5th STSM Grant – Spring 2023 [CLOSED]

5th Call for Short Term Scientific Missions (STSM) applications for missions occurring until 15th September 2023

 5th Call Short Term Scientific Missions (STSM) – Spring 2023

STSM IN GENERAL

Short-Term Scientific Mission consists in a visit of a host organization located in a different country than the country of affiliation by a Researcher or Innovator for the specific work to be carried out and for a determined period of time.

STSMs facilitate researchers from COST countries participating in COST Action CA18123 to go to an institution, organization or research centre in another participating COST country to foster collaboration and to perform empirical research. STSMs involve visiting a partner institution to improve closer cooperation and exchange, to develop capacity building and joint research, publications, and preparation of future projects. The STSM must further the scientific objectives of the Action, as set out above.

All STSM activities must occur in their entirety within the dates specified above Purpose of a Short-term Scientific Mission.

The following detailed information has been drawn from COST Annotated Rules in:

You are strongly reccomended to consult it for more detailed information.

WHO CAN APPLY?

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.

However, within this Call priority will be given to:

  • people applying who are mentees of our mentoring program and the mission is for the purposes of the realization of the mentoring program; and
  • young innovators who are members of the Action who wish to visit other members to develop new outputs – such as the book chapters or joint papers or similar contribution.

The institutions/organisation or legal entity where applicants pursue their main strand of research are considered as Home Institutions. The Host Institution is the institution/organisation that will host the successful applicant.

STSM applicant could be any individual affiliated in a legal entity in:

  • COST Full/Cooperating Member
  • European RTD
  • NNC

COST Action CA18213 in accordance with COST strategy supports Early Career Investigators (ECI). Therefore, the participation of ECIs in STSMs is particularly encouraged, but applications are not limited to ECIs. An applicant is considered an ECI as Young Researchers and Innovators (YRI) who is less than 40 years old.

Other researchers are also eligible to partake in STSMs, but ECIs are prioritized when applications are evaluated.

Previous successful applicants are not precluded from applying, but preference and priority will be given to applicants who have not been awarded a STSM before.

WHERE CAN I GO?

Grantee can perform the mission:

  • Anywhere in the world
  • Specific Organisations: rule applicable to the territory where it is vested.

AMOUNT OF GRANTS

An STSM Grant is a fixed financial contribution which takes into consideration the budget request of the applicant and the outcome of the evaluation of the STSM application. STSM Grants do not necessarily cover all expenses related to undertaking a given mission. A STSM Grant is a contribution to the overall travel, accommodation and meal expenses of the Grantee.

The COST Association and the Grant Holder of the Action cannot to be considered as being an STSM grantee’s employer. STSM grantees must make their own arrangements for all provisions related to personal security, health, taxation, social security and pension matters.

Grants are normally processed only after the STSM has taken place and the reporting retirements have been satisfied and approved by the Grant Awarding Coordinator or the Coordinator for the STSM. However, STSMs grantees may request up to 50% pre-payment of the approved grant. This amount is subject to availability of funds and approval by the Grant Holder Institution. The request of pre-payment shall be submitted to the Grant Holder Manager.

For this call, the Management Committee of COST Action CA18213 has allocated a total budget of EUR 6,000.00 for 4 STSMs. Additional funding might be considered during this Grant Period, upon MC decision.The following funding conditions apply and must be respected:

– an applicant can be afforded up to a maximum amount of EUR 1,500.00;

This call folllows COST annotated rules for STSM and is open to all researchers meeting those criteria. Howeven, within this specific Call the priority will be given to:

  • people applying who are mentees of our mentoring program, and the mission is for the purposes of the realization of the mentoring program; and
  • young innovators who are members of the Action who wish to visit other members to develop new outputs – such as the book chapters or joint papers or smiliar contribution.

Different country rates to cover accommodation and meal expenses based on the perceived cost of living in the host country may apply.

STSM activities must occur in their entirety within the dates specified in this call.

The amounts granted for each individual STSM will be determined during the evaluation process.

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. In such case, the representative of the Host Institution must confirm by e-mail to the Grant Holder that the STSM applicant has officially started the mission on day 1. Only then the Grant Holder can arrange the payment of 50% of the STSM grant. The remaining 50% of the Grant is payable once the administrative requirements have been satisfied after the STSM.

HOW TO APPLY?

The applicant is responsible for choosing and contacting the Host institution and for organizing the application process. All applicants must register for an e-COST profile at https://e-services.cost.eu/.

