COST Action TU1208

My experience as Chair and Grant Holder
Representative of a COST Action:
Coordinating the scientific, administrative and financial activities of a
successful COST Action, in order to achieve its objectives, enhance its
impact and maximise the benefits of participants involved in the Action.
COST Info Day
National Research Council, Rome, Italy, March 19th, 2015
Lara Pajewski, TU1208 MC Chair & GH Scientific Representative
COST is supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon2020 Summary §  Introducing the COST Ac6on TU1208 v  Basic Informa6on v  Ac6on Structure, Par6cipants v  Networking ac6vi6es v  Impact & Benefits §  Chairing a COST Ac6on §  Being an Italian Grant Holder of a COST Ac6on: some challenges COST Action TU1208: Basic Info
“Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar”
Chair of the Action & GH
Vice-Chair of the Action
Dr Lara Pajewski
Prof Andreas Loizos
“Roma Tre” University (IT)
National Technical University of Athens (EL)
lara.pajewski@uniroma3.it
Science & Administrative Officers
Dr Mickael Pero & Ms Carmencita Malimban
COST Association (BE)
Start date – End date
4th April 2013 – 3rd April 2017
Website & Webpage on www.cost.eu
www.GPRadar.eu
www.cost.eu/domains_actions/
tud/Actions/TU1208
COST Action TU1208: Basic Info
COST Scien6fic Domains (FP7) §  Biomedicine and Molecular Biosciences (BMBS) §  Chemistry and Molecular Sciences and Technologies (CMST) §  Earth System Science and Environmental Management (ESSEM) §  Food and Agriculture (FA) §  Forests, their Products and Services (FPS) §  Individuals, SocieJes, Cultures and Health (ISCH) §  InformaJon and CommunicaJon Technologies (ICT) §  Materials, Physics and Nanosciences (MPNS) §  Transport and Urban Development (TUD) §  Trans-­‐Domain AcJons §  Targeted Networks COST Action TU1208: Basic Info
What is GPR? A safe, effective, non-destructive and noninvasive imaging technique, providing high
resolution images of subsurface and structures
through electromagnetic waves.
Quick and inexpensive in comparison to other
investigation methods.
Penetration and resolution depend on the
GPR transmitting frequency, and on the
electrical properties of surveyed material and
targets.
Interdisciplinary experience is required to
properly use this technique.
COST Action TU1208: Basic Info
Main Objective: Exchange and increase scientific-technical knowledge
and experience of GPR techniques in civil engineering, simultaneously
promoting throughout Europe a wider and more effective use of this safe
and non-destructive method.
The COST Action TU1208 is establishing and strengthening active links between
universities, research institutes, companies and end users working in this field, fostering
and accelerating its long-term development in Europe.
COST Action TU1208: Action Structure
GRANT HOLDER
Roma Tre University*
COST ASSOCIATION
MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE (MC):
SCIENCE OFFICER:
Dr Mickael Pero
74 MC M & Subs + 22 MC Obs
MC CHAIR:
Dr Lara Pajewski
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER:
Ms Carmencita Malimban
255 WG Members
WG 1
WG 2
WG 3
WG 4
Novel GPR
Instrumentation
GPR surveying of
transport
infrastructure,
utilities and voids
EM modelling,
inversion, imaging,
data processing
techniques
GPR applications
outside from CE &
GPR integration
with other NDT
*Scientific Representative & Grant Manager: Dr Lara Pajewski
Legal Representative: Prof Paolo Atzeni
Financial Representative: Dr Laura Grossi
COST Action TU1208: Action Structure
To give an example, this is the structure of Working Group 1 ! WG1
Novel GPR
Instrumentation
Project 1.1
WG Chair: Mr Guido Manacorda,
IDS Ingegneria dei Sistemi (IT)
WG Vice-Chair: Dr Luca Gamma,
Scuola Universitaria Professionale della
Svizzera Italiana (CH)
Design, realisation and optimisation of innovative GPR
equipment for the monitoring of critical transport
infrastructures (pavements, bridges and tunnels)
Leader: Dr Raffaele Persico, CNR (IT)
Project 1.2
Design, modelling and optimisation of GPR antennas
Leader: Dr Craig Warren, The University of Edinburgh (UK)
COST Action TU1208: Participants
74 MC Members & Substitutes from 28 COST Countries and Coop. State
12 MC Observers from 6 Near Neighbour Countries
10 MC Observers from 3 International Partner Countries
255 Working Group Members
130 Institutions
Researchers from different scientific disciplines (civil and electronic
engineers, architects, geophysics experts, archaeologists, …)
NDT equipment designers and producers
End users from private companies
Some public agencies
Such a high level of inter-disciplinarity has a huge potential of providing
technological, scientific and socio-economic impacts.
