COST is a European networking organization in which most European countries (including Norway and all EU member states) are members. An important task for COST is to promote European research by initiating scientific networks (“COST actions”).

General information about COST can be found here and here.
In October 2015 it was decided to initiate 40 new COST actions, of which the following is within / relevant for medical and health research:

· European Medicines Shortages Research Network – addressing supply problems to patients CA15105 – Medicines Shortages

· Diagnosis, Monitoring and Prevention of Exposure‐Related Noncommunicable Diseases CA15129 – DiMoPEx

· Harmonising standardisation strategies to increase efficiency and competitiveness of European life‐science research CA15110 – CHARME

· Animal Behaviour Management and Training of Laboratory Non‐human Primates and Large Laboratory Animals CA15131 – PRIMTRAIN

· European Network on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome CA15111 – EUROMENE

· The comet assay as a human biomonitoring tool CA15132 – hCOMET

· Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes – European network
CA15112 – FAANG-Europe

· The Biogenesis of Iron‐sulfur Proteins: from Cellular Biology to Molecular Aspects CA15133 – FeSBioNet

· Anti‐Microbial Coating Innovations to prevent infectious disease CA15114 – AMICI

· Multi‐target paradigm for innovative ligand identification in the drug discovery process CA15135 – MuTaLig

· Open Multiscale Systems Medicine CA15120 – OpenMultiMed

· European network to advance carotenoid research and applications in agro‐food and health CA15136 – EUROCAROTEN

· A new Network of European BioImage Analysts to advance life science imaging CA15124 – NEUBIAS

· European Network of Multidisciplinary Research and Translation of Autophagy knowledge CA15138 – TRANSAUTOPHAGY

· Between Atom and Cell: Integrating Molecular Biophysics Approaches for Biology and Healthcare CA15126 – MOBIEU

Summary of the actions can be found by following the links and the attached file. In the attached file is also provided some additional information and a complete list of the new COST actions.
The Research Council of Norway is coordinating the process with regard to Norwegian participation in COST actions. I am contact person for actions in medicine / health and chemistry. If you are interested in participating, please contact me within 8 January 2016. Then you can also get more detailed information on individual actions. Application for joining is enclosed.

Regards
Hans Hellebostad
Senior Adviser
The Research Council of Norway
Division of Science / Department of Medicine,
Science and Technology
Phone + 47 22 03 71 72 E-mail: hh@rcn.no