COST - Cooperation in Science and Technology

COST has a history of more than 30 years of very successful operation in science and technology with the Information and Communication Technologies being one of the most successful domains. Canada has been active in the COST program for many years and able to report successful project collaboration under the program.

COST is a framework for scientific and technical cooperation set up by intergovernmental agreements. The secretariat services are provided by the Secretariat General of the Council of the European Union, while the COST Actions and the Domain Committees operations are managed at the COST Office, in Brussels.

COST-ICT covers all COST activities in the field of Information and Communications Sciences and Technologies, from fundamental research to services and applications. COST-ICT coordinates research in three main areas: Communications; Information Systems and eSociety.

COST-ICT Actions integrate more than 2000 leading scientists from key research institutes and universities, network operators, and technology providers from 35 COST countries, plus non-COST countries. COST Actions have an international component and are open to all countries, besides European ones, as it is based on the networking of research initiatives, which are funded through national or other funds. Although the participants only finance their own research activities, they have access to all the collective knowledge in the Action.

More information can be found on the COST-ICT web site.

IDEAL-IST

Your Global partner Search and Support Network for your ICT projects reduces the barriers faced by organisations wishing to participate in the ICT program by offering transnational partner search capabilities. Provides a web-based platform thus making it the ideal tool for:

• joining ICT projects
• finding partners for your project idea
• finding services to support you in your ICT project

Is a European Commission supported project with over 49 partners to assist in successful partner searches.

Canada as an Associate Partner of the Ideal-ist project enables researchers or organizations to submit a Partner Search directly to the network. It will assist in finding appropriate partners with the necessary skills and expertise to carry out project activities and achieve the expected results. The Quality Control Team provides feedback and expertise as your project relates to the Current Call for Proposals.

Browse the web site: www.ideal-ist.net and join the Ideal-ist network.

For additional information or any questions, please contact:

Michelle Mayer or Eric Tsang
Canadian National Contact Point-ICT

CELTIC - A Eurkea Cluster Program

Marie Currie Actions are funded under the "People Programme" of the FP7

Marie Curie Actions addresses researchers at all stages of their careers, in the public and private sectors, from initial research training, to life long learning and career development. This is done by building on industrial and academic expertise within Europe and across the world, through staff exchanges, secondments, postgraduate
and postdoctoral fellowships.

Marie Curie International cooperation funding schemes

International Outgoing Fellowships for Career Development will enable Canadian researchers to invite European colleagues to Canada for a maximum duration of 2 years. This is for "experienced researchers" only. The researcher would come to a "third country" with community funds.

International Incoming Fellowships is open to Canadian researchers. It provides financial support to individual research projects for a maximum duration of 2 years. Again this is for "experienced researchers" and the host organization will benefit from Community funds.

In 2008, international research partnerships will be supported through a new Marie Curie Action:

International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES)

• Will support two-way staff secondments (for a maximum of 12 months) between research organizations based in Europe and research organizations based in targeted third countries. This is aimed at strengthening partnerships between research organizations through staff secondment.
• Eligible staff for secondment include early stage and experienced researchers, management staff and technical staff.
• The minimum eligible consortium is two partners from two different Member States Associated Countries and one partner from a targeted third country.
• Funding covers travel, subsistence and is a flat rate of 1800 euros/person/month
• Deadline 28th March 2008