COST Action TU1208:
Networking activities
MC MEETINGS
SHORT TERM
SCIENTIFIC
MISSIONS
12 STSMs so far WG MEETINGS
COST
NETWORKING
TOOLS
2 WG Progress Mee6ngs: 2014 (Nantes, Feb 2014) & 2015 (Edinburgh, Apr 2015) WORKSHOPS
&
CONFERENCES
TRAINING
SCHOOLS
1. Microwave Imaging (Trento, Mar 2014) 2. Radar2020 (Karlsruhe, Apr 2014) 3. GPR Tutorials (Brussels, July 2014) 4. CE Applica6ons of GPR (Pisa, Sept 2014) 5. GPR Training for ECIs (London, Mar 2015) 6. UWB Antennas (Karlsruhe, Apr 2015) 7. GPR use in historical ci6es (Cracow, May 2015) Kick-­‐off Mee6ng (Brussels, April 2013) 1st General Mee6ng (Rome, July 2013) 2nd General Mee6ng (Vienna, April 2014) GPR 2014 (July 2014) rd
3 General Mee6ng (London, March 2015) DISSEMINATION
7 ISBN Volumes 1 Springer Book 2 Intl Journal Special Issues 8 Journal Papers > 100 Conference Papers 2 Workshops: FDTD (Nantes, Feb 2014) & 3D Modelling (Edinburgh, Nov 2014) 3 Conference Sessions: 2013, 2014 & 2015 EGU GA (Vienna, Apr-­‐May) 15th Interna6onal Conference on Ground Penetra6ng Radar – GPR 2014 (Brussels, July 2014) COST Action TU1208:
Networking activities
TU1208 networking acJviJes are carried out taking strongly into account key COST H2020 Policies COST Action TU1208:
Impact & Benefits
Innovation in the GPR field, increasing its efficiency & quality
Benefits:
scientific
technological
economical
societal
The Action is leading to durable international collaborations,
strengthening European scientific networking and capacity building.
From a SCIENTIFIC point of view, some examples of impact & benefits are: §  CreaJon of an efficient interlink among European Labs. §  Increase of knowledge in basic physics. §  Improvement of GPR inversion/imaging/data-­‐processing algorithms yields benefits also to other imaging techniques. §  Development of new EM sca\ering methods has implicaJons in acousJcs, microwaves, opJcs, IT, clean-­‐room monitoring, quality control of silicon wafers manufacture, sca\ering microscopy in biology and material science. COST Action TU1208:
Impact & Benefits
The TECHNOLOGICAL impact is clear when considering the innovaJve GPR equipment and antennas that are being designed, realised and tested, as well as the integraJon of GPR with other NDT methods. SOCIETAL and ECONOMICAL benefits derive from the wider and more effecJve applicaJon of GPR that will take place thanks to the AcJon’s acJviJes. Many structures/infrastructures are affected all over Europe and throughout the world, by diffused poor condi;on which influences the safety of ci;zens. Where structural rehabilita;on is ineffec;ve or absent, or sub‑standard management planning is adopted and ineffec;ve tradi;onal tools are used, the maintenance cost drama;cally increases. Other areas using GPR that will take advantage of the AcJon: archaeology, planetary exploraJon, geology, geophysics, agriculture, environment research, detecJon of landmines/uxo. “The Ci6es of Tomorrow: the Challenges of Horizon 2020” Torino, Italy, 17-­‐19 September 2014 TU1208 praised among TUD running Ac6ons as COST Success Story TU1208 "Civil engineering applications of Ground Penetrating
Radar" (Chair: Lara Pajewski, Roma Tre University) is an
interdisciplinary Action and represents a milestone in GPR
research, being the first European network ever existed in
this field, in line with the spirit and goals of the ERA. In June
2014, it co-organised the 15th International Conference on
Ground Penetrating Radar, the premier forum on GPR.
