COST Action ES0903

Short Term Scientific Mission

The first call for Short Term Scientific Missions under EUROSPEC -

COST Action ES0903 for 2012 is now open.

Deadline for submission: December, 31st 2011.

The aim of a STSM as defined by COST guidelines is to contribute to the scientific objectives of a COST Action.

These Missions (Inter-laboratory Exchange Visits) aim at strengthening the existing COST Actions by allowing scientists to go to an institution or laboratory in another COST country to foster collaboration, to learn a new technique or to take measurements using instruments and/or methods not available in their own institution/laboratory. They are particularly intended for young scientists.

Financial Support

A grant usually covers travel and subsistence.The financial support is a contribution to the costs of a STSM and may not necessarily cover all the costs.

Applicant and Host Institution

The Applicant should normally be engaged in a programme of research as a post graduate student or postdoctoral fellow or be employed in an institution of a COST Country having accepted the MoU of the Action. This institution shall be actively participating in the COST Action.

The home and the host institution can be public or private. A STSM may only be approved:

- from a home institution in a COST participating country to a host institution in a COST participating country or to a formally approved host institution in a non-COST country

- from a formally approved home institution in a Near Neighbour country to a host institution in a COST participating country.

The Applicant is responsible for obtaining the agreement of the host institution, before submitting his/her application.


Duration

STSMs are minimum one week (5 working days), maximum 3 months.

The STSM have to start from February, 1st 2012 and end within January, 31st 2013.


Application

Step 1 – On-line registration by the applicant

The Applicant must apply through the on-line registration tool at least 3 weeks before the beginning of the STSM. 

Step 2 – Formal STSM application and annexes

After encoding the information and pressing the “submit” button the on-line registration tool will issue a formal STSM application which has to be downloaded and sent by the applicant electronically together with a detailed explanation about how the STSM will contribute to the Action ES0903 aims and any necessary document which the Applicant may regard as helpful in supporting the application at the evaluation process (such as CV, list of publications, motivation letter, letter of support from the home institute etc.) to:

• the future Host of the STSM;
• the Chair of the Management Committee of the Action - Dr LORIS VESCOVO E-mail.: vescovo (at) cealp.it

Step 3 – Assessment of the STSM

The MC chair will arrange the assessment of the STSM.

Step 4 – Approval from the Management Committee

The MC Chair informs the Grant Holder that the proposed STSM has been approved.

Step 5 – Cost Office Acceptance Letter (Grant Letter)

The Grant Holder will send to the Applicant an acceptance letter in which s/he is informed about:

a) the approval of the STSM and;
b) the level of the financial grant given.

The Applicant has to return this acceptance letter, after accepting the grant with his/her signature.


After the STSM

After completion of the STSM the grantee is required to submit to the host institution and MC Chair a scientific report on the visit within 4 weeks after his/her stay.

It should contain the following information:

• Purpose of the STSM;
• Description of the work carried out during the STSM;
• Description of the main results obtained;
• Future collaboration with host institution (if applicable);
• Foreseen publications/articles resulting or to result from the STSM (if applicable);
• Confirmation by the host institution of the successful execution of the STSM;
• Other comments (if any).

The MC Chair is responsible for approving the final report and sending the notice of completion of the STSM to the Grant Holder, with the confirmation that the STSM has been successfully accomplished and that the grant can be paid.

Publications resulting from STSM activities should acknowledge COST ES0903 support.

Further information and rules

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the detailed information provided by COST.

1.    Full details on COST Vademecum – Grant System section 4. Please read the COST Vademecum carefully!!!

2.    In addition, for further information we recommended to visit the COST website: Short Term Scientific Missions.