in allocation of STSMs Active promotion of STSMs to ESRs of under-represented gender Gender balance in allocation of Training School Trainee grants Gender balance in allocation of meeting reimbursement places Chair encodes applicant details in eCOST. Needs MC approval. 36 International Cooperation OPTION 1: NNC & IPC Already Included at the proposal = FOUNDERS OPTION 2: NEW NNC & IPC Applicant contacts Chair Chair encodes applicant details in eCOST Applicant and Chair complete application form in eCOST eCOST manages the process of Management Committee (MC), HoSO and EB approvals Applicant receives annotifying them of the outcome. What is the Yearly Work & Budget Plan? Is the document which the Grant Agreement is based upon. Establishes the S&T objectives for the Grant Period and links with the Action General Objectives. Details the COST Networking tools to be used during the Grant Period. Needs to be Approved by the COST Association and MC. 37 Yearly WORK AND BUDGET PLAN Action Chair Action Chair COST Association COST Association MC How to prepare the W&B Plan? SO announce the budget and start and end date of the GP. The Action Chair prepares the W&B plan, consulting the MC and taking in consideration the Action Objectives: Establishes the goals for the Grant Period. Lists all the tasks the Working Groups need to complete in order to achieve the established goals. Linked to the above, lists and provides details on the COST Networking tools and the expected outputs. Estimates the budget for each activity (following COST rules). Submits the Draft W&B Plan in the e-CAMT tool for negotiation with the SO and approval. MC approval: MC votes the finalized document and Action Chair informs the COST Association (SO) of the result. 38 COST Member Countries: Membership in a new Action is open to all COST countries within 12 months of Action approval After that, MC approval is required Any researcher from a participating COST country can join the WGs International Partner Countries (IPC) Applicants should directly contact Chair of the Action If mutual benefit exists, then several approval steps (Action, and COST CSO) Near Neighbour Countries (NNC) geographically close to COST countries Top-up based on effective attendance of approved NNC participants Specific Organisations participation Joining an Action 39 WHO CAN PARTICIPATE? Institutions from COST Member Countries, Near Neighbour Countries and International Partner Countries, including: Government Organisations, except Intergovernmental Organisations Universities and Associated Organisations Business Enterprises (ranging from SMEs to multinationals) Private Non-Profit Organisations/NGOs (even if international) Standards Organisations (even if international) European Commission and EU Agencies European RTD Organisations, including: CERN, EMBL, ESA, ESO, ESRF, European XFEL, ILL, EFDA JET; International Organisations (i.e. intergovernmental organisations whose members are countries), excluding European RTD Organisations COST Near Neighbour Countries Participation 206 participations in running COST Actions across 17 countries 41 Albania (15) Algeria (7) Armenia (8) Azerbaijan (5) Belarus (6) Egypt (7) Georgia (5) Jordan (2) Lebanon (5) Moldova (5) Montenegro (12) Morocco (13) Palestinian Authority (3) Syrian Arab Republic (2) Russia (51) Tunisia (14) Ukraine (46) March 2014 data 42 Participation is based on mutual benefit COST reimburses participants from formally approved institutions to participate in meetings ( max. 2/country ) to have a Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) to a COST country participating to the network COST reimburses participants from COST participating Countries to undertake Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) to approved NNC institutions Near Neighbour Countries Institutions International Partner Countries 519 participations in running Actions across 27 countries 43 March 2014 data 44 Participation is based on mutual benefit COST DOES NOT reimburse participants from formally approved institutions to participate to meetings COST reimburses STSM to researchers from COST countries participating in the Action to a formally approved institution International Partner Countries Institutions 45 EU Agencies:gencies_bodies/index_en.htm International Organisations: Any intergovenmmental organisation, other than the European Community, which has legal personality under international public law, as well as any specialised agency set up by such an international organisation (Vademecum p.52) European RTD Organisations: CERN - European Organisation for Nuclear Research, EFDA JET - European Fusion Development Agreement, EMBL - European Molecular Biology Laboratory, ESA -European Space Agency, ESO - European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, ESRF - European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, European XFEL - European XFEL Free-Electron Laser Facility, ILL - Institut Laue-Langevin COST DOES NOT reimburse participants from EU Agencies and International Organisations to participate to meetings COST DOES reimburse participants from European RTD Organisations to participate to meetings Specific Organisations Vademecum p. 52 NNC and IPC Institution participation request NNC and IPC Institution requests have been integrated in e- cost Overall process requires 6 steps: 1.Initiate the request in e-cost (MC Chair) 2.Completion of the application details (Applicant): template (description mutual benefits) + motivation letter 3.Validation by the Science Officer (SO) 4.MC approval (MC Chair) 5.EB (Executive Board CSO) approval NNC: accelerated written procedure is launched IPC: EB receives request for approval 4x per year (Last Friday in February, May, August, November) Participants from formally approved institutions from NNC are eligible for reimbursement as defined in the COST Vademecum Participants from formally approved institutions from ICP are never eligible for reimbursement In particular cases, scientists from non-approved NNC and ICP can be reimbursed from the Action's budget under the condition that the scientist has been formally invited as invited speakers for a specific meeting Funding of participants from NNC and IPC - Summary ? Monitoring/Final Evaluation of Actions 48 Under revision for H2020 49 New COST Evaluation and Selection Procedure in H2020 Proposal (15 pages max) STEP 1: Independent External Experts (3 assessments) S&T Excellence, Impact & Implementation STEP 2: Review Panel Quality Check and resolution of Discrepancies STEP 3: Selection by Scientific Committee FINAL STEP: Approval of Actions by CSO 50 COST Open Call Next collection date: March 2015 Stay tuned for COST updates: