Short-term Scientific Missions (STSM)
Short-term scientific missions (STSM) are exchange visits between researchers involved in a COST Action, allowing scientists to visit an institution or laboratory in another COST Member state. These scientific missions may last up to six months in another COST Member/Cooperating Member or Near-Neighbour Country joining the Action. Their aim is to foster collaboration in excellent research infrastructures and share new techniques that may not be available in a participant’s home institution or laboratory.
How to apply?
STSM aim to foster collaboration between researchers involved in COST Action.
Please contact the STSMs coordinators Dr Sandra Alves or Dr Arístides López-Márquez if you need more information or guidance.
Before the STSM
STSM applicants must be engaged in an official research programme as a PhD Student or postdoctoral fellow or can be employed by, or affiliated to, an institution, organisation or legal entity which has within its remit a clear association with performing research.
Eligible STSM applicants must obtain written agreement from the host institution that the STSM applicant may perform the activities detailed in the STSM work plan on the agreed dates and complete an online STSM application.
The Action MC evaluates STSM applications and select grantees. The Action MC may formally delegate the assessment of STSM applications to an STSM Coordinator or Committee. The evaluation criteria defined by the Action MC are fair and transparent. The selection of STSM applicants is based on the scientific scope of the application and how it can support the COST Action in achieving its scientific objectives and take into account the COST Policy and Rules with special attention on Inclusiveness and Excellence.
Financial support
Financial support can be up to a maximum of EUR 2 500 in total to each successful applicant and up to a maximum of EUR 160 per day for accommodation and meal expenses.
For Early Career Investigators, the calculation for an increased financial contribution must respect the following criteria:
a) up to a maximum of EUR 3 500 in total can be awarded to ECIs for missions with a duration of between 91 and 180 calendar days
b) up to a maximum of EUR 160 per day can be furnished for accommodation and meal expenses.
Specific provisions have been introduced to enable researchers from ITC participating in the COST Action to request a pre-payment of 50% of their STSM Grant when they complete the first day of their STSM (the Host Institution must confirm by e-mail to the Grant Holder that the STSM applicant has officially started the mission on day 1). The remaining 50% of the Grant is payable once the administrative requirements have been satisfied after the STSM.
After the STSM
The STSM grantee is required to submit a short scientific report to the host institution (for information purposes only) and to the Action Chair (or Vice Chair if the Action Chair is affiliated to the Grant Holder Institution) / STSM Coordinator or Committee for formal approval within 30 days after the end date of the STSM. Written approval of the scientific report by the persons above must be uploaded in e-COST for archiving purposes.
ITC conference grants
ITC conference grants help PhD students and Early-Career Investigators (ECIs) from participating Inclusiveness Target Countries attend international science and technology related conferences that are not organised by a COST Action.
Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC): Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Serbia and Turkey.
How to apply?
Conference Grants aim at supporting researchers from Participating ITC to attend high profile international science and technology related events not explicitly organised by the Action.
Please contact the Conference grant coordinators Dr Linda Popplewell, Dr Veronika Karcagi or Dr Elisabete Coelho if you need more information or guidance.
Before the ITC conference
The applicants must be PhD students or ECIs with a primary affiliation in an institution located in a Participating ITC, have an oral/ poster presentation on the topic of the Action that acknowledges COST and is listed in the conference’s programme, and provide the documents confirming the conference fee amount.
Financial support
A Conference Grant is a contribution to the overall travel, accommodation and meal expenses of the selected Grantee.
Financial support can be up to a maximum of EUR 2 500 in total to each successful applicant and up to a maximum of EUR 160 per day can be provided for accommodation and meal expenses. Up to a maximum of EUR 500 can be claimed for the conference fees to be incurred by the selected Grantee.
Also when the hosting institution supports meal and accommodation expenses as part of the provisions offered in their conference package, the amount for subsistence afforded to each eligible participant must be deducted from the Grant.
After the Conference
The Grantee has 30 calendar days from the end date of the Conference in question to submit a scientific report to the Action Chair (or Vice-Chair if the Action Chair is affiliated to the Grant Holder Institution) and the Action’s Grant Holder. Payment of the Grant is subject to the submitted Conference Grant scientific report being approved by the Action Chair (or Vice-Chair if the Action Chair is affiliated to the Grant Holder Institution).
Virtual Mobility Grants
Virtual Mobility (VM) Grants offer up to 1,500 EUR per grant, to strengthen the existing networks by allowing individual participants to foster collaboration, to exchange knowledge, to learn new techniques, etc. The successful applicants will be selected to perform activities that do not necessarily require in-person presence. These activities may include surveys, questionnaires or preparation of protocols, virtual mentoring of activities that can generate capacity, build new skills, etc.
All Action participants with a primary affiliation to an institution located in a COST Full Member country or Cooperating Member, or MC Observers from a COST Near Neighbour Country are eligible to apply for the grants. Eligible individuals must fulfil the requirements stated in the Vademecum subject to the approval of the Management Committee and availability of funds.
