Management - what we would have liked to know before starting COST Action IS0906 Management - what we would have liked to know before starting Emilie Vossen – Grant holder officer

Challenges and advices (1/2) Workload due to the large size of the Action & its intense activity Advice: flexibility within the management staff (flexible planning, help from students, etc.) Budget management: difficult anticipation (meetings, outputs, etc.) Advice: anticipate the expenses (meetings not too close to the end of grant period and outputs invoiced on time); and aim for completing the outputs and activities during the grant period; tools Collecting data on members and outputs: what data? Advice: think about it from the beginning of the action and think in advance about the necessary tools (check out with the COST office what’s needed)

Challenges and advices (2/2) eCOST: needs >< tools Advice: support from eCOST help desk, development of one’s own tools (forms, etc.), use eCOST mainly as the financial reporting tool Evolving COST rules and procedures Advice: communication with the administrative officer from the COST Office in order to address the difficulties and develop solutions that respond to both administrative/financial constraints and scientific/network logics

What we can say afterwards Rewarding work: networking, meeting people, positive feedback Gain in expertise (both administrative and scientific) for the institution in the management of a European network and possibility to share it with you today!