Cooperation in Science and Technology: SNSF COST call launched
© 2019 SNSF
COST promotes Europe-wide scientific cooperation and coordination between various national research activities. It operates by means of scientific networks, known as COST Actions.
COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) aims at enabling breakthrough scientific developments leading to new concepts and products. It thereby contributes to strengthening Europe’s research and innovation capacities. COST brings together European researchers from different COST countries to jointly develop their own ideas and new initiatives across all science and technology fields through trans-European cooperation.
COST activities are carried out in the form of networks, called COST Actions, which are essentially coordinated research endeavours. COST Actions are the result of an international bottom-up programming process. A COST Action lasts for four years. COST does not fund research itself, but supports networking via different tools such as meetings, short-term scientific exchanges, training schools and dissemination activities as parts of COST Actions. Research funding has to be provided by national funding sources.
Researchers based in Switzerland are entitled to apply at the SNSF for funding. This funding is intended as specific support to COST Actions. This should also enable young researchers to establish broad international networks at an early stage of their career.
The COST call launched by the SNSF offers an opportunity to secure funding for a research project. The aim of the call is to support mainly young researchers (PhD/doctorate and postdocs, or researchers with comparable qualifications) who wish to participate in a COST Action to boost scientific cooperation and develop extensive networks across Europe.
The maximum funding for a four-year project is CHF 320,000. This amount is reduced accordingly for a project of shorter duration. Overall, a budget of CHF 5.0 million is available for the entire call.
This call covers research applications that are actively related to the COST Actions CA162##, CA171## and CA181##, given in the Annex. All applicants have to prove active participation in one of these COST Actions. They are either member of the Action’s Management Committee, substitute, or member of a working group; otherwise active involvement must be confirmed by a member of the Management Committee.
Applications can be made in any field of scientific research covered by the COST Actions given in the Annex. In particular, submission of applications of an interdisciplinary nature, which cross the boundaries between different fields of research, pioneering applications addressing new and emerging fields of research or applications introducing unconventional, innovative approaches and scientific inventions are encouraged.
The maximum duration of the projects is 48 months for projects associated with COST Actions CA181## and CA171## and 36 months for projects associated with COST Actions CA162##.
Applications must be submitted via mySNF (Programmes/COST) and in English, since they will be evaluated by internationally recognized experts.
Pre-registration: In order to facilitate the composition of the evaluation panel, main applicants are highly encouraged to open their COST Project application in mySNF as early as possible, and to indicate the COST Action associated with the application, the disciplines and an outline summary of the planned research. The deadline for pre-registration is6 May 2019. Only the data containers corresponding to the above mentioned information need to be filled out in mySNF by this pre-registration deadline, the proposal does not need to be submitted, and can be further processed after this deadline.
The submission deadline for COST Project applications is 4 June, 2019, 17:00 Swiss local time.
Further information:
- Template "Statement of interest" (MS Word)
- SNSF Funding Regulations (PDF)
- COST call document (PDF)
- www.cost.eu
SNSF contact: Programme coordinator, Dr. Georges Klein, [email protected]
Sources:
- http://www.snf.ch/en/funding/programmes/cost/Pages/default.aspx#News
- http://www.snf.ch/SiteCollectionDocuments/COST%20Call%20Document%202019.pdf
The EPFL Research Office is available to help with your application and all the questions you may have.