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Talk:MitoEAGLE Verona 2016

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COST Action CA15203 (2016-2021): MitoEAGLE
Evolution-Age-Gender-Lifestyle-Environment: mitochondrial fitness mapping


Talk:MitoEAGLE Verona 2016


Suggestions and topics of discussion

Working Group roadmaps

  • Gnaiger E: suggestions for Core Group meeting on WG
  • Horizontal Coordinators: your aims are defined mainly in WG1.
  • WG leaders and co-leaders: keep in mind the tight connection between WG1 and WG2-4.
  1. STSMs linked to your WG in Grant Period 1
  2. Perspectives of STSMs linked to your WG in Grant Period 2 - prepare decisions to be made at the Barcelona MC meeging. (i) Are there specific participants whom you would like to enrol as host institutions? (ii) Are there specific grantees whom you would like to enrol in a STSM? (iii) Define coordination between WG leaders and the STSM Coordinator.
  3. Perspectives on WG and dissemination: conferences, training schools, .. (i) Is there a preference to support a MitoEAGLE presentation at a specific conference, linked to your WG. (ii) Is there a preference to collaborate with a specific training school linked to your WG. (iii) Is there a specific scientist to be invited?
  4. Propose to the MC (Barcelona event) specific demands on the Grant Period 2 budget for your WG.
  • WG2-4 leaders and co-leaders:
  1. MitoEAGLE data repositories can be started by (i) compiling data from the literature, which usually are available only as averages with some statistical parameters, and are evaluated according to a (more or less defined) quality control standard; (ii) making raw data available from published work, such that quality control and statistical evaluation can be made in the WG; (iii) designing future experiments according to agreed quality control standards and protocols.
  2. Which steps are realistic?
  3. Which results may be presented at the Barcelona meeting (March 2017)?
  4. Which results may be presented at the MC meeting in Grant Period 2 (November 2017)?

WG1 TG1.1 and 1.2: Terminology

  1. Discussion: MitoPedia: Respiratory control ratios - a basis for discussion, concept for joint publication.
  2. Collect and discuss procedures and experimental protocols for the evaluation of mitochondrial capacities and create a library of protocols: reference subsrate-uncoupler-inhibitor titration protocols (SUIT), standard experimental media, and detailed instructions for OXPHOS analysis.
  3. Update our internal terminology to facilitate communication.

WG4a Cell lines

Nicoleta Moisoi
  • Table for discussion in the Verona meeting where COST participants may show what data they may be able to provide:


Task 1: Please provide details of experience, current work/interest, data that can be made available to the group (published/unpublished)
Name Cell type experience; preparation protocols; mitochondrial function Current interest Own published data & protocols (ref) Unpublished data & protocols that can be made available(attach as pdf)


  • More generally we need to agree on a format in which to include the data that we collect for which I propose for discussion in Verona the file File:DataWG4-2016-11-01.xlsx. I guess the format in which we want to collect should also come in agreement with WG1 discussions to help us focussing.
  • For data that can’t be retrieved quantitatively, would it be worth having qualitative information i.e. higher and control, lower or not changed? I have added some columns in the table File:DataWG4-2016-11-01.xlsx for discussion as well.


I suggest the following structure:
1. Primary cell lines
2. Immortalized cell lines
  • The thought behind it is that in my experience, and from published data, immortalized cell lines (particularly those derived from cancers) behave differently as far as mitochondrial function is concerned, from primary cells lines (e.g human fibroblasts).
  • Two types of information may be important in this comparison:
A) To what extent we can use information about mitochondrial function (respiration, ROS, ATP, mitochondrial potential) to conclude about cellular homeostasy in a cell line that may not relay on oxidative phosphorylation for ATP production.
B) What type of information in immortalized versus primary cell lines may be relevant in disease models.
  • We will also want to get a consensus on protocols to use with such models to extract most relevant information according to WG1 work.


Next Management Committee Meeting in an Inclusiveness Target Country, Grant Period 2

  1. I suggest that we plan one MC Meeting per Grant Period.
  2. The MC Meeting should not be too late in the Grant Period, to take early decisions on next MITOEAGLE events and STSM. But it should neither be too close to the Barcelona MC Meeting in March 2017. Therefore, Nov 2017 might be optimum.
  3. The Czech Republic as an Inclusiveness Target Country might be considered for the Nov 2017 MC Meeting. This was raised in correspondence with Zuzana Cervinkova.


Dissemination plan

Marina Makrecka
  • All dissemination activities have to follow the specific dissemination rules.
  1. www.mitoeagle.eu – I would strongly prefer www.mitoeagle.org, since the project has a global dimension beyond eu, which is emphasized by the link to the Mitochondrial Physiology Society. However, perhaps you have in mind some specific advantages of ‚eu‘?
  2. Password-protected section only accessible to the Action members – I do not consider this as a good option for a COST Action, with full emphasis on Open Access. Where do you see a need for restricted access?
  3. It will be important to break down the dissemination plan into phases coherent with the Grant Periods of our Action, such that the Budget Plans can be prepared according to realistic aims - with volunteers taking responsibility for completing the tasks. The budget for 'Financial and Scientific Administration and Coordination' allocated to the Grant Holder is entirely insufficient to fully administrate the dissemination plan.


