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FIRST CALL FOR SHORT-TERM SCIENTIFIC MISSIONS (STSM)

Background and Objectives

Short-Term Scientific Missions and Virtual Mobility grants are key networking instruments within COST Actions, designed to strengthen capacity building and facilitate the transfer of knowledge through bilateral and multilateral collaboration. These flexible and inclusive mechanisms support both specific and broader topics that contribute to achieving the objectives and deliverables set out in the Action’s Memorandum of Understanding. By fostering new partnerships, reinforcing existing collaborations across disciplines and sectors, and generating valuable outputs such as joint publications or follow‑up projects, they enhance the visibility, impact, and scientific reach of the Action.

Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) constitute networking activities eligible for financial support from COST. These grants, awarded by the Management Committee to individual researchers, facilitate physical mobility with the aim of strengthening capacity building and fostering the transfer of knowledge through bilateral or multilateral collaborations during a research stay in another country. STSMs are intended to promote scientific cooperation, the exchange of expertise, and the development of research capacities within the framework of COST Actions.

Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) grants support researchers and innovators undertaking a visit to a host institution located in a different country from their home affiliation, for a defined period and with a specific scientific or technical objective. These missions enable focused work that benefits from international expertise, specialised facilities, or methodological approaches not available in the applicant’s own institution.

For the grantee, an STSM provides funding to carry out a project with an international team, offering opportunities to acquire new knowledge, access advanced equipment, learn novel techniques, or contribute to joint research outputs. For the host institution, the mission brings an international collaborator who can enrich ongoing research activities, support the development of shared protocols or datasets, contribute to laboratory work, or help establish long-term partnerships that strengthen the network’s scientific capacity.

Similarly, Virtual Mobility represents a form of networking activity that may also receive financial support from COST. These grants are awarded by the Management Committee to individuals undertaking activities that enhance capacity building and knowledge transfer through bilateral or multilateral collaborations conducted in a virtual environment, in cases where physical presence is not required.

Virtual Mobility grants support online collaboration among researchers and innovators within a COST Action, enabling the exchange of knowledge, the acquisition of new skills, and the development of collaborative practices without the need for physical travel. These grants provide the Action with a flexible mechanism to implement virtual activities, advance the objectives set out in the Memorandum of Understanding, and broaden the Action’s impact across Europe.

For individual grantees, Virtual Mobility offers an opportunity to strengthen competencies in digital collaboration and networking within a pan-European research environment. Typical activities may include virtual mentoring schemes—particularly those aimed at developing managerial, methodological, or communication skills among Young Researchers and Innovators—as well as contributions to the harmonisation of methods and procedures across the network. Examples include coordinating online discussions to develop common research protocols, designing surveys to collect data from participants, preparing shared questionnaires or response scales, conducting computational or modelling work, and performing data analysis for Action reports or joint outputs.

This first STSMs and Virtual mobility call under COST Action CA24107 SAFE-ICU aims to advance patient safety in European Intensive Care Units (ICUs) through standardized measurement of keyoutcomes, including pressure ulcers, healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs), and delirium. The missions will enable researchers to acquire new skills, foster interdisciplinary cooperation, and contribute to the Action’s objectives as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding.

Grants supporting the mobility of Researchers and Innovators will be awarded through three calls. One call for Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) will be launched for WG1 (pressure ulcer prevention), WG2 (healthcare-associated infections), and WG3 (delirium), enabling in-person travel to collaborate with experts in each respective field. Early career researchers will be particularly encouraged to apply. In parallel, a call for Virtual Mobility grants will be opened to support collaborative activities that enhance capacity building and knowledge exchange in cases where physical presence is not required.

Budget

Total allocated budget: 7.600€

Maximum grant per STSM: 2.100€

Expected number of STSMs: 3 (one from WG1, 2 AND 3)

Maximum grant per Virtual mobility: 1.300€

Expected number of Virtual Mobility: 1

Key Dates

Call opening: 15th January 2026

Application deadline: 15th February 2026

Notification of results: March / April 2026

Eligible period for STSM implementation: May – September 2026

STSM duration: No minimum or maximum number of days required.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be registered members of COST Action CA24107 (SAFE-ICU) and have an active e-COST profile.

Priority will be given to:

  • Young Researchers and Innovators (YRI) – defined as PhD students or postdoctoral researchers under 40 years old.
  • Applicants affiliated with institutions located in Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC).

For Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSM):

  • The host institution must be located in a different country from the applicant’s primary affiliation.
  • The host must be part of the SAFE-ICU network or agree to collaborate on activities aligned with the Action’s objectives.

For Virtual Mobility Grants:

  • The proposed activity must involve collaboration between participants from at least two different countries within the Action network.
  • Activities should focus on knowledge transfer, data harmonisation, or development of tools/protocols relevant to SAFE-ICU objectives.

All applicants must demonstrate that the proposed activity contributes directly to the scientific goals of SAFE-ICU, as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Grantees must comply with COST rules regarding acknowledgement of funding in all outputs and assume responsibility for personal arrangements (insurance, health, legal).

Application Procedure

All applicants are encouraged to consult the relevant sections of the Grant Awarding User Guide (https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2025/01/COST-Grant-Awarding-user-guide.pdf) before starting their application. The guide provides clear explanations of the rules and requirements for STSMs and VMs and will help ensure that your submission is complete and compliant.

Applications must be submitted exclusively via the e-COST platform: https://e-services.cost.eu.

Applicants must ensure that their e-COST profile is complete and up to date, including bank details, before submission.

