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The network effect: How COST Action research networks can kick-start alternative protein innovation

Learn more about the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) funded research networks offering an open space for collaboration among scientists across Europe (and beyond).

1 August 2024

image with visual representation of COST Action network of researchers superimposed with icons representing the three alternative protein pillars
Image created using DALL-E

The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) is a funding mechanism established to help build research networks, called COST Actions, including European researchers and institutions. These networks offer an open space for collaboration among scientists across Europe (and beyond), creating an impetus for new research advancements and the kick-starting of innovation.

In this article:

What exactly are COST Actions?

A COST Action is an interdisciplinary research network that brings researchers and innovators together to investigate a topic of their choice for four years. They help to advance knowledge and strengthen the research and development sector by creating networking opportunities for researchers to meet and discuss ideas. This approach allows complex problems to be addressed in a targeted way, drawing on relevant expertise from across disciplines and geographies. 

COST Actions usually comprise a mixture of relevant individuals and organisations, including researchers from academia, startups and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), public institutions, and other relevant organisations or interested parties from across science and technology fields, including new and emerging fields. COST Actions offer an inclusive, pan-European environment for individuals of all levels of seniority to grow their professional research networks and boost their careers.

The funding model for COST Actions is designed to support networking activities rather than any specific research question, and can be used in a variety of ways. For instance, they can support organising and funding events, short-term scientific missions, training schools, communication activities and virtual networking tools. Successful applicants for COST Action funding receive around €125,000 in the first year, followed by an average of €150,000 annually for the remaining three years. 

In contrast to a lot of other EU funded projects, COST Actions have the advantage that they can be joined by new participants even once the network has started running, and new collaborators can join at any point throughout the life cycle of the COST Action. 

As they specifically fund networking, COST Actions reflect a great lead-in to other EU funding schemes like Horizon Europe, and 88% of researchers involved reported participation led to career advancement. This is also backed up by the data, with the success rate of follow-up proposals from COST Actions over triple the average for similar programmes at 37%. This equates to an average of around €5.8 million of additional funding generated per COST Action. COST Actions also achieve good gender inclusivity in their participant pools, with women comprising 42% of participants during Horizon 2020.

Can COST Actions support alternative protein researchers?

Yes! COST Actions create collaborative spaces where people and ideas can grow – and can be particularly impactful in fledgeling fields such as alternative proteins which draw on expertise from multiple fields, and where specialism tends to occur in pockets across institutions. 

The three strategic priorities of COST also map closely with priorities for expanding the fledgeling alternative protein ecosystem in Europe:

  • Promoting and spreading excellence
  • Fostering interdisciplinary research for breakthrough science
  • Empowering and retaining young researchers and innovators

However, although COST Actions can cover any scientific, technological and societal challenge, and seem particularly well suited to alternative protein applications, at present alternative protein research is hugely underrepresented in the COST Action ecosystem. Of the 60 new COST Actions announced in June 2024, none had plant-based, fermentation or cultivated proteins as their core focus area. 

As such, there is a real need for COST Actions focused on alternative protein science to help grow the research ecosystem, address networking/knowledge sharing gaps, and accelerate the transition towards a sustainable food system.

Case study: FLAVOURsome COST Action

FLAVOURsome COST Action logo

The FLAVOURsome Action is one great example of a COST Action in the food space, based on the creation of shared knowledge on flavour research to boost the innovation in the plant-based food industry. This Action aims to draw broadly from diverse sources of knowledge to map innovations in food science and sensory analysis research, and to realign future research priorities while fostering exchanges between academia and industry to fuel the development of innovative applications for food manufacturers. 

At its core, this Action will promote high-level and multidisciplinary training, along with communications support to bridge the gap between science and society and engage citizens with cutting-edge developments in food systems change.

FLAVOURsome Action will connect world-leading experts covering the main disciplines involved in food flavour research, with the objective of creating an integrative, cohesive and multidisciplinary group of experts, stakeholders and companies. They aim to use the resulting knowledge transfer within and beyond Europe to ensure Europe remains at the forefront of flavour research and its applications.

Dr Susana Soares, based at the University of Porto in Portugal, is chair of the FLAVOURsome Action, and originally applied to establish the project in recognition of the fundamentally multidisciplinary nature of flavour research, depending as it does on the collaborative efforts of researchers across various fields to achieve significant advancements. “My journey into this area during my PhD and post-doctoral experience has highlighted the necessity for fully integrating knowledge from biochemistry, sensory science, food technology, and molecular biology to understand and enhance plant-based foods’ flavour profiles”. she said. 

