Action FP1005: Fibre suspension flow modelling - a key for innovation and

competitiveness in the pulp & paper industry

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C a s s i a A z e v e d oF P S A d m i n i s t r a t i v e Officer

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Status of the COST Action

Action detailsMoU: 4201/10CSO Approval: 02/12/2010Entry into force: 20/01/2011Start of Action: 11/05/2011End of Action: 10/05/2015 (first MC meeting + 4 years)Chair: Cristian MarchioliDC Rapporteur: Andras Vig (HU)Budget: 90,000 € for first Grant Period (01/07/2011 –

30/06/2012)

Parties (12/10/2011):Already accepted the MoU: 15 countries (Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy,

Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden Switzerland and the United Kingdom)

Non COST Institutions – 0 so far

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Common issues/ questions

• How do new participants join the Action?

• How can substitutes attend MC meetings?

• Are deviations (exceptions) from the rules possible?

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Joining the Action • How do new participants join the Action?• => see http://www.cost.esf.org/participate/join_action • COST countries

– Within one year of CSO approval • Accept MoU (cost@consilium.europa.eu) and CNC nominates MC

Member(s) and MC Substitute(s)– After one year since CSO approval

• Seek MC approval, accept MoU (cost@consilium.europa.eu) and CNC nominates MC Member(s) and MC Substitute(s)

• Non-COST country institutions/ international organisations– “Motivation letter” and complete non-COST template (available on COST website)– MC, DC, JAF approval

• European Bodies (as defined in COST 4159/10)– Application letter, and– Complete first page of non-COST template (available on COST website)

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• If MC Member cannot attend the priority must be for the official MC Substitute to attend instead.

• Substitution by official MC Substitute can be notified to the COST Office/ Grant Holder by MC Member who is being replaced.

• If the country does not have two official MC Substitutes the person who will replace the MC Member should be nominated as an official MC Substitute by the CNC.

• If all MC members and MC Substitutes are unavailable another person may attend as observer (may not vote) subject to agreement of MC and COST Office (via the Grant Holder).

Substitutes’ attendance at MC meetings?

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Exceptions/ deviations

• Any deviation from any rule must be:• “justified” by the participant, and • approved in advance by the COST Office/ Grant Holder • => otherwise it is an ineligible expense• Some examples:- Airfares over the airfare limit (1200 EUR);- Taxis over the taxi limit (40 EUR);- Additional accommodation nights; - Complicated travel arrangements (including departure/ arrival

other than home/ work address, itinerary including other meetings).

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Monitoring the Action's performance DC FPS Holds an Annual Progress Conference (APC) in March each year

(COST 4116/10).

FPS next APC at DC13 (06-08/03/2012 in Copenhagen)• Actions must prepare (using COST templates): Brochure, Monitoring Process

Report and Presentation• Chair must attend for 1.5-2 days to present the Action, listen to other FPS

Action presentations and network with other Action Chairs (identify synergies)

• DC monitors the Action's performance:• Scientific performance• Strategic orientation (STSMs, Training Schools, ESRs, gender balance)• Budget management efficiency (average reimbursement per person)

• Action “DC Monitoring Statement” sent to Chair and Vice Chair by COST Office after APC

=> MC must assist Chair in preparation of documents of the APC

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Some things that can cause the Action's budget to be reduced• Unjustified (economic/ scientific/ accessibility) meeting locations• Inefficient meeting arrangements (high per person average reimbursements)• Unfair allocation of reimbursement places• Funding fewer than 4 (or less than 10% of Action budget) STSMs per year• Funding meetings that do not appear to be meetings of the Action

Some things that can cause the Action to be prioritised for extra budget• Efficient well justified meeting arrangements (with low per person average

reimbursement)• Funding high numbers of (more than 20% of Action budget) STSMs per year • Good distribution of reimbursement places including all MoU acceptances and good

ESR and gender balance• Real joint Training School that is clearly a joint initiative of the Actions involved

(especially across the Domains)

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Ways to reduce meeting costsObjective is to minimise costs (reimbursement amount per participant) and maximise participation (number of participants)

Venue- Chose Local Organisers with free venues (ie institutes not hotels)- Chose Local Organisers that will charge no/ minimal participation fees (and put a limit on

the participation fees in the minutes when approving the venue) – in particular this means Local Organisers that won’t try to use “participation fees” to cover staff time

Accommodation- Lower the accommodation flat rate amount in locations with cheap accommodation- Take cost of accommodation into account when scheduling meetings

Travel- MC to require Grant Holder to send out invitations at least 2-3 months in advance - MC to chose locations that are easy and cheap to reach (ie no 100km taxi transfers)

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1. European Commission Financial Report (ECFR)A ECFR for the period running from the start date of the Grant Period to 31st December of the current year must be submitted to the COST Office by 15th January of the next year at the latest.

2. Intermediate Financial Report (IFR)In order to request the payment of the second installment (up to 35% of the Action’s budget for a specific Grant Period), the GH needs to submit to the COST Office, a IFR including forecasts and accruals. If the GH wants to request the 2nd installment at the same time as submitting the ECFR, it is possible to submit a single report using the include forecasts option and state that the report is for both ECFR and IFR (to be submitted the 15th January). FP1005 must to submit the report and the request for the 35% up to 30/06/2012

3. Yearly Financial Report (YFR)A YFR needs to be submitted within thirty (30) days from the end of a specific Grant Period as stated in the Grant Agreement, at the latest. The Action’s two Financial Rapporteurs must validate the content of the YFR.

Definitions of the three types of financial reports that need to be submitted to the COST office during each Grant Period

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Rules and procedures for implementing COST Actions (4154/11)Guidelines for Assessment of applications for COST Actions (4111/11)Guidelines for Monitoring, Evaluation and Dissemination of Results of COST Actions (4112/11)Guidelines for the organisation of the Annual Progress Conference (APC) (4113/11)COST Mission Statement (4152/11)COST to receive additional EUR 30 million from European Commission http://www.cost.eu/library/newsroom/30million COST Ministerial Conference (Malaga, ES 15 June 2010) – COST 4178/10 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/igcpdf/en/10/st04/st04178.en10.pdf

New COST documents:

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Next collection dates 2011

30 March 2012

Cassia AzevedoFPS Administrative OfficerCOST OfficeAvenue Louise 1491050 Brussels, BelgiumT: +32 (0)2 533 3844F: +32 (0)2 533 3890cassia.azevedo@cost.eu

www.cost.eu

Thank you!