Required Documents

The following documents must be uploaded in e-COST when applying for an STSM or Virtual Mobility Grant:

  1. Completed application form
    • The application should clearly describe:
      • Goals of the activity and expected benefits for the applicant and the COST Action CA24107 (SAFE-ICU).
      • Contribution to SAFE-ICU objectives, including how the activity supports standardisation of patient safety outcome measures (pressure ulcers, HCAIs, delirium).
      • Work plan, including tasks, methodology, timeline, and expected outputs (e.g., data harmonisation, protocol development, joint publications).
      • Plans for dissemination of results (e.g., academic articles, policy briefs, presentations).

2. Letter of invitation from the Host Institution

    • Signed by a senior researcher confirming acceptance to host the applicant and outlining the relevance of the proposed work.

3. Letter of support from the Home Institution

    • Signed by the Head of Department or equivalent authority confirming approval for the applicant’s participation.

4. Updated Europass CV

    • Including academic degrees, current position, research experience, and list of publications.

Important Notes

  • Incomplete applications will not be considered.
  • The SAFE-ICU Grant Awarding Committee may request additional information or clarification during the evaluation process.
  • All documents must be submitted in English.

Evaluation and Selection

Applications will be evaluated according to the COST Excellence and Inclusiveness Policy and the objectives of the SAFE-ICU (CA24107) Action. The following criteria will be applied:

Core Evaluation Criteria

  • Alignment with SAFE-ICU objectives: The proposed activity must clearly contribute to the Action’s goals, such as standardisation of patient safety outcome measures in ICUs (pressure ulcers, healthcare-associated infections, delirium), capacity building, and knowledge exchange.
  • Scientific excellence and feasibility: The work plan should demonstrate clear scientific objectives, robust methodology, and achievable outcomes within the proposed timeframe.
  • Inclusiveness: Applications will be assessed for:
    • Geographical diversity (participation from different COST countries),
    • Gender balance, and
    • Representation of Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC). At least 50% of grants will be allocated to applicants from ITC whenever possible.
  • Career stage and impact: Priority will be given to Young Researchers and Innovators (YRI) (PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers under 40 years old). The application should demonstrate how the activity will enhance the applicant’s professional development.

Additional Considerations

Preference will be given to applicants who:

  • Have not previously received a grant under this scheme,
  • Propose collaborations that expand the network (e.g., new host institutions),
  • Ensure fair distribution of opportunities across the Action.

Ranking and Scoring

Applications will be ranked based on the following weighted criteria:

  1. YRI status (1 = Yes, 0 = No),
  2. ITC affiliation (1 = Yes, 0 = No),
  3. Quality of CV (0–5 points),
  4. Relevance of research plan to SAFE-ICU objectives (0–5 points),
  5. Quality and feasibility of the work plan (0–5 points).

Total score = sum of points (maximum 17).

The Grant Awarding Coordinator will pre-screen applications and propose a ranked list to the Selection Committee (SAFE-ICU Core Group). To avoid conflicts of interest, committee members will not evaluate applications involving their own institution or host site.

Financial Provisions

The STSM grant is a contribution towards travel, accommodation, and subsistence expenses. The Virtual Mobility grant supports online collaborative activities such as data harmonisation, development of protocols, preparation of joint publications, or other tasks aligned with the objectives of SAFE-ICU. It does not necessarily cover all costs related to the mission and does not include research expenses (e.g., laboratory materials, equipment, consumables). The grant is not a salary and cannot be used for indirect costs.

The limit per each STMS Grant is EUR 2100 and per Virtual mobility is EUR1300. For this call, the Management Committee of COST Action CA24107 has allocated a total budget of EUR 7,600.00 for 3 STSM and 1 Virtual mobility.

Acceptance of STSM

The selected applicants will be contacted by e-mail within April 2026 and they need to accept the Grant within 7 days. In case of not acceptance within this time, the following applicant in the list will be awarded, until use of allocated funding. In case there is a number of successful applicants lower than allocated Grants, remaining funding will be used for a following STSM call.

Reporting Requirements

The grantee should upload the Scientific Reports (A) and the Dissemination Materials (B) within 15 days from the end of the STSM. The grant will only be paid to the grantee after the STSM has been completed and the STSM report, which is submitted by the grantee in e-COST, has been approved by the Grand Holder Manager with the assistance of the Grant Awarding Coordinator. Just researchers from ITC can request a pre-payment of 50% of their STSM Grant when they complete the first day of their STSM. For that purpose, the representative of the Host Institutionmust confirm by e-mail to the Grant Holder that the first day of the mission has officially started, and then the Grant Holder can arrange the payment of 50% of the STSM Grant. The remaining 50% of the Grant is payable once administrative requirements have been satisfied after the STSM.

Failure to submit the scientific report within 30 days from the end date of the STSM will effectively cancel the Grant.

Final Conditions for Participant Grants

Participant grants are non‑commercial and therefore not subject to VAT deductions, and any taxes applicable to the grant remain the responsibility of the recipient in accordance with national regulations. Provisions on force majeure also apply to grants awarded through the Grant Awarding Process, and participants may consult the dedicated user guide for guidance on claiming expenses in such cases. When a participant attends a COST event while simultaneously holding an STSM grant, they may claim long‑distance travel between the STSM host institution and the meeting or Training School, as well as 50% of the daily allowance. The reimbursement claim must include a statement from the Host Institution or Action Chair confirming the STSM, its dates, and the Action number.

Contact Information and Useful Links

Grant Awarding Coordinator:

Pedro Arévalo Buitrago; Email: [email protected]

Useful links: