Calls & Grants

ITC Conference Grants provide financial support for participation in high-level conferences organised by third parties. The aims are to present the Applicant’s own work (poster/oral presentation) related to the Action, and establish new contacts for future collaborations.

ITC grants are limited to YRIs (up to an age of 40 years) from Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC) and Near Neighbour Country (NNCs). For further information look at COST Website on Excellence and Inclusiveness.

The limit per ITC Grant for face-to-face meetings is EUR 1000. If higher costs are justifiable for very specific cases, this will be evaluated if applied and could be maximum EUR 2000 according the COST rules.

Conference dates should be between 1.12. and 30.9. of the current grant period in order to guarantee the reporting and payment within the current grant period until 31.10.

Criteria for the evaluation are:

• Relevance for the aims of the Cost Action
• Detailed cost estimation

Grantees will be required to write a short report of their experience to be published in the newsletter and to contribute with content (posts, pictures, short videos…) for the Action social media and Website.

Detailed information are explained in this video: COST Action Networking Tools: Conference Grants for Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC) - YouTube

COST Action Networking Tools: Conference Grants for Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC)

The Dissemination Conference Grant sponsors presentation of relevant work at an international conference by a member of the Action.

Applicants are encouraged before starting the procedure to carefully read the rules detailed in Annotated Rules for COST Actions and the Grant Awarding user guide here.

The limit per Dissemination Conference grant is EUR 1000. If higher costs are justifiable for specific cases, this will be evaluated if applied and could be maximum EUR 2000 according the COST rules.

Conference dates should be between 1.12. and 30.9. of the current grant period in order to guarantee the reporting and payment within the current grant period until 31.10.

Criteria for the evaluation are:

• Promotion of the COST Action itself and its content
• Career stage, gender balance.
• Having a booth
• Organizing a session at the conference
• Type of conference: Next to 3Rs events, basic science conferences are preferred in the field of neuroscience, cardio-vascular disease and oncology (according to the MoU of IMPROVE)
• Minimum: having an oral presentation

Grantees will be required to write a short report of their experience to be published in the newsletter and to contribute with content (posts, pictures, short videos…) for the Action social media and Website.

Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) is a visit of a host organization (e.g. institution, organisation, company or research centre) located in a different country than the country of applicant’s affiliation with the aim to carry out specific work during a determined period of time.

Grant applicant(s) is Action participants with a primary affiliation to a legal entity located in a COST Full or Cooperating Member Country, a COST Near Neighbour Country (NNC) or a European RTD Organisation.

STSMs aim at supporting individual mobility, strengthening existing networks and fostering collaboration between COST Action Participants. They should specifically contribute to the scientific objectives of this COST Action, whilst at the same time allowing those taking part in the missions to learn new techniques or methods, gain access to specific facilities, instruments or data that are not available in their own institution/organisation.

The limit per STMS Grant is EUR 2500. If higher costs are justifiable for very specific cases, this will be evaluated if applied and could be maximum EUR 4000 according the COST rules.

Special considerations will be made with respect to supporting COST policies and rules on:

• strengthening the excellence through the creation of cross-border networking of researchers;
• counterbalancing research communities’ unequal access to knowledge, infrastructures, funding and resources;
• promoting geographical, age and gender balance;
• enabling Young Researchers and Innovators (YRI).

We strongly recommend applicants to contact the respective working group leaders prior to submitting their application to ensure that the proposed outcome of their STSM agrees with the objectives of the Action and working group topics.

Grantees will be required to write a short report of their experience to be published in the newsletter and to contribute with content (posts, pictures, short videos…) for the Action social media.

STSM dates should be between 1.12. and 30.9. of the current grant period in order to guarantee the reporting and payment within the current grant period until 31.10.

Downloads:

• CA21139 STSM Grant Application Template (.docx) – Download
• CA21139 STSM Template Letter of Motivation (.docx) – Download
• CA21139 STSM Template Letter of Support Home Institution (.docx) – Download
• CA21139 STSM Template Letter of Support Host Institution (.docx) – Download
• CA21139 STSM Budget Plan (.xlsx) – Download

Detailed information are explained in this video: COST Action Networking Tools: Short-term Scientific Missions (STSMs) - YouTube

COST Action Networking Tools: Short-term Scientific Missions (STSMs)

The Virtual Mobility Grant entails a virtual collaboration between researchers or innovators who are members of the COST Action for knowledge co-production. It provides financial support to foster collaboration in virtual and hybrid settings.

Applicants are Action participants with a primary affiliation to an institution located in a COST Full or Cooperating Member country or in a COST NNC. It implements collaboration in a virtual setting, exchange knowledge, learn new techniques, disseminate the Action results.

The maximum cost per Virtual Mobility Grant € 1500. The amount is decided according to the duration, scope and complexity of the task.

Virtual Mobility event dates should be between 1.12. and 30.9. of the current grant period in order to guarantee the reporting and payment within the current grant period until 31.10.

Detailed information are explained in this video: New Virtual Networking Tools (VNT) are implemented for COST Actions! - YouTube

New Virtual Networking Tools (VNT) are implemented for COST Actions!

The training school is mainly intended for Young Reseachers and innovators (< 40 years old). Only trainees from (1) COST Full Members/COST Cooperating Members and (2) Action MC Observers from NNC are eligible (see Member Countries). Trainees shall be engaged in an official research programm as a PhD or postdoctoral fellow or can be employed to/affiliated with an institution/organization/legal entity with clear research orientation.

Applications

Interested researchers have to fill the application form. The application includes the following documents:

• A curriculum vitae, including past and present studies and research as well as a complete list of publication
• A short motivation letter

Applications will be evaluated by the Grant Awarding Committee and the Core group. On top of curriculum vitae and motivation letter, the experts will consider to balance applicants’ gender, ethnicity and countries of origin following the COST Excellence and Inclusiveness Policy and COST Principles of Openness and Inclusiveness. Priority will be given to applicants that had not participated in a previous training school.

Watch also this video: COST Action Networking Tools: Training Schools - YouTube

COST Action Networking Tools: Training Schools

The grant awarding committee consists of Marthe Schmit (Grant Awarding Coordinator), Joana Rita Oliveira Faria Marques (ITC coordinator), Sophie Schober (STSM coordinator), Annemarie Lang (YRI coordinator), Fernando Gonzalez Uarquin (Mentorship coordinator) and Sevilay Erden (Training school coordinator) and evaluates the Grant applications once a month.