How is COST functionning?

Rather than funding research itself, COST brings together research teams in different countries working on specific topics, supporting networking, conferences, short-term scientific exchanges and publications. The coordination activities are supported from the EU RTD Framework Programme.

One of the main characteristics of COST is its flexibility: there are no set areas for co-operation, but scientists themselves put forward proposals for COST Actions (bottom-up principle). Only five member countries need to participate, although in some Actions research teams from three to five times that number are involved ("à la carte" principle).