European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST)  supports transnational research and innovation networks across Europe. Its core instrument, the COST Action, is a bottom up, interdisciplinary  networking action that brings together researchers and stakeholders from academia, industry, and the public sector. COST Actions fund networking and coordination activities only - not research.

COST Actions
COST Actions support collaboration, knowledge exchange, and capacity building across Europe through networking activities such as meetings, workshops, training schools, short‑term scientific missions, and dissemination.

Each Action runs for four years and is open and inclusive, allowing participants from all career stages and disciplines to join at any time. COST Actions often act as a stepping stone toward larger Horizon Europe projects.

Average funding is approximately €134,500 per year per Action, used exclusively for networking and coordination.

More information can be found on the call website

To ensure high quality support throughout the proposal process, we strongly encourage potential coordinators to contact  your local funding advisor (link til liste på website), as early as possible. Your local funding advisor  will facilitate the contact with Fundraising and Project Management. Early engagement allows us to provide the full range of support services and to plan the process effectively.

Internal support deadlines for identifying potential coordinator candidates who would like support from Fundraising & Project Management are as follows:

• 1 March for applications with deadlines in Quarter 4 (Oct) of the same year. 

See more on our support & deadlines overview or on Plandisc

Applications that do not meet these internal support deadlines cannot be guaranteed support from Fundraising & Project Management.

AAU Seed Money can be used to support the preparation of an application, including activities such as proposal writing, meetings with potential consortium partners, and involvement of an external consultant.

AAU Seed Money is available both at faculty level and through AAU’s missions. For details on available funding amounts, application deadlines, and specific faculty requirements, please contact your local funding advisor.

The profile of a potential COST Action Chair (Coordinator) should be based on the following criteria:

• Is affiliated with an eligible institution in a COST Full or Cooperating Member Country (Denmark / Aalborg University is fully eligible).
• Meets the eligibility rules set out in the COST Open Call guidelines.
• Demonstrates scientific credibility and leadership within the relevant field (CV and publication list are relevant but not decisive).
• Has the ability and motivation to coordinate a European network (note: a COST Action is not a research project).
• Has experience in or aptitude for coordination, facilitation, and community building at European level.
• Is familiar with the international state of the art within the proposed Action’s scope.
• Has experience communicating in English.
• Has the time, willingness, and commitment to act as Coordinator.
• Has access to or interest in building a broad European network across disciplines and career stages.

The profile of a potential COST Action participant (partner) should be based on the following criteria:

• Is affiliated with an eligible institution in a COST Member Country, Cooperating Member, Near Neighbour Country (NNC), or approved International Partner Country (IPC).
• Can join an Action at any time during its lifetime.
• Is open to researchers from all career stages and disciplines; early‑career researchers are fully eligible.
• Contributes to the network through participation in meetings, working groups, training activities, or short‑term scientific missions.

There are no regular information meetings scheduled at AAU. Instead, events are announced on an ongoing basis on our event page.

National events can be found here.

Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) organises events that can be found here.

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Fundraising & Project Management offers basic support for COST coordinator applications.  Our support covers:

Meetings

• Get Started meeting

This meeting establishes a mutual agreement on support, expectations, and the involvement of both Fundraising & Project Management and the local funding support team at department level. The applicant receives guidance on the application process. If relevant, a short introduction to COST can also be included. Likewise, the meeting can provide assistance in assessing whether the funding instrument is the right fit for the applicant and project idea.

Tools

Fundraising & Project Management offers preparation of a timeline to ensure a smooth application process. 

In addition, applicants have access to a range of tools for COST, as available in the Funding Toolbox., including e.g.:

• Annotated template for Part B. 
• Gantt charts to support planning and implementation design. 

Set-up of communication Platform 

Fundraising & Project Management facilitates the setup of a dedicated Microsoft Teams collaboration space for the consortium. This includes creating both internal AAU channels and external partner channels, ensuring a secure and well‑structured platform for communication, document sharing, and coordination throughout the application process

Assistance with Part A in the Funding & Tenders Portal 

Fundraising & Project Management provides support with gathering and entering all required Part A information in the Funding & Tenders Portal. This includes: 

• Collecting PIC (Participant Identification Code) numbers and all mandatory Part A data from each consortium partner. 
• Entering and structuring budget information in the Part A administrative forms. 
• Assistance with general administrative inputs, such as declarations and other compulsory fields. 
• This service helps ensure that all administrative elements in Part A are complete, accurate, and compliant while reducing the administrative burden on the researcher.

Review of application 

Fundraising & Project Management offers one structured proposal feedback during the application process. The feedback includes:

• An in‑depth review of the application, providing concrete suggestions for changes, additions, clarifications, or strategic considerations.
• Feedback aimed at strengthening coherence, alignment with call expectations, clarity of narrative, and overall competitiveness.

The review supports the applicant in refining the proposal and ensuring a high‑quality final submission.

Submission

Fundraising & Project Management offers administrative support related to the submission process in the Funding & Tenders Portal. This includes assistance with understanding and resolving submission‑related questions, as well as hands‑on support during the final submission steps to ensure that the proposal is correctly completed and submitted on time.

Budget

The budget is managed at the department level, with Fundraising & Project Management providing guidance, recommendations, and alignment support as needed. For further information, please contact your local funding advisor.

 The application support process is evaluated twice a year by means of an online survey to coordinators.

No project management is offered from F&P.