Publications

In this statement COST’s Scientific Committee urges the European Commission, European Parliament, and Member States to increase the budget allocated to COST in order to fund at least 50% more new Actions per year and reinforce COST’s role as a capacity builder.

Scientists have known about microplastics in nature since the 1970s, but lately they are finding these tiny plastics almost everywhere they look – in the air, lakes, rivers, oceans, on land, and even in remote places like Arctic lakes and snow! This article will introduce young audiences to the hidden universe of microplastics, the tools scientists use to analyse them, and how people can do their own experiments to analyse microplastics from a nearby beach.

Find out how you can get involved in COST if you are located in one of our Near Neighbour Countries or a Third States/International Partner Country.

This brochure summarises the main findings of the report “COST Activities in the Western Balkans”, highlighting the growing involvement of the region in European research networks. It shows the participation of researchers from the Western Balkans in COST Actions during the first three years of Horizon Europe (2021-2023). By presenting country-specific data and trends, the brochure illustrates the growing links between researchers from the Western Balkans and the wider European research community, highlighting the mutual benefits of this increased cooperation.

This Local Organiser Support (LOS) Grant leaflet presents funding opportunities for institutions to organise COST Action meetings and Training Schools. It outlines the main benefits and requirements of LOS. Explore the leaflet to learn more about how LOS can support your COST Action event.

With their variable active sites Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) can achieve visible-light absorption and efficient charge separation for photocatalytic, and conductivity for electrocatalytic  CO₂   reduction into value added chemicals. This work illustrates the importance of porous carbon fiber layers (CFLs) on the activity and selectivity of MOF based  photocathodes towards the CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) in a zero-gap gas phase photoelectrolyzer. The wettability of the CFL modulates the local environment on the metal organic framework catalyst (UiO-66-NH₂, yellow coloured). Hydrophobic CFL-based MOF photocathodes lead to CO₂RR, producing liquid hydrocarbons ( CxHyOz) such as formate, methanol and ethanol. In contrast, hydrophilic, wetted CFL-based photocathodes favor the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER).The results are a step further in understanding how the design and composition of the photoelectrodes in photoelectrochemical electrolyzers can impact the  CO₂  reduction efficiency and selectivity.

This guide provides topics to consider when initiating or running a citizen science project on alien species or invasive alien species. It includes key recommendations on how to engage with your target audience, plan and design your project, handle data, perform analyses and evaluate your project outputs. It is intended to help anyone set up an alien species citizen science project. Target people include NGO workers, researchers, policymakers, volunteer groups, government agency workers, project managers, invasive species managers, teachers and the general public. Since there are many published guides on citizen science, this guide summarises the most relevant topics, highlights topics that are more relevant in the context of (invasive) alien species, and refers to other sources of information.

The guide is translated into 23 languages.

These essays on various aspects of textile research encompass a wide chronological perspective and vast geographical area, enriching traditional disciplines with innovative methodologies such as isotopic tracing of provenance, textile analysis, protein analysis, digital motion capture, and exploration of textile expressions in texts and folklore. All essays in this volume have been written by international teams of scholars from the participating countries. The anthology serves as a comprehensive and innovative resource, consolidating the research outcomes and insights gained from the interdisciplinary exploration of textiles in European history within the framework of EuroWeb. This volume has the potential to contribute to the advancement of European scientific excellence and competitiveness, fostering a deeper understanding of the cultural, technological, and societal significance of textiles and clothing in shaping European identity and heritage through the millenia. We hope that the anthology will find a wide and interested readership, and that it will inspire many new research projects in the field of textile history.

This Gender Equality Plan (GEP) aims to promote an inclusive culture and a gender dimension in any research carried out in COST Actions, and, where possible, on the additional activities for COST Actions organised by the COST Association. It outlines measures to be taken by COST Actions to make meaningful steps in achieving gender equality.

This GEP will be a ‘living document’, which will allow for details to be developed, adjusted and updated over time.