Implementation strategy

Allocation of funding to promote participation in MitoEAGLE events

  1. Core Group (CG) and Management Committee (MC) meetings: (i) Priority of funding is given to CG and MC members and substitutes. (ii) Experts may be invited and funded by the CG for specifically defined tasks, such as dissemination, organisation, etc. (iii) Early Career Investigators and members from Inclusiveness Target Countries may be invited by the CG and funded for specific management-training purposes.
  2. Working Group (WG) meetings: The WG meetings are not teaching or dissemination tools, but focus on deliverables defined in the MitoEAGLE Memorandum of Understanding (joint publications, guidelines, MitoEAGLE database). Priority of funding is given to WG leaders, co-leaders or substitutes preparing and chairing a session, and to members and invited speakers with a presentation (abstract) in the programme or with an active role in a task group. A simple rule should be formulated on the process of invitation and distribution of funding.
  3. Training Schools: Collaboration with the Mitochondrial Physiology Society and other organizations will extend the number and scope of training schools offered within various MitoEAGLE Grant Periods. A simple rule should be formulated on the process of invitation of lecturers and distribution of funding to student participants.
  4. Short-Term Scientific Missions MitoEAGLE (STSM): Applications for a STSM will be preferentially funded (i) according to specific contributtions to the scientific objectives of MitoEAGLE; (ii) training of new students particularly from Inclusiveness Target Countries, 25% of the STSM budget may thus be allocated even if the primary priority cannot be met; the number and budget of the different, topic-specific STSM could then be advertised, such that a competition between 'more experienced contributors' and 'new learners' can be avoided; (iii) preferential funding will be allocated to those STSM which are extended by matching grants.

Flat rate and overpayment

  • Christophe Peeters [1] Gesendet: Montag, 14. November 2016 07:08 An: Gnaiger Erich Cc: 'Anita Malik' Betreff: RE: CA15203 - Flat rates and overpayment
Dear Mr Gnaiger,
Accommodation and meals can never be paid based on actuals. The same flat rate must be applied to all participants.
Yours sincerely
Christophe Peeters Administrative Officer COST Association | Avenue Louise 149 1050 Brussels | Belgium Tel: +32 (0) 2 533 38 43; Fax: +32 (0) 2 533 38 90 christophe.peeters@cost.eu | www.cost.eu
  • Gnaiger Erich [2] Sent: 11 November 2016 09:03 To: Christophe Peeters <Christophe.Peeters@cost.eu> Cc: 'Anita Malik' <anita.malik@i-med.ac.at>; 'Elisa Calabria' <elisa.calabria@univr.it> Subject: CA15203 - Flat rates and overpayment
Dear Mr. Peeters:
May I ask you for advice and clarification with respect to our options of preventing overpayments in specific cases. We are aware of the fact that reimbursement for accomodation and meals for participants at a COST Action meeting is handled as flat rates as agreed by the MC. To avoid overpayments, we try to adjust the flat rate to the specific conditions of an event. Even then, some overpayments may occur, and these are subject to tax.
We want to distribute the funds among participants as fairly and widely as possible, and reduce the administrative burden in view of trivial amounts of money (per person).
Is it, therefore, possible for us to avoid overpayments in cases, when participants provide us with a documentation of actually incurred costs, which we would then reimburse accurately (up to a maximum of the flat rate), rather than transferring the total flat rate. This would be the case for employees of the Grant Holder (Medical University Innsbruck) and for any participant who voluntarily provides us a documentation of actually incurred costs.
Many thanks for your assistance,
Erich Gnaiger, Ao.Univ.-Prof., Ph.D., Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, D. Swarovski Research Laboratory, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria, Link: http://www.mitoglobal.org/index.php/MitoEAGLE
Disclosure: Dr Erich Gnaiger is founder of Oroboros Instruments – www.oroboros.at


