Short Term Scientific Missions

STSMs commonly last from 5 to 90 days, but can also be performed for longer periods within the current Grant Period. They aim to provide learning opportunities, preferably but not solely to Early Career Investigators (ECIs), through research exchange outside their home country on topics related to the COmputationally assisted design of enZYMes. STSM applicants must be engaged in an official research programme as a Masters student, PhD student or postdoctoral fellow or may be employed by, or affiliated to, an institution or legal entity with a clear association with performing research within its remit. Applicants preferably did not previously receive a grant for a STSM.

The financial support contributes to the costs of an STSM and may not cover all costs. The financial contribution for an STSM will be a fixed grant based on the Applicant’s budget request and the application evaluation by the STSM assessment committee. The total of an STSM shall not exceed EUR 3000. If the total STSM budget is spent before the end of the running Grant Period, the STSM shall be postponed to the following grant period. Grantees must make their arrangements for all provisions related to personal security, health, taxation, social security and pension matters.

Country rates to cover accommodation and meal expenses may be differentiated based on the perceived cost of living in the host country.

STSM awards may be combined with other funding sources, but these must be acknowledged in the application.

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 once the mission has started. In such a case, the representative of the Host Institution must confirm by e-mail to the Grant Holder (GH) manager that the STSM applicant has officially started the mission on day 1. Only then the Grant Holder manager can 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, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine.

In your application, you will have to describe the goal of the proposed STSM, how it contributes to the scientific remit of the COZYME COST Action, the planned expenses and the outputs planned as a result of the STSM.

1. Applicants must complete, submit and download their STSM application online at: https://e-services.cost.eu/activity/grants

2. Applicants must send their application form and the relevant supporting documents for evaluation to Nataša Božić (natasa.bozic@ihtm.bg.ac.rs), COZYME STSM coordinator.

The list of supporting documents to be included are:

• Letter of invitation from the Host Institution confirming that they can undertake the STSM on the given dates should their application be approved.
• Letter of support from the Home Institution.
• The submitted STSM application form.
• An overview of the proposed activities to be carried out, a work plan for the visit, justification for the choice of the Host Institution, in the scope of which WG(s) the planned work aligns to, benefits to the COZYME Action and benefits to the Applicant (maximum four standard pages).
• A full CV (including a list of academic publications – if applicable).
• For Master students: an official letter of enrolment to a research program signed by the Home University representative

3. The COZYME STSM coordinator organises expert assessment of the STSM proposal along with the Action’s Chair and Vice-Chair. If approved, the STSM coordinator sends the application to Grant Holder Manager.

4. The Grant Holder Manager sends the applicant a grant letter.

5. After the STSM, the investigator submits a scientific report to the  STSM coordinator within 14 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.

6. For dissemination purposes, the successful applicants will be required to prepare a brief for the Action’s website, including name, institution, research interest, and summary of research completed in STSM.

7. 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.