The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) is a funding organisation for research and innovation networks. Their Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and beyond and enable researchers and innovators to grow their ideas in any science and technology field by sharing them with their peers. COST Actions are bottom-up networks with a duration of four years that boost research, innovation, and careers.
The COST programme does not fund research but provides support for networking activities carried out within COST Actions. Participants of a COST Action can therefore collaborate through a range of networking tools, such as meetings, conferences, workshops, short-term scientific missions, training schools, virtual networking grants, publications, and dissemination activities.
COST Actions are open to:
- all fields of science and technology (including new and emerging fields);
- all types of institutions (academia, public institutions, SME/industry partners, NGOs, European/international organisations, etc.);
- all career stages (both young and experienced);
- all COST Members*, as well as Near Neighbour Countries (eligible for COST support) and International Partner Countries (including all LAC countries).
COST Actions are different from many other EU funded projects because it is possible to join and participate in a research network even once it has started running, this feature applies throughout the entire lifespan of the Action. This is the openness of COST.
How Latin American and the Caribbean researchers can join?
Latin America and the Caribbean countries are non-COST countries. Anyhow, researcher based in LAC are able to participate by joining a running COST Action, become a member of a proposing team for a new COST Action, or work as an external expert.
- Join a running COST Action: You can join an already running COST Actions. Choose a COST Action of your interest and contact the Action’s Chair demonstrating your interest in joining the Action. It is really easy!
Explore the 70 new Actions 2025
- Be included in a COST Action proposal: Individuals from non-COST countries cannot be a main proposer but they can be included as secondary proposers at the submission stage. The call is annual. The 2025 call is open until 21 October 2025.
- Become an external expert: Evaluate proposals submitted to the COST Open Call and Assess progress of running COST Actions
Benefits of participating in COST Actions:
- Join recognised research networks
- Connect with leading European and global peers
- Increase your success rate in accessing follow-up funding with special emphasis on EU research funding including MSCA proposals
- Increase the visibility of your research
- Career opportunities
- Limited financial support to participate i.e. when LAC researchers participate as trainers in COST Actions Training Schools or as an invited individual in a COST Action meeting.
Watch the video on how to join COST Actions
PAST WEBINAR: Watch the webinar about the COST ACTIONS organised in 19 November 2020 by EURAXESS LAC and EURAXESS North America. More about the event here.
Plenary
Q&A in Portuguese
Q&A in Spanish
About COST:
*There are 41 members of COST, as well as 1 Cooperating Member and 1 Partner Member. The 41 COST Member Countries are: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, The Netherlands, The Republic of North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and United Kingdom. The Cooperating Member is Israel and the Partner Member is South Africa.
LAC countries are considered International Partner Countries.