Meet the DC Chair for the COST Domain CMST
Chemistry and Molecular Sciences and Technologies (CMST)
CMST has the mission to foster European expertise in discovering, understanding, producing and manipulating molecular species.
The research activities in this Domain aim to develop experimental, theoretical and analytical tools to enhance the development of chemical transformations, reactivity and function. CMST aims to apply such knowledge and innovation to industrial processes and production.
Background
Surprisingly, the Chemistry Domain was missing when COST was set up.
On the one hand, Chemistry is a central basis science with a distinguished history and success in Europe (23 of the 55 Nobel Prizes for chemistry awarded since 1960 are Europeans). On the other hand, it has a very strong industry with also a distinguished history and success (eight of the ten largest chemical companies in the world are based in Europe).
In order to maintain and even to improve this position of the European Chemical Science and European Chemical Industry, it was considered urgent for European chemists to organise themselves and to elaborate a strategic scientific scheme for basic research in Chemistry.
Structure and Organisation
This first structure of concertation of Chemistry was immediately welcomed by the scientists concerned, showing the need for research cooperation and coordination in this domain.
The number of participating countries to the COST Chemistry Actions is on average of 19 per Action and includes in some cases research institutes from non-COST countries (Australia, Japan, Russia, USA and Ukraine) and the Joint Research Centre of Ispra additionally.
The scientific activities and the selection process for acceptance of research proposals are performed in a same way by the Management Committee (MC) of each COST Chemistry Action. The selectivity of this evaluation process is now well recognised by the scientific community and by national research councils. In some countries, the "COST label" is used to award research funds to the participating groups.
The success of this Domain is proven by :
- the increasing number of networks: 55 in 1993, 86 in 1994, 113 in 1995, 117 in 1996, 172 in 2002 involving the participation of 1 180 research groups corresponding to collaborations between 7 research groups on average per project from different European countries
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the number of activities within the Actions: scientific meetings, workshops, seminars, workshops for young scientists, exchanges of students (short-term scientific missions),...
- the high quality of results and publications obtained.
European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC)
The Chemical Industry plays a vital role in national and international economies both through its contribution to the prosperity of Europe and through its contribution to improving the quality of life enjoyed by modern society and the Chemical Industry is one of Western Europe's most international, competitive and successful industries embracing a wide field of processing and manufacturing activities
Information
Domain Committee Members
Contact details of CMST Domain Committee Members
