Dr Jenny Renaut, who leads the Environmental Research and Technology platform of the ERIN department at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), has been appointed as the vice-chair of the Scientific Committee of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) association.
COST is a European cooperation measure in the field of scientific and technical research. It does not fund research itself but provides a platform for European scientists to cooperate on a particular project and exchange expertise. These projects are called “Actions”.
Since 1971, COST receives EU funding under the various research and innovation framework programmes, such as Horizon 2020. COST aims to support new, cross-disciplinary projects with participants from different member states. Its practical implementation is in the form of COST Actions, which are scientific networks. The funded 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. Their policies are focused on the inclusiveness and openness, taking care of gender balance and young researchers careers development.
Jenny Renaut, PhD, has been a member of the Scientific Committee since 2015. She was appointed as vice-chair in the Scientific Committee’s meeting mid-May. The term will last for two years.
COST’s Scientific Committee selects which proposals to fund, develops submission, evaluation and selection processes, and monitors existing networks. The Scientific Committee has 38 representatives – one from each COST member state plus one from a collaborating country. The representatives are independent, internationally renowned, high-level experts.
National funding agencies assign their own representatives to the networks. COST funding intends to complement national research funds, as they are exclusively dedicated to cover collaboration activities, such as workshops, conferences, working group meetings, training schools, short-term scientific missions, and dissemination and communication activities.
More about COST & how to get involved
