· 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/Cooperating Member or Near-Neighbor Country joining the Action. Their aim is to foster collaboration towards the defined goals of LOBSTERPOT.
· The institution, organization or legal entity where applicants pursue their main strand of research is considered as Home institution. The Host institution is the institution, organization or legal entity that will host the successful applicant.
· The mission should be executed within a Grant Period.
· For more info please contact our STSM manager: mapujana@iconcologia.net or consult the COST Annotated Rules: COST-094-21-Annotated-Rules-for-COST-Actions-Level-C-2022-02-15.pdf
Who can apply?
· STSMs are open for applicant PhD students, postdocs, and advanced career researchers employed at institutions/organizations or legal entities of: a COST Full/Cooperating Member; a European RTD Organization; and a NNC (Near Neighbor Countries).
· Grantee can perform the STSM anywhere in the world. But for Specific Organizations: rules applicable to the territory where it is vested.
· Priority will be given to Early Career Investigators (individual who is within a time span of up to 8 years from the date they obtained their PhD/doctorate (full-time equivalent)) and PhD students working on the central Aims of LOBSTERPOT. However, this should not discourage more experienced researchers from applying.
· Particular consideration will also be given to candidates moving from/to COST Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs).
· Awards will be made to support scientific excellence and to support diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, origin, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
What can you apply for?
You can apply for a STSM with no minimum number of days required. The STSM will be a fixed grant to cover travelling, accommodation and subsistence expenses, implementation of the project, delivery of the report to the COST Action MC and overall effort.
The calculation of the financial contribution for each STSM shall respect the following criteria:
• Up to a maximum of EUR 4000 in total can be afforded to each successful applicant.
STSM grantees must make their own arrangements for all provisions related to personal security, health, taxation, social security and pension matters. STSM awards may be combined with other funding sources, but these must be acknowledged in the application. The awarded grant will be paid only after the mission is completed and a report is submitted and approved (subsequent sections).
After the STSM
The beneficiary should submit a short scientific report (http://www.cost.eu/STSM_report_template) to the Host, Home and STSM coordinator within 30 days of completing the mission. This must include: the purpose of the mission; description of work carried out; description of main results/outputs; plan of future collaborations with Host (if applicable); planned publications resulting from STSM (if applicable); confirmation of successful STSM by Host. STSM Coordinator and Action Chair should approve the final report, and then Grant Holder executes payment to STSM Applicant. The submission of the supporting documents is mandatory or the Grant is cancelled.
All the above information combined with the current grant period 2022-2023 call schedule can be found in this document for details.
Summarized:
Short Term Scientific Missions (STSM) are aimed at fostering collaboration and sharing of new techniques and infrastructure that may not be available in other participants’ institutions or laboratories. STSMs are intended especially for young researchers.
For more info please contact our STSM manager: miguelangel.pujana[at]gmail.com