STSM Calls

Short Term Scientific Mission Application

Click HERE to apply NOW!
STSM should be finished before the 1st of July 2023
The STSM has to be completed before the 1st of Aug. 2023!

What are STSM?

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 our goals specified above. Our mission is to facilitate networking and provide individuals with the opportunity to learn new techniques and/or gain access to specific data or methods not available at their own institutions regarding glioma MR imaging. The work undertaken in an STSM needs to be aligned with the objectives of one or more of the Working Groups as described by the Memorandum of Understanding. This includes, but is not limited to, research into gadolinium-free imaging methods, multi-site data sharing and infrastructure, novel imaging biomarkers, and application of advanced imaging in clinical trials and practice.

Who can apply?

STSMs are open for MSc and PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and advanced career researchers/clinicians employed at institutions in countries participating in the GliMR 2.0 action, or at approved institutions. STSMs must be performed between COST Members or Participating 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, including travel. Your STSM needs to end on July 31th, 2023, 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 a case, the representative of the Host Institution must confirm by email 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. 

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 GliMR 2.0 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?

For this call, a total budget of EUR 20 500 has been allocated. The individually granted amount will be determined during the evaluation process. The deadline for applications is July 1st, 2023.

How can you apply?

  1. Applicants must complete and submit their STSM application online at: https://e-services.cost.eu/stsm
  2. The list of supporting documents to be submitted includes: 
    1. Letter of invitation from the Host Institution confirming that they can undertake the STSM on the given dates should the application be approved. 
    2. Letter of support from the Home Institution. 
    3. A full C.V. (including a list of academic publications – if applicable).
  3. Consult also the STSM Manual.
  4. If unsure about anything, please first consult the COST Vademecum, Section 8, before turning to the STSM coordinator, Dr. Ruben Emanuel Nechifor (glimr.cost.applications@gmail.com

What happens after submission?

  1. The GliMR 2.0 STSM coordinator organises expert assessment of the STSM proposal along with the STSM Committee. If approved, the STSM coordinator sends the application to the Grant Holder of GliMR 2.0.
  2. The Grant Holder sends the applicant a grant letter.
  3. 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.
  4. For dissemination purposes, the successful applicants will be required to prepare a brief summary for the Action’s website including: name, institution, research interest, summary of research completed in STSM. Additionally, the applicants are kindly invited to prepare a video explaining the research conducted during the STSM and share their experiences.
  5. 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.
The STSM Committee consists of the Core Leadership of CA18206 and includes the STSM Coordinator, Chair, Vice-Chair, Working Group Leaders, Working Group Vice-Leaders, ITC Conference Grant Coordinator and the Science Communication Officer.

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 GliMR 2.0 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 Early Career Investigators). 

There will be special considerations made with respect to supporting COST policies on promoting gender balance, enabling Early Career Investigators, and broadening geographical inclusiveness. Detailed rules on scoring the application are here

For further information regarding STSM’s, contact GliMR STSM coordinator, Ruben Nechifor at glimr.cost.applications@gmail.com.