STSMs

Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) within the APPLY Action

What are STSMs?

Short Term Scientific Missions (STSM) are exchange visits aimed at supporting individual mobility, strengthening existing networks and fostering collaboration between researchers. An STSM should specifically contribute to the scientific objectives of the APPLY (The European network for Argumentation and Public PoLicY analysis ) CA17132 COST Action, whilst at the same time allowing those partaking in the missions to learn new techniques, gain access to specific data or methods not available at their own institutions.

Who can apply?

STSMs are open for PhDs, PostDocs, and advanced career researchers employed at institutions in countries participating in the APPLY action, or at approved institutions. STSMs must be performed between COST countries – researchers cannot apply for an STSM within their own country.

What can you apply for?

You can apply for a short term scientific mission of a minimum duration of 5 calendar days that includes travel. Your STSM needs to end on September 30th, 2022, at the latest. The STSM will be a fixed grant to cover part of the travel expenses and living allowance. The cost of research materials is not eligible for consideration as part of the grant.

Please note that the awarded grant will be paid only after the STSM has been completed – therefore the applicant must have approval and prior financial support e.g., from their own institution. However, specific provisions have been introduced to enable researchers from Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs) 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 can the Grant Holder 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. The ITCs are Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and Turkey.

The calculation of the financial contribution for each STSM must respect the following criteria:

Up to a maximum of EUR 3 500 in total can be afforded to each successful applicant;
Up to a maximum of EUR 160 per day can be afforded for accommodation and meal expenses.
Up to a maximum of EUR 300 can be afforded for travel costs.

Country rates to cover accommodation and meal expenses may be differentiated based on perceived cost of living in the host country.

STSM awards may be combined with other funding sources, but these must be acknowledged in the application.

In your application, you will have to describe the goal of the proposed STSM, how it contributes to the scientific remit of the APPLY COST Action, the planned expenses and the outputs planned as result of the STSM.

For detailed rules regarding eligibility and financial support, please see the relevant sections of the COST Vademecum

When can you apply?

A total budget of EUR 6,000.00 has been allocated for the Grant Period 5 (ending on April 18th, 2023). The amounts granted for each STSM will be determined during the evaluation process. The call opens on November 15, with the deadline falling on January 8, 2023. The STSMs should take place between January 15 and March 31, 2023.

How can you apply? How the whole process look like?

Applicants must complete, submit and download their STSM application online at: https://e-services.cost.eu/stsm
Applicants must send their application form and the relevant supporting documents for evaluation, to Mariusz Urbanski (Mariusz.Urbanski @amu.edu.pl), APPLY STSM coordinator.

The list of supporting documents to be submitted includes:

Letter of invitation from the Host Institution confirming that they can undertake the STSM on the given dates should their application be approved.
Letter of support from the Home Institution.
The submitted STSM application form.
An overview of the proposed activities to be carried out, a workplan for the visit, justification for the choice of the Host Institution, benefits to the APPLY Action, benefits to the Applicant (maximum 4 standard pages).
A full C.V. (including a list of academic publications – if applicable).

The APPLY STSM coordinator organises expert assessment of the STSM proposal along with the Action’s Chair and Vice-Chair. If approved, the STSM coordinator sends application to Grant Holder.
The Grant Holder sends the applicant a grant letter.
After the STSM, the investigator submits a scientific report to the STSM Host and STSM coordinator within 30 days of completing the STSM. This must include: the purpose of the mission; description of work carried out; description of main results; plan of future collaborations with Host (if applicable); planned publications resulting from STSM (if applicable); confirmation of successful STSM by Host.
For dissemination purposes, the successful applicants will be required to prepare a brief for the Action’s website including: name, institution, research interest, summary of research completed in STSM.
STSM Coordinator and Action Chair (or Vice-Chair, in case of any conflict of interest) approve the final report. The Grant Holder executes payment to the STSM Applicant.

What are the criteria for awarding STSM?

The selection of successful STSM applicants will be done in consideration of:

– the scientific scope of the proposed mission;

– relevance of the mission to the scientific objectives of the APPLY Action; in particular, how the proposal is related to a specific Working Group of the Action;

– feasibility of the work plan, including the quality of the Host Institution;

– the academic excellence of the candidate (or promise of excellence in case of the ECIs).

There will be special considerations made with respect to supporting COST policies on promoting gender balance, enabling Early Career Investigators (ECI), and broadening geographical inclusiveness.