MC Meeting Minutes, Torino 19.9.2017

1. Welcome to participants: Chair, 14:00

2. Verification of the presence of two-thirds of the Participating COST Countries or, if applicable, a quorum

CZ DK(Florian Lorber on behalf of Brian Nielsen) FR DE EE IE IS IT LU MT NO PT RS ES SE CH UK
— quorum!

3. Adoption of agenda: Unanimously approved.

4. Approval of minutes and matters arising of last meeting: Unanimously approved.

5. Update from the Action Chair
a) Status of Action: start and end dates of Action, participating COST countries, participating NNC/IPC institutions and Specific Organisations.

Finland wants to join.
[Who was that with the visa]
Cyprus as well.

b) Short Term Scientific Missions (STSM): review of completed reports and new applications

Cesar giving summary. Slight overspending (Cesar), but we have the extra money that came recently that can be reallocated.

6. Update from the Grant Holder: Action budget status
Around half the budget spend as expected; Lisbon within budget, Torino looks to become slightly above the planned amount.

How to (re)allocate the 20k EUR extra we got extra. Opinions from various members; questions on what happens if it does not get spent. Reallocation should be possible.

8k EUR into STSMs
8k EUR into meetings (e.g. additional money for the winter school)
4k EUR into the Inclusiveness country tool
VOTED

STSM-committee will allocate this extra founding through a process that favours “COST-papers”, i.e. acknowledging being result of the Action. AGREED

7. Update from the COST Association, if a representative is present: NA

8. Monitoring of the Action: Rapporteur Prof. Elvinia Riccobene appointed by COST, she will get in contact with us.

9. Implementation of COST policies on:
a) Promotion of gender balance and Early Career Investigators (ECI)

Tiziana Margaria (IE) joined.

b) Inclusiveness and Excellence (see below list of Inclusiveness Target Countries)
Next meeting in Luxembourg.

10. Follow-up of MoU objectives: progress report of working groups

WG1 – good progress on the book (Ylies), chapters finished, just the introduction is missing.
WG2 – Giles not attending
WG3 – Cesar: progress on the document
WG4 – held successful workshops; written reports are in progress, links to them on the wiki, open for contributions.

11. Scientific planning
a) Scientific strategy (MoU objectives, GP Goals, WG tasks and deliverables)
b) Action Budget Planning
c) Long-term planning (including anticipated locations and dates of future activities)
d) Dissemination planning (Publications and outreach activities)

Grant holder judges progress good, existing and forthcoming publications out of the action.

Luxemburg only WG meeting, not MC. Next MC in Grenobles, exact dates pending, due to the planning of the winter school. MC AGREES to give Ylies the necessary flexibility between mid-Feb and mid-March.

Final COST MC Meeting 9. Nov. 2018 in Cyprus? Comments/questions: Is a formal setting necessary? We should ensure maximum participation. Avoid overlap with other events.
Would this meeting count towards “outreach”?

12. Requests to join the Action from:
a) COST countries
b) Institutions in Near Neighbouring Countries, International Partner Countries, and/or Specific Organisations: EU agencies, European RTD Organisation, International Organisations

Finland, Cyprus, see above. AU still in progress.

13. AOB
Do we need to take action on inactive countries? Not necessary from Chair/Vice-chairs perspective, as backups are now more consistently available.

14. Location and date of next meeting
Only WG-meeting in Luxembourg, exact date of MC meeting in early 2018 pending Ylies planning as approved in 11)

15. Summary of MC decisions
– Extra money allocation, see 6)
– FI and Cyprus VOTED to be accepted

16. Closing