STSM

Here is the important informationa about STSM.

Important Dates: Open Call

Notification of results: periodically

Mission Period: between 01.01.2026-30.09.2026

Objectives and Goals

Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) involve researchers or innovators traveling to a host institution in a different country from their own affiliation to carry out specific tasks over a set period. These missions offer key benefits:

- For the STSM Grantee, they provide funding to collaborate with an international team, gain new expertise, or access equipment or methods not available at their home institution.

- For the Host institution, they offer the opportunity to work with an international collaborator, potentially establishing or strengthening long-term partnerships.

STSMs are intended to support particular or broad topics that align with the goals and deliverables outlined in the Action’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Each mission should directly contribute to the scientific aims of COST Action and support its research coordination efforts.

Eligibility

Applicants must be affiliated with a Participating COST Full Member country/COST Cooperating Member country or be an Approved Near Neighbour country (NNC) Institution.

The Host Institution should be in another participating COST Full Member/ COST Cooperating Member country, Participating COST Partner Member country, approved International Partner Country (IPC) or be a NNC Institution.

The proposed STSM’s should have a minimum duration of 5 days and should begin and end within the mission period.

The applicant must conduct research at the host institution which must be on the topic of the Action and must acknowledgeCOST Action RQI as follow: This work was supported by a Short-Scientific Mission Grant from Cost Action23115 RQI.

Submission of Applications

The applicant encodes a grant application by logging into e-COST and clicking on the Grant Applications tab. The applicant can select the grant from the page ‘Apply for new grant’.

After encoding the Grant application form by filling all requested sections, the applicant will need to upload additional supporting documentation:

o STSM grant Application (based on e-COST template)

      The working plan must contain the following estimates regarding the requested budget:

            Total Transportation Cost (EUR):

            Daily Accommodation Cost (EUR):

            Daily Additional Per Diem (EUR):

 The maximal amount of daily allowance for COST mission is https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2024/11/2024-Daily-allowance-table.pdf

o Letter of support from the host

o Other documents required by the Action:

Evaluation

As approved by the Management Committee (MC), the evaluation will be performed by an expert selection committee. The committee includes the leader and co-leader of WG5 (Organization of activities and Implementation of policies), as well as representatives from the leader/co-leaders of WG1, WG2, WG3 and selected representatives of WG1, WG2, and WG3.

Participants will be selected based on the criteria below:

  - Priority for Phd/Postdoc student/Young researchers' applications.

  - Strong scientific application, related to at least one of the WGs's goals.

  - Fair balance between WGs.

  - Gender balance.

  - Priority for ITC countries.

 - Balance between the requested budget and the number of the days of STSM, given to budget limitation. 

Financial support

A STSM is a financial contribution which do not necessarily cover all the expenses related to exchange visits in STSM. A STSM Grant is a contribution to the overall travel, accommodation and meal expenses of the selected Grantee. A maximal amount up to 4000 E per grant can be provided.

At the end of the mission, the grantee must provide a report of the mission, a letter from the host and some photos, confirming his staying.