National information day on the European Science and Technology Cooperation Programme ‘COST’ and the Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area (ERA) Programme ‘WIDERA’.
The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) and the European Office of FECYT are holding a National Information Day to disseminate the European Cooperation Programme in Science and Technology ‘COST’ and the transversal programme of Horizon Europe, broaden participation and strengthen the European Research Area (ERA) ‘WIDERA’.
This conference will be held on 10 June in the MICIU auditorium, with presentations by the national delegate to the COST High Representatives Committee and the COST National Coordinator. In addition, Spanish participants in COST Actions will be present to explain first-hand their experiences with the programme from different points of view. On this occasion we will introduce the transversal programme of Horizon Europe, broaden participation and strengthen the European Research Area (ERA) ‘WIDERA’ by Kaia Kert, representing the European Commission.
The main objective of the conference is to promote the participation of Spanish researchers in the COST Programme and to explain the new features of this programme, within the ‘Horizon Europe’ research framework programme. In addition to presenting the open calls of the WIDERA programme in 2024 and some success stories.
What is COST?
The COST programme started in 1971 and is now one of the largest collaborative frameworks. In Horizon 2020 it has had a budget of €300 million, which will be increased for the new Horizon Europe programme. COST funds cooperation networks with a duration of four years which are called ‘COST Actions’.
COST has always been based on the concept of open and inclusive networks (its Actions), which include all scientific and technological areas (including interdisciplinary, new and emerging fields), new and original (innovative) ideas, all types of participants (public and private, large and small), different research careers (young and senior researchers), all countries (small and large).
What is WIDERA?
This part of the programme supports geographical diversity, building the necessary capacities to enable successful participation in the Research and Innovation (R&I) process, promoting networking and access to excellence, thereby optimising the impact of Pillar 2 ‘Global Challenges’ and seeking synergies with Pillar 3 ‘Innovative Europe’. In addition, this part of the programme aims at advancing the dissemination and exploitation of research results by reinforcing the interaction between education and research, and strengthening collaboration across Europe by opening up to European R&I networks.
To this end, this programme is divided into two main sections:
Broadening participation and spreading Excellence
Reforming and improving the European Research and Innovation system
Why is it interesting to attend the conference?
The COST Action is a simple instrument, suitable for initiating European and international cooperation in research and innovation projects. COST anticipates and complements the activities of the EU Framework Programmes, providing a ‘bridge’ to the scientific communities in different disciplines. It also encourages the mobility of researchers across Europe and the establishment of scientific excellence.
The event is aimed at managers and researchers/research groups from universities, research centres, technology centres and companies.
More information here
