MARGISTAR is launching its second call for Dissemination Conference Grants for conferences occurring between May 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024. All applications must be made before the deadline on March 17, and all activities must occur before September 30, 2024.
Up to €1,500 for face-to-face events, including conference fees
MARGISTAR is launching the Action’s second grant to support researchers in attending dissemination conferences in 2024. This call is open until March 17 and applies to conferences occurring no later than September 30, 2024. All dissemination conference activities must occur before that date. For applications presented under this first call, participant mobility cannot start before July 15, 2023.
Financial support covered by this Dissemination Conference Grant includes:
- a maximum of €1,500 for face-to-face events, including conference fees.
- a maximum of €500 for virtual conference fees.
For this second call, the MARGISTAR’s Management Committee has allocated a budget of €6,000 for Dissemination Conference Grants. The amounts granted to each Dissemination Conference will depend on the type of participation (in person/online) and length of the stay and will be determined during the evaluation process.
The Grant is a fixed financial contribution to the overall expenses incurred during the Dissemination Grant and may not necessarily cover all the expenses related to participating in the proposed conference. Grant payment is done after the conference has taken place and the grantee’s report is approved.
What is a Dissemination Conference Grant?
A Dissemination Conference is an academic conference fully organised by a third party (not organised or co-organised by the COST Action) at which an Action Participant holds an oral presentation on the work of the Action. The Dissemination Conference Grant contributes to travel, accommodation, subsistence expenses, registration fees, the printing of scientific posters, and overall effort. Presence at a Dissemination Conference aims to contribute to significantly increasing the visibility of the MARGISTAR Action in the research community while at the same time increasing the visibility of the presenter.
The objective of CA21125 MARGISTAR is to foster transformation strategies and innovation processes toward the revitalisation of these areas and the co-creation of alternative and effective pathways to sustainability. MARGISTAR Dissemination Conferences should deal with topics relevant to the MARGISTAR Cost Action. These relate to the sustainability of mountainous areas (e.g., natural, environmental, social, and economic inter-relationships and interactions in mountainous areas, and environmental, social, economic, and political challenges of mountains), and in particular with periphery traps, visions of post-marginalised futures, and transformation pathways in, of and for mountain areas.
Who is eligible to receive the MARGISTAR Dissemination Conference Grant?
The Dissemination Grant is intended for Young Researchers and Innovators under the age of 40, affiliated with a legal entity according to the Annotated Rules for COST Actions.
To be eligible, candidates must present an oral or poster presentation of their own work. The COST Action programme and the MARGISTAR COST Action must be acknowledged and briefly introduced in the presentation using the official logos and visual identity. For support with this, please contact Antonia Egli (MARGISTAR Communications Team) at [email protected]. The main subject of the presentation must fall in line with the scope and topics of MARGISTAR and grantees are expected to actively network with other participants to promote MARGISTAR to potential stakeholders.
Multiple applications for several Actions by the same person to attend the same conference are not allowed and may lead to the cancellation of the grant.
How do applicants apply for the MARGISTAR Dissemination Conference Grant?
The application process is organised through the e-COST platform and is open until March 17, 2024.
To apply, applicants should log in and click on the ‘Grant Applications’ tab. The application form can be accessed by clicking ‘Apply for grant’ and selecting ‘Dissemination Conference Grant’ on the ‘Apply for new grant’ page. The application form requires the following details:
- Presentation title;
- Conference details: title, date, and venue;
- The conference date, which must fall within the active Grant Period and may not overlap across two consecutive Grant Periods;
- Conference country;
- Attendance type (face-to-face or virtual);
- Amount requested for the Dissemination Conference Grant.
A cost estimation (registration fee, travel, accommodation, estimated total cost) should be submitted with the application. When meal and accommodation expenses are supported by the hosting institution as part of the provisions offered in their conference package, the amount for subsistence afforded to each eligible participant shall be deducted from the Grant. Documentary evidence of the conference fee amount shall be provided by the applicant and shall be archived by the Grant Holder along with the relevant administrative documents. Requested funds should be justified and adequate.
To complete an application, the following documents must be uploaded:
- The application form describing: Alignment with the Science Communication Plan adopted by the COST Action and Expected impact on the COST Action,
- Copy of the abstract of the accepted oral presentation focused on promoting the scientific achievements and activities being performed by the COST Action,
- Acceptance (or invitation) letter from the conference organisers,
- Short CV in an Europass format,
- Breakdown of the estimated costs of the conference.
How will Dissemination Conference Grant applications be evaluated?