The siloing of these specific areas of expertise was a major barrier to her research work, which motivated her to apply to set up the FLAVOURsome Action. Dr Soares believes that more initiatives in the area of food and alternative proteins in particular are critical in order to achieve the required changes in the food system within the timeframes demanded. “In a time when the food system is facing profound changes to be able to feed an increasing world population, creating new plant-based foods that are appealing to consumers while environmentally friendly is imperative. Since flavour has been referred to as one of the most important aspects influencing consumer choices and buying intentions, it is expected that flavour should be at the centre of food innovation in plant-based food.”

Kicking off in October 2023, the FLAVOURsome COST Action so far includes a total of 286 researchers from over 30 countries – highlighting the way in which these European-founded networks can establish a truly global presence, involving experts from countries across the world including the United States, Australia and Mexico.

The COST Action has a wide variety of activities planned, including but not limited to: 

  • Training schools to provide intensive, hands-on training in cutting-edge methodologies and techniques relevant to flavour science
  • Workshops on specific themes within flavour research, bringing together experts to share knowledge and discuss recent advancements
  • Satellite events to maximise outreach, held in conjunction with major conferences and symposia in food science and technology
  • Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) that will enable young researchers and scientists to visit leading laboratories and institutions within the network.

While the project is still only in its infancy, Dr Soares says it has already been ‘transformative’ for her professional work, expanding her collaborations, inspiring exciting new research avenues and improving her grasp of the multidisciplinary aspects of plant-based flavour research. “The multidisciplinary nature of FLAVOURsome has allowed me to connect with experts from various fields such as biochemistry, sensory science, food technology, and molecular biology, collaborating with industry stakeholders, including food companies, which have been invaluable in aligning our research objectives with real-world applications, thereby increasing the impact and relevance of our work.”

Researchers with relevant skills interested in getting involved with the FLAVOURsome COST Action can join here.

Get involved: other COST Actions relevant to alternative protein scientists 

Interested in joining a preexisting COST Action? Or looking for collaborators to propose a new Action? Check out the list below:

  • CA22146 – Harnessing The Potential Of Underutilized Crops To Promote Sustainable Food Production (DIVERSICROP) – Aims to explore the genetic diversity of underutilised crops such as pea and chickpea in different climatic zones across Europe to stimulate their more widespread adoption by farmers. 
  • CA20127 – Waste Biorefinery Technologies For Accelerating Sustainable Energy Processes (WIRE) – Aims to generate robust knowledge on the sustainable processing of several kinds of waste and biomass across the whole value chain, from source materials up to the marketable products.
  • CA23157 – European Network for Multiple View Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (MultiViewLCSA) – Aims to bring together academia, industry and policy makers into a pan-European network to advance the research frontier of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment to facilitate sustainable business models.

Promising areas for future alternative protein COST Actions

There are still key R&D and infrastructure bottlenecks that need addressing to ensure alternative proteins can deliver the same experience as meat, seafood, eggs and dairy at a price point that is accessible to as many consumers as possible – and COST Actions could offer a great way to kick-start innovation in these areas. 

Learn more about priority research areas in our research priorities overview, and explore our Advancing Solutions for Alternative Proteins (ASAP) database for an in-depth summary of research gaps, commercial whitespaces, technological needs, and investment priorities along the alternative protein value chain.

Interested in proposing your own Action?

Calls for applications are currently open, and participants are invited to submit COST Action proposals for projects contributing to the scientific, technological, economic, cultural or societal knowledge advancement and development of Europe. Multi- and interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged.

If you would like to propose your own COST Action research network, you must do so through the COST Open Call [link here]. COST Actions are bottom-up and can be on any topic, however they must fulfill certain criteria in order to be approved, such as including researchers from at least seven COST Member countries, half of whom come from Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC). 

The Open Call Action proposal submission, evaluation, selection and approval (SESA) procedure is fully science and technology-driven and will ensure a simple, transparent and competitive proposal evaluation and selection process, reflecting the bottom-up, open and inclusive principles of COST. 

As a reminder, COST Action funding is designed to support networking and community building in a particular area of research, not to fund research projects themselves. 

The deadline for the next round of COST Actions is 23 October 2024 at 12.00 (noon) CEST.

Author

David Hunt Research Support Manager

David works to help sustainable protein scientists across Europe access the knowledge, resources, infrastructure, and collaborators to conduct their research effectively.