Chairing a COST Action
1.  Coordinate Ac6on ac6vi6es in line with the objec6ves defined in the Ac6on MoU and the periodic Work and Budget Plans. 2.  Organise and chair Ac6on events as well as prepara6on of Minutes and Proceedings. 3.  Manage requests and the approval procedure of ins6tu6ons located in NNC, IPC who want to formally join the Ac6on. 4.  Manage the applica6on procedure of COST Countries that want to join the Ac6on one year ajer the date the CSO approved the COST Ac6on has elapsed. 5.  Prepare a Work and Budget Plan to be approved by both the MC and the Ac6on Science Officer in line with the allocated budget. 6.  Seek the approval of the MC and the Ac6on Science Officer for significant changes to the approved Work and Budget Plan such as the cancella6on of ac6vi6es and / or the inclusion of addi6onal ac6vi6es that were not originally included in the approved Work and Budget Plan. Chairing a COST Action
7.  Manage MC approvals / decisions concerning expenditures (for Mee6ngs, Short Term Scien6fic Missions, Training Schools, Dissemina6on and Publica6ons) and communicate the outcome of MC approvals / decisions to the Grant Manager and to the COST Associa6on. 8.  Define and communicate to the Grant Manager, on behalf of the MC, a list of all eligible Ac6on Par6cipants who are en6tled to be reimbursed for their amendance at approved Mee6ngs and Training Schools. 9.  Authorise payments (this task must be assumed by the Ac6on Vice Chair when the Ac6on Chair is affiliated to the Grant Holder Ins6tu6on). 10.  Review, approve, sign and date financial reports -­‐ this task must be assumed by the Ac6on Vice Chair when the Ac6on Chair is affiliated to the Grant Holder Ins6tu6on. 11.  Inform, upon request, the COST Associa6on about key developments in the Ac6on. Chairing a COST Action
§  A marvellous adventure, an extremely interes6ng and challenging task ( > 24h !), yielding several new interna6onal collabora6ons and opportuni6es, so many new research ideas to develop … for the academic career of an ECI it is an incredible lij and I could learn more during the last 2 years than in the previous 10 ! §  Importance of APC Conferences and COST Strategic events. §  Wonderful and extremely fruipul rela6onship with the COST Science and Administra6ve Officers. §  Few challenges that lay ahead TU1208 include the very ambi6ous MoU, the development of new equipment and the management of a very large Ac6on. §  Difficul6es of a ECI and female Chair in Italy … Being an Italian Grant Holder
of a COST Action: some challenges
§  Process reimbursements according to COST rules, whilst complying with na6onal and local fiscal rules v  Italian rules for payments not supported / parJally not supported by receipts v  Original signed TRR, receipts & boarding passes à impossibility to acJvate the Strong AuthenJcaJon feature ! §  An6cipa6ng large sums of money §  FSAC 15% v  Currently the COST AcJon TU1208 grant is 170.000 € per year à FSAC = 22.000 € v  FSAC is used for the salary of a person helping me in the financial, scienJfic and administraJve coordinaJon of the AcJon; for taxes, postage, purchase of consumables; for some missions which cannot be included in Science Expenditure but are very important for the success of the AcJon Thank you to the Italian CNC for the invitation and
to the COST Association for the constant and strong support to
the Action TU1208, highly appreciated.
Thank you so much to
COST - European Cooperation in Science and Technology
for funding the Action TU1208 “Civil Engineering
Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar”!
Thank you for your attention!
COST is supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon2020 COST Action TU1208: Objectives
I. 
Highlight problems, merits and limits of current GPR systems in civil engineering applicaJons. II.  Design and realise innovaJve GPR systems. III.  Develop innovaJve protocols and guidelines for an effecJve GPR use in civil engineering tasks à to be published in a handbook and consJtute a basis for EU Standards. IV.  Improve EM modelling/inversion/data-­‐processing methods à freeware tools V.  Comparison with GPR technology and methodology used in different applicaJons, and integraJon with other NDT techniques. VI.  PromoJon of a more widespread, advanced and effecJve use of GPR in civil engineering. VII.  OrganizaJon of a high-­‐level modular training program. InteracJon with other COST AcJons; establishment of cooperaJon with Strong promoJon of Early-­‐Career InvesJgators -­‐ parJcipaJon to the AcJon acJviJes of researchers from inclusiveness Countries -­‐ gender balance