Do you have an idea for an innovative research network? Do you want to bring R&I experts from diverse fields, backgrounds, and countries together to advance science and technology?
A COST Action is an interdisciplinary research network that brings together researchers and innovators to investigate a topic for four years. Open to all science and technology fields, including new and emerging ones, COST Actions are also bottom-up meaning you can propose a network based on your own interests or ideas.
COST Actions are pan-European, open throughout their lifetime to new members, and are adaptable in terms of internal organisation and strategy. They are well-suited to promote multi-, inter- and trans-disciplinary collaborations, output and impact-oriented. COST supports networking via different activities such as
- meetings
- short-term scientific missions
- training schools
- dissemination products, to achieve bottom-up defined challenges
Note that COST does not fund research itself.
ELIGIBILITY
COST Actions are Science and Technology (S&T) networks open to researchers and innovators, and other relevant stakeholders, affiliated to a legal entity such as: a public entity (national, regional, local public authority or any other kind of public entity), universities, research centres, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), large companies, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs), as well as any other form of legal entity recognised under a national or international framework.
Proposals must represent a network composed of:
- at least seven COST Full or Cooperating Members amongst which at least 50% shall be from COST Inclusiveness Target Countries (see Annex I – Level A: Country and Organisations Table included below)
- at least 40% of individuals who are young researchers and innovators (defined as being under the age of 40)
An individual may participate either as Main or Secondary Proposer in one proposal only.
Proposers’ guidelines are included as a PDF below, but proposers are also encouraged to contact their COST National Coordinator (CNC) for additional information and guidance (see www.cost.eu/cnc).
VALUE AND DURATION
Funding covers the expenses of networking activities and can be used to fund events, Short-Term Scientific Missions, Training Schools, communication activities, and virtual networking tools. A COST Action is typically worth €150,000 in its first year and on average €180,000 per year for the other three years.
Up to 80 networks will be funded through this call.
KEY DATES
Online information session: 16 June 2026 (register here)
Call opens: 31 July 2026
Deadline: 28 October 2026
Full details, including links to relevant documents and guidelines, can be found on the opportunity webpage.
Alternatively, researchers can find a current COST Action to participate in here.
