COST Action CA22157
Reproductive Enhancement of CROP resilience to extreme climate (RECROP)

 

What is an STSM in a COST Action?

In COST Actions, Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) are research exchange programs allowing researchers and scholars to spend time in a different institution or lab within a COST Member state. The primary objective of these missions is to enhance collaborative efforts in state-of-the-art research facilities and to exchange novel methodologies that might not be present in the researcher's home institution. Detailed guidelines and rules are available here: Annotated Rules for COST Actions'
 

STSM in RECROP

RECROP gives priority to Early Stage Career Researchers and Innovators who are either PhD candidates or Postdocs. For the year 2024, participants may apply for up to 1,000 € weekly support, with a cap of 2,500 € for missions extending beyond three weeks. The allocated budget is intended to support travel and accommodation expenses. All STSMs should be concluded by September 30th, 2024. The outcomes and activities of each STSM should align with RECROP Action's objectives and be directly related to specific tasks within the Working Groups (WG) as outlined on the RECROP website (https://www.recrop-cost.com/). Applicants must include this alignment in their Motivation Letter.

 

Eligibility for STSM

To be considered, applications must meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the Annotated Rules for COST Actions and align with the research objectives and tasks of RECROP. According to the Annotated Rules: “STSM travel grants are available to applicants employed by, or affiliated with, an institution, organization, or legal entity in a COST Full/Cooperating Member country or in a legal entity in a Near Neighbor Country (NNC).” The eligible countries are listed in COST Documents &Guidelines, particularly, in the Country and Organisations Table.

 

How to Apply for an STSM?

The application window for 2024's RECROP STSMs remains open until the designated budget is fully allocated. The initial step is to submit an application via the e-COST platform (registration is required). According to the Annotated Rules: “Applicants must have an e-COST profile and applications shall be submitted online in e-COST”.
To be filled in e-COST:
⦁    Title
⦁    Start and end date of the STSM (latest September 30th).
⦁    Budget requested (as described above).
⦁    Information about the host institution and contact person.
To be uploaded to e-COST:
⦁    Application form (STSM application template) describing goals, description of the work to be carried out by the applicant, expected outcomes and description of the contribution to the Action MoU objectives.
⦁    Confirmation from the Host Institution on its availability to receive the applicant.
⦁    Applicant’s CV (in applicant’s e-COST profile).
Applicants must also forward the following documents to the Grant Award Coordinator, Prof. Ariola Bacu by e-mail: ariola.bacu@fshn.edu.al
⦁    Confirmation document from e-COST
⦁    A support letter from the Host Institution
⦁    A detailed Motivation Letter that includes a work plan, specifying the activities planned and their relation to specific tasks in either Working Groups 1-3. STSMs that are not directly contributing to the objectives of the WGs will not be funded.

 

Evaluation of Applications

The STSMs grant awarding process will occur through a continuous call, a strict (annual) budget, reviewed by two WG leaders and the Grant Awarding Coordinator. The STSM coordinator, in collaboration with the WG leaders will evaluate the applications based on:
⦁    The potential contribution to the COST Action
⦁    The scientific merit
⦁    The appropriateness and feasibility of the proposed methodology

This evaluation process adheres to COST's inclusivity policies regarding gender, age, and geography balance. The Action Chair and Co-Chair will endorse the final selection.
Applicants will be notified of the selection outcomes by the Grant Award Coordinator. STSM grantees should await an official invitation from the Grant Holder before making any travel arrangements.

IMPORTANT : STSM applicants should not book anything (e.g., transportation or accommodation) before receiving a confirmation through a grant letter.

 

Submission of the STSM report and payment

According to the Annotated Rules:
⦁    Once the activity has ended, the applicant can claim the payment of the grant via ⦁ e-COST  . For this, the grantee should submit the Report using the STSM report template  , and relevant documentation within 30 days from the end date of the STSM, or 15 days after the end of the Grant Period , whichever date comes first.
⦁    The Report must include the work performed, main achievements, and planned follow-up activities.
⦁    Grants are paid by the Grant Holder after the completion of the activity and approval of all required report and documentation.
⦁    A 50% prepayment is possible.

In RECROP : besides the STSM report template filled, the applicant must upload:
  Report summary (see template at the end of this document) that, besides scientific findings, includes:
   ⦁    The importance of the visit in terms of personal development, networking, and capacity building (e.g., collaborations).
   ⦁    Foreseen publications/articles resulting from the STSM (if applicable).
   ⦁    Confirmation by the Host Institution of the execution of the STSM.
   ⦁    Picture of the trainee working at the host institution facilities and/or a picture with the collaborators that might be published in social media and website.

The report summary will be published at the RECROP website.
Documents that cannot be uploaded via the e-COST interface should directly be sent to the Grant Awarding Coordinator Prof. Ariola Bacu (ariola.bacu@fshn.edu.al) and the Chair of RECROP COST action Dr. Sotirios Fragkostefanakis (fragkost@bio.uni- frankfurt.de).

 

Acknowledgement

Please acknowledge the contribution of the STSM in posters or articles : “Partially funded by COST RECROP ACTION CA22157” or “Person A was supported with a mobility STSM grant from COST ACTION ´RECROP’ (CA22157)”.

 

Frequently asked questions

⦁   Can I postpone my STSM? If the originally intended period is not feasible, STSM could be postponed after consultation with the Grant Awarding Coordinator and Action chair. Grantee should keep in mind that the approved STSM must be completed within the actual Grant Period.

⦁   I am uncertain about the exact dates for my trip. Can I apply for a flexible three-week period within a one-month timeframe, for example? Yes, it is possible. However, STSMs require specific start and end dates, therefore, supporting documents have to state the period in which the applicant is considering doing the STSM.

⦁   Where do I upload my accommodation or meal tickets after I have returned from the STSM? You do not have to provide any receipts for accommodation or meals. The financial support is paid in the form of a grant. However, travel-expenses and accommodation invoices must be presented in the case of cancellation by force majeure (see A1-3.1.6 of Annex 1 for more detail).
 

STSM Template of the Report Summary

The formal report should be written within a month after the end of the STSM in the format of a short communication (4 pages max.) and should be submitted to the Grant Award Coordinator and the Action Chair

 

SCIENTIFIC REPORT
Reference	Short Term Scientific Mission COST CA22157
Grant recipient	Name AFFILIATION Email Address
Host Researcher	Name AFFILIATION email Address
Period	from DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY
STSM Reference Code	COST-STSM - CA22157-xxxxx
STSM Title

 

1. Summary (300 words, a photograph of you alongside your collaborators and a short quote describing your experience, and a picture of the trainee working at the host institution facilities, to be published on the web site of the action)
2. Purpose of the Visit
3. Description of the work carried out
4. Description of the main results obtained
5. Description of how the STSM was embedded in research project(s)
6. Possible future collaboration with Host Institution
7. Confirmation by the Host Institute/Researcher of the successful execution of the Mission