Short Term Scientific Missions - COST Action MP0601

Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) provide the opportunity for participants in the Action to travel to other laboratories to facilitate knowledge transfer.  STSMs are primarily aimed at early stage researchers so that they may learn new skills or techniques not available in their home institution, but other members may participate. STSMs can last from one week to three months, within a normal budget limit of 2500€.

The applicant should be engaged in a programme of research as a postgraduate student, a postdoctoral fellow or an employee in an institution in a COST member country which has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (200kb pdf) of the Action. The host institution should normally also be a member of the Action, but if a scientific case can be made then the host could exceptionally be in a non-COST country.

In our Action, applications for STSMs should be submitted to the chair of the Management Committee (MC), who has the responsibility for assessing and approving the application — with input from other MC members as appropriate. The chair will then inform the COST Office of the decision at least four weeks before the intended start date of the STSM. If the MC chair has any conflict of interest, for example being the applicant’s supervisor or the host, then the responsibility is delegated to the vice chair.

Within four weeks after the STSM has ended, a short scientific report must be submitted to the host and to the MC chair. This should contain the following information, along with any other comments:

  • purpose of the visit;
  • description of the work carried;
  • summary of the main results;
  • future collaboration with host institution, if appropriate;
  • possible publications resulting from the work;
  • a statement from the host institution on the success of the mission.

In our Action, it is expected that recipients of STSM awards will present the results of their work at a future Working Group meeting.

To read full list of instructions on how to apply for a STSM follow this link STSM Vademecum (820kb pdf).