STSM Application Procedure

    General information

  • Minimum STSM duration is 5 working days, maximum 90 days;
  • The MultIChem Action encourages short STSMs (5-15 working days) to allow as many Action members as possible to benefit from this tool. If you would like to apply for a longer mission, please contact the Grant Awarding Coordinator prior to the application.
  • The budget should reflect the duration and location of the STSM. The maximum grant amount according to COST rules is 4000 EUR. It is expected that an STSM grant for a two-weeks long (10 working days) mission will not exceed 1200 EUR. If you would like to apply for a considerably higher budget, please contact the Grant Awarding Coordinator prior to the application.
  • An STSM should be carried out within a single Grant Period and always within the Action's lifetime.
  • STSM applications for the 1st Grant Period (November 01, 2021 - October 31, 2022) will be considered individually on a rolling basis (no deadlines for application). If the total STSM budget is spent before the end of the 1st Grant Period, the STSM will need to be postponed to the following grant period.
  • STSMs during the last month of a Grant Period (October) are not recommended and should be avoided to ensure reimbursement and delivery of financial reports within the set deadlines for the respective Grant Period. If an STSM is planned to be carried out during that time period, the applicant should contact the Grant Awarding Coordinator to discuss if that is feasible before an application is submitted.

Application process

Applications should be submitted via the e-COST platform. In your e-COST account, click on COST Actions > Grant Applications > Apply for grant > Short-Term Scientific Mission grant.

    Required documents:
  • CV, including the list of publications;
  • Work plan. The work plan should be concise and as specific as possible. It should contain a section which states how the STSM will contribute to the objectives of MultiChem.
  • It should be clearly stated how the STSM will benefit both the MultIChem COST Action and the applicant.
  • Budget breakdown of the applied grant (brief).
  • Letter of support from the host institution.

In order to speed up the process, please send these documents directly to the Grant Awarding Coordinator, simultaneously with an e-COST application.

    Assessment of applications and selection of Grantees

  • The Grant Awarding Coordinator together with other members of the MultIChem Core Group will assess the applications received and will approve or reject each of them. In case an application is rejected, the Grant Awarding Coordinator will give the reason/s to the applicant.
  • The applications will be evaluated within 15 working days (three calendar weeks) after their submission date.
  • Should an application be approved, the Grant Awarding Coordinator will review the budget requested and will determine the Grant amount in accordance with the applicant's request but also taking into consideration the duration and location of the STSM and the budget available. If the amount requested by the applicant is considered to be excessive or not well justified, the Grant Awarding Coordinator can approve a lower grant amount.
  • In case the budget is too low to approve all the submitted applications, the following criteria will apply to select among the positively evaluated applications:
    - Priority will be given to young researchers (PhD students and Early Career Investigators);
    - Priority will be given to STSMs to/from Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC) and Near-Neighboring Countries (NNC).

    After the STSM: required documents and payment of the grant

  • Once the STSM has ended, the grantee should submit a report on the work carried out, main achievements of the STSM and planned future follow up activities. The required documentation should be submitted via the e-COST portal within 30 days after the end date of the STSM or 15 days after the end of the Grant Period, whichever date comes first.
  • Failure to submit the required report on time will effectively cancel the grant.
  • The payment of the grant will be executed within 30 days after the approval of the report by the Grant Awarding Coordinator.