After the deadline, all the applications will be assessed by the MARGISTAR Grant Awarding Coordinators and the MARGISTAR Core Group.
Dissemination Conference applications will be collated by the Grant Awarding coordinators and shared with the MARGISTAR Core Group, which will evaluate all Dissemination Conference submitted applications received within the deadline. The Core Group will evaluate the applications within approximately 2 weeks after the deadline and submit their evaluation to the MC, which will make the final awarding decision, which might be less than the requested amount.
The MARGISTAR Core Group, when acting as the grants assessment team, will evaluate applications according to budget, the possible contribution that the proposed conference participation will make against the dissemination and communication objectives of the Action, and the individual candidate’s career according to the following criteria:
- Contribution to MARGISTAR COST Action objectives and deliverables: In particular, the assessment will consider the relevance of the proposed presentation for the advancement of the MARGISTAR proposal and publication and/or further research potential. The explanation of how research will support MARGISTAR in achieving its scientific objectives will be strongly considered. Priority will be given to the members of the MARGISTAR COST Action and those whose research interests align with the Action.
- Compliance of the conference topic with the MARGISTAR COST Action: The selected conference must align with topics related to the sustainability of mountainous areas and in particular address periphery traps in mountain areas, visions of post-marginalised futures, or transformation pathways in, of, and for mountain areas.
- Contribution to the applicant’s career development: In the cover letter, the applicant should explicitly address their motivation for participating in the conference in terms of new knowledge, visibility, and career development. The establishment of new contacts for future research collaborations and impact on the applicant’s career will be strongly considered in the evaluation.
- Inclusiveness criteria: Applicants not benefitting of other funds (all types, directly or indirectly) will have priority. Gender balance, geographic coverage, and distribution among different MARGISTAR Working Groups will also be considered. Young researchers and innovators (i.e., under 40 years old) and early career researchers (i.e., PhD students or researchers with no more than 8 years of experience) will be prioritised when applications are evaluated. Previous successful applicants are not excluded from applying, but preference and priority will be given to applicants who have not been awarded a Dissemination Conference Grant in the past.
- Coherence of the proposal: This criterion considers the cost involved, mobility (i.e., the duration and destination of the proposed travel), and impact of the presentation. Oral presentations are favoured over poster presentations, as are presentations developed within a collaborative project comprising two (or more) COST Member Countries.
Once the evaluation process is complete, selected applicants will be notified by email by the Grant Awarding Coordinator. All applicants will receive a formal notification through e-cost informing them about the outcomes of the selection and whether the request has been approved or not.
Selected applicants receive a Grant Letter stating the approved amount and the conditions for receiving the grant. In no case the Applicant can start their mobility period before having received the Grant Letter.
What do grantees need to do after the conference?
At the Conference
The Dissemination Conference must take place as foreseen in the submitted application.
The grantees will deliver the approved presentation, following any specific request of acknowledgement set by MARGISTAR’s Management Committee. Grantees must acknowledge COST and MARGISTAR in their presentation and on their posters and must use the official logos and visual identity.
The grantees are expected to actively network with other participants and promote the COST Action to the potential stakeholders.
If the Conference dates are modified by the organisers, the grantee should get in touch with the Grant Awarding Coordinator and provide an updated Acceptance Letter certifying the change of the Conference Dates. The Action Grant Manager is informed and provides the applicant with an updated Grant Letter.
After the Conference
In order to claim the grant, the grantee must submit their travel documentation, report, and supporting documentation via the e-COST system within 30 days from the end date of the conference. The grant is only paid after proof of participation is submitted. Late submission leads to Grant cancellation.
The grantee will receive an e-notification to submit the report and other supporting documents on e-COST.
- Report to the Action MC, using the COST template, on the outcome of the presentation, contacts made and potential for future collaborations. The template for this report is to be downloaded here.
- The certificate of attendance,
- The programme of the conference or book of abstracts/proceedings indicating the oral presentation of the grantee.
- A copy of the given presentation.
- A blog post about the conference and their conference participation for the MARGISTAR blog. The template will be provided by the Dissemination Conference Grant coordinator. The use of the template is mandatory.
- Receipt of the conference fee paid.
The grant is paid after the report has been approved by the Management Committee Chair; all grantees will be notified as such via email. The grant application, conference attendance, report, and grant payment must start and end during the Grant Period (i.e., before September 2024). In no case should grantees begin their mobility period before receiving a confirmation of the Grant.
Please note that the COST Association and Action’s Grant holder can request additional information to substantiate the information contained within the documents submitted by the applicants.
For additional information about this call, please contact the MARGISTAR Core Group.