Reimbursement for accomodation and meals for participants at a COST Action meeting is handled as flat rates, which are agreed by the MC. To avoid overpayments, we try to adjust the flat rate to the specific conditions of an event. Even then, some overpayments may occur, if a participant would receive a higher flat rate compared to the actually incurred costs. We should provide information and reach agreement on a strategy:
  1. We want to distribute the funds among participants as fairly and widely as possible, and minimize the administrative burden in view of trivial amounts of money (per person).
  2. Any overpayment (e.g. € 95 instead of € 89 per night) is tax-relevant income.
  3. We advise participants to collect all invoices.
  4. We suggest to avoid overpayments in cases, when participants provide us with a documentation of actually incurred costs, which we would then reimburse accurately (up to a maximum of the flat rate), rather than transferring the total flat rate. This would be the case for employees of the Grant Holder (Medical University Innsbruck) and for any participant who voluntarily provides us a documentation of actually incurred costs.
  5. Then a fair financial support can be distributed to more participants, or we have resources available for other scientific tasks.
  • It appears that the COST Association makes this strategy impossible (see Email by Mr. Peeters above). In this case, an alternative option is a bank transfer to the Grant Holder, paying back any overpayments, with a corresponding invoice issued by the Grant Holder. ~ Gnaiger Erich 08:33, 14 November 2016 (CET)


Early Career Investigators (ECI), Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC) and gender balance

Nina Krako
Tomaz Mars

Status 2016-11-09

  • ITC: 31 out of 92
  • ECI: 6 out of 29 (the rest 63 didn't reply)
  • GB: Male: 55; Female: 37
Some people misunderstood that an ECI has to have a PhD (or equivalent/similar experience). There is some overlapping terminology in different EU projects, what probably caused confusion to few participants in our Action on how to define are they ECI or not.

Circular

To the Management Committee of the COST Action CA15203
Dear MC members and substitutes,
In order to be able to create a specific action plan to increase the involvement of Early Career Investigators (ECIs), we need to know the exact number of ECIs in our COST Action. This is related to the Scientific Committee’s comment (MitoEAGLE COST-Evaluation 2016-02-12):
The proposed Action must develop and implement specific plans to increase the involvement of Early Career Investigators and for maintaining and monitoring gender balance.
Since our science officer Dr Federica Ortelli is not allowed to share with us these data, due to rule for personal data manipulation, we would kindly ask you to provide us with a following information:
  1. Your status: whether you are an ECI or not. » For ECI definition please refer to COST_Action_MitoEAGLE#Selected_COST_terms.
  2. The year of obtaining your PhD.
  3. Indicate any period of career leave (maternity leave, military service) if any.
Please reply until next Friday 2016-Nov-04 to Nina Krako - ninakrako@gmail.com


COST provides the following examples for ECI management:
  1. Promotion of the multidisciplinary/multisectorial training of ECIs in order to overcome fragmentation of knowledge in the field now, but also in the long term;
  2. Direct involvement of ECIs in outreach activities or the scientific deliberations of WGs;
  3. Having a dedicated ECI session in an Action workshop/conference;
  4. Organising a Training School in an ITC country would facilitate the participation of ECIs from that country, similarly for STSMs.
  5. All above need to be proposed and discussed by the whole MC as they regard the utilization of budget.
» Suggested reading for ECIs session in preparation of our Verona meeting: The current special issue of Nature is dedicated to young scientist and explores the problems facing early- and mid-career scientist: [nature.com/youngscientists nature.com/youngscientists].
Thank you for your help.
Kind regards,
Nina Krako and Tomaz Mars
Coordinators for Early Career Investigators,
Inclusiveness Target Countries and gender balance
COST Action CA15203 MitoEAGLE


  • COST provides further examples for ECI:
  1. Leadership roles
  2. Organising and locating MitoEAGLE meetings and events in Inclusiveness Target Countries
  3. Benefiting from COST networking tools
  4. Promoting STSMs
  5. Action Think Tank for Early Career Investigators


  • COST provides the following examples for NNC and IPC:
  1. Approved NNC and IPC Institutions can host Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSM).
  2. Researchers from approved NNC institutions can apply for STSMs and and be supported when attending Training Schools.
  3. Researchers from approved IPC and NNC institutions can be supported as trainers in Training Schools.
  • COST provides the following examples for SME and industry participation:
  1. Sessions and round table discussions dedicated to industrial participation at MitoEAGLE events
  2. STSMs with industry acting as home/host institution.
  • Suggestion to the Core Group and MC:
  • If you collaborate with industrial partners who may have an interest in the MitoEAGLE network, please contact them directly, with Cc to verena.laner@mitophysiology.org.


Near Neighbour (NNC), International Partner Countries (IPC) and industry participation

Template for invitation of industrial partners

Dear ##:
We would like to ask you, if your company .... will be interested in joining the MitoEAGLE network. During our next MitoEAGLE Grant Periods we want to organize sessions with specific participation of stakeholders in mitochondrial physiology. Partners from the industry are welcome in the COST Action to participate in
  • Sessions and round table discussions dedicated to industrial participation at MitoEAGLE events
  • STSMs with industry acting as home/host institution.
As step 1, your company would be listed as a member in the MitoEAGLE network, potentially followed by e-COST registration:
» MitoEAGLE network
We are looking forward to hearing from you, ..


COST Action MitoEAGLE e-COST MitoEAGLE e-COST MitoEAGLE countries Gentle Science MitoPedia MiPsociety MitoGlobal


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