All applicants have to complete the online application form (https://e-services.cost.eu/) (left side COST Actions > Grant Applications):

  • STSM Application (including Workplan – Workplan should include objectives for visit, time-line and core tasks to be undertaken; expected outputs and deliverables (e.g. new research model; draft outline of peer review publication); Work plan should be structured with a particular research question in mind and with a view to developing work that will form the basis for a possible peer review publication);
  • CV (including a list of academic publications – if applicable);
  • A letter of support from the Home Institution;
  • Written agreement from the Host Institution that the STSM applicant can perform the activities detailed in the STSM work plan on the agreed dates;

 WHEN TO APPLY?

This Call is open no later than 30th April 2023.

STSMs may take place within the period: 1st May and 15th September 2023.

WHEN WILL I KNOW IF I GOT IT?

All received application will be collected and assessed by the STSM Committee following which applicants will be informed on the results.

You will know whether your STSM has been granted within 10 days after the final deadline for submission.

The STSM committee will evaluate all STSM applications based on following criteria:

  1. a) priority criteria: other applicants will not be excluded from the assesing procedure, but priority will be given to mentees of our mentoring program and the mission is for the purposes of the realization of the mentoring program, and young innovators who are members of the Action who wish to visit other members to develop new outputs
  2. b) all applicants must fulfil mandatory criteria:

1.) the STSM proposal includes deliverables out-reach potential that go beyond CA 18213 enlisted members and activities (meaning that the proposed deliverables are strong enough and involve a dissemination plan beyond the scope of CA 18213 members and activities);

2.) the STSMs proposal includes deliverables with an added-value for CA 18213

3.) the STSM proposal has a clear plan of connecting STSMs deliverables with other on-going networking tools and deliveravles of the Action (e.g. written outcomes);

  1. c) additional criteria

4.) the proponent is affiliated with an institution based on an ITC country;

The STSM Committee will also apply exclusion criteria:

1.) if none of the mandatory criteria is taken into consideration in the STSM proposal;

2.) the STSM is proposed by an Action member who has already been awarded an STSM grant in the previous grant period;

3.) applications that do not reach a certain total average score which will agreed in advance (the STSM Committee will apply scoring procedure).

Grant Awarding Coordinator: Daniela Mamucevska, UKIM-Faculty of Economics – Skopje, North Macedonia

STSM Committee:

  • Slaven Gasparovic, University of Zagreb, Croatia
  • Daniela Mamucevska, UKIM-Faculty of Economics – Skopje, North Macedonia
  • Elena Marta, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy

 AFTER THE STSM HAS TAKEN PLACE

Within 30 days after the end date of the STSM, the grantee must submit a scientific report to the Host institution. The scientific report should cover purpose of the STSM, description of work carried out during the STSM, description of the main results obtained and future collaborations (if applicable). It is obligatory to use a scientific report template which is available on the e-COST Supporting documents page or on-line here: http://www.cost.eu/STSM_report_template

After the submission of the scientific report to the Host institution, the grantee must acquire an official acceptance confirmation from a researcher affiliated to the Host institution formally accepting the scientific report. The host approval of the report can be an email confirming that the STSM took place and the goals outlined in the Work plan were reached.

The grantee must upload both documents (scientific report and host acceptance confirmation email, both in pdf) to e-COST system, otherwise completion procedure will not be possible.

The submission of the supporting documents is mandatory or the Grant is cancelled. Late submission, beyond the deadline, can also lead to the cancellation of the Grant and, in cases when a pre-payment was done, the obligatory reimbursement by the grantee of the amount received.

NOTICE OF COMPLETION: The Grant Awarding Coordinator or the Coordinator for the STSM will approve the final report and send the completion notice to the Grant Holder. The Grant Holder will then execute the payment of the grant directly to the grantee.

(Please note that the COST Association can request additional information to substantiate the information contained within the documents submitted by STSM applicants).

After the STSM, all grantees are obligatory to indicate the name of this COST Action and its number in all written outcomes derived from the STSM.

Grant Awarding Coordinator: Daniela Mamucevska, UKIM-Faculty of Economics – Skopje, North Macedonia – daniela.mamucevska@eccf.ukim.edu.mk

Coordinator for STSM: Slaven Gasparovic, University of Zagreb, Croatia – slaveng@geog.pmf.hr

STSM Committee:

  • Slaven Gasparovic, University of Zagreb, Croatia
  • Daniela Mamucevska, UKIM-Faculty of Economics – Skopje, North Macedonia
  • Elena Marta, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy

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