Non-globular proteins in the era of Machine Learning
COST Action CA21160
Short Term Scientific Missions
Description
Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) are exchange visits aimed at supporting individual mobility and training of young researchers (YRs) through general activities of Working Groups.
STSM applicants must be engaged in an official research programme as a PhD Student or postdoctoral fellow (completion of their PhD within the last eight years). Principal investigators and senior researchers can also apply to STSMs to build new scientific collaborations and prepare grant applications.
Applications are accepted from Action participants with a primary affiliation to a legal entity located in a COST Full or Cooperating Member country, a COST Near Neighbour Country or a European RTD Organisation.
A number of STSMs will be financed each year for exchange of technologies and training between labs in different member states as defined in the rules of the COST framework. An STSM should specifically contribute to the scientific development of the ML4NGP COST Action, whilst at the same time allowing those partaking in the missions to learn new techniques, gain access to specific data, instruments and methods not available in their own institutions.
APPLICATIONS FOR STSM ARE OPEN ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS.
The applications will be reviewed at the end of each month. The end date for each STSM should not be later than 15 October.
Eligibility and applications
The STSM participant is required to be a member of a Working Group in ML4NGP COST Action (Apply here to join).
STSM may last a minimum of 5 working days (=1 week) and a maximum of 3 months (with a possible extension to up to 6 months for YRs).
The financial support is a contribution to the costs of a STSM and may not necessarily cover all the costs in each case. The grant should normally cover only travel and subsistence. The total of a STSM shall normally not exceed 2500 euros up to 3 months (or 4000 euros for YRs – above 3 months).
A maximum of 300 euros for travel is recommended but not obligatory.
Maximum subsistence depends on the host country (for calculation use the country correction coefficients (CCC) provided by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action, Horizon Europe work programme) and the duration of the visit.
The base level of subsistence rates:
- First 5 days (X) – 100 euros per day
- Days 6-15 (Y) – 50 euros per day
- From day 16 (Z) – 30 euros per day
Final amount = [CCC ((X x 100 )+ (Y x 50) + (Z x 30))] + Travel
Applications are collected after the application deadline and evaluated taking into account the following policies:
- Allocated budget: A maximum of 80% of the yearly STSM budget may be spent on a single call for application. Where necessary, applications will be ranked accordingly.
- Participation in ML4NGP: Both the sending and hosting lab shall be actively involved in ML4NGP Action, i.e., listed as MC or WG members on the website.
- Relevance to current WG activities: The application must clearly demonstrate the links to WG goals and activities for the budget period.
- Repetitive applications: Applications by the same individual to visit the same lab may be discarded unless properly justified.
The Evaluation Committee will discard applications failing any of the above policies even in the presence of remaining funds.
1 – Complete electronic application form at https://e-services.cost.eu/activity/grants
- Title
- Start and end date (Note that the end date should be no later than October 15);
- Budget requested by the applicant;
- Information about the host institution and contact person.
2 – Upload to e-COST supporting documents:
- Application form (template available on e-COST) 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 (Completed form (https://www.cost.eu/STSM_GrantApplication)
- Applicant must upload their CV in e-COST profile
- Confirmation of the host on the agreement from the host institution in receiving the applicant;
- Other documents required by the Action (e.g. recommendation letter, etc…)
Within the 2 weeks after the deadline for application, the Evaluation Committee will make the assessment and the grant award coordinator will send the notice to the Grant Holder and to the applicant.
The Grant Holder will send to the Applicant an acceptance letter in which s/he is informed about the approval of the proposal and the level of the financial grant given. The Applicant has to return this acceptance letter, after accepting the grant with his/her signature.
1 day and 10 days after the end of the grant, the grantee receives a reminder to upload the report.
The deadline to submit the report is 30 days from the end of the activity, within 15 days from the end date of the Grant Period or within a shorter timeframe as per Grant Holder/ Grant Awarding Coordinator’s request to meet reporting deadlines.
The grantee must complete the report template (https://www.cost.eu/STSM_Report), upload, and submit it in e-COST
In the selection process of STSM proposals, ML4NGP Action will ensure inclusiveness through COST Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC) representation, geographical diversity, gender balance and empowerment of young researchers.