MARGISTAR is launching its fourth call for Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) for mobilities occurring between January 15 and June 30, 2026. All applications must be made before the deadline on December 15, and all activities must occur before June 30, 2026.
Aim of a Short-Term Scientific mission
A STSM is a visit to a host organisation located in a country different to the country of affiliation by a researcher or innovator for specific work to be carried out for a determined period of time (between 5 to 180 days). The STSM grant provides a contribution for travelling, accommodation, subsistence expenses, implementation of the project, delivery of the report to the COST Action Management Committee, and overall effort.
The objective of CA21125 MARGISTAR is to foster research and knowledge transfer between scientists working on transformation strategies and innovation processes for the revitalisation of mountainous and peripheral areas and the co-creation of alternative and effective pathways to sustainability. STSM grant applications 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), periphery traps, visions of post-marginalised futures, or transformation pathways in, of and for mountain areas. Research and innovative practices from all disciplinary backgrounds are welcome, as well as interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research.
The fourth round of STSM grant applications invites applications addressing the two suggested topics described below. Priority will be given to STSM proposals addressing these topics, although other STSM topics are welcome provided that they comply with MARGISTAR objectives.
STSM Grant on the MARGISTAR Delphi Process
The STSM grantee will be responsible for developing a best-practice policy development model for marginalised mountainous communities using the Delphi method and consulting a European panel of experts.
The STSM grantee will contribute to all phases of the Delphi process, including:
- The initial design of the first-round survey
- The selection of panelists and communication with them
- The consolidation rounds
- The achievement of a final consensus
The grantee will be working with an already established task group of MARGISTAR researchers, which includes Simo Sarkki, Andrej Ficko, Yaşar Selman Gültekin, Juha Hiedanpää, Anita Bušljeta Tonković, Stanka Brnkalakova, and Theo Lynn.
STSM Grant on Green Diplomacy
The grantee will be working on the development of the “Pinching Policymakers” high-level policy event in Brussels in June 2026, led by MARGISTAR researchers António T. Monteiro, Juha Hiedanpää, and Simo Sarkki . The event will consist of workshops with policy makers and a conference.
Call Deadlines
This call is for missions occurring between January 15th and June 30th 2026.
Please note that the evaluation process of submitted applications takes some time and the applicant cannot start their mobility period before having received the evaluation outcomes and grant letter.
No later than 30 days after the mission ends, the grantee must submit travel documentation and a report. The grant payment is made after the report has been approved by the Grant Awarding Coordinator.
Eligibility and the Application Process
The MARGISTAR STSM Grant is intended for researchers and innovators affiliated with a legal entity according to the Annotated Rules for COST Actions.
To be eligible, candidates must have prepared a STSM project with an international team to gain new knowledge or access to equipment or techniques not available in the home institution. The main subject of the STSM must be in line with the scope and topics of MARGISTAR.
Priority will be given to STSM proposals addressing the two topics described above.
The Grantee can perform the mission anywhere in the world. The financial support is a contribution to the overall expenses incurred during the STSM and may not necessarily cover all of the associated outgoings.
The application must be submitted using the e-COST platform.
The Applicant must log in to e-COST, click on the ‘My Grant Applications’ tab and ‘Apply for a grant’. Then, the applicant must select ‘Dissemination Conference’ and complete all the sections of the application form. The application form requires the following details: COST Action, grant period, grant title, amount requested, bank account, start date requested, and end date requested.
To complete an application, the following documents must be uploaded:
- Application form (template available here) describing: goals, description of the work to be carried out by the applicant, expected outcomes, and a description of the contribution to the MARGISTAR COST Action MoU objectives. As the fourth round of the STSM grant invites applications addressing two specific suggested topics, namely the MARGISTAR Delphi Process and Green Diplomacy, applicants are expected to specify in the application form which of the two topics their proposal addresses, if any.
- A confirmation of the host receiving the applicant.
- A short CV (1-page) in the Europass format.
- A breakdown of the estimated costs of the STSM.
The Evaluation Process
After the submission, the application will be assessed by the MARGISTAR Grant Awarding Coordinators and the MARGISTAR Core Group. The evaluation process will last 3 weeks approximately after the submission.
The team will evaluate applications according to budget available and considering the following criteria:
- Compliance of the conference topic with MARGISTAR: The proposed conference must align with topics related 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 address periphery traps in mountain areas, visions of post-marginalised futures, or transformation pathways in, of and for mountain areas.
- Contribution to the MARGISTAR COST Action objectives and deliverables: In particular, the assessment will consider the relevance of the proposed presentation for the MARGISTAR Action Objectives, the contribution to the scientific advancement of the proposal based on the abstract and application form submitted, and the publication and/or outcome potential of the research carried out. The exhaustiveness of the explanation provided of how it will support MARGISTAR in achieving its scientific objectives will be highly considered in the evaluation. Membership to one WG of the CA 21125 is obligatory for considering the application valid.
- Contribution to the career development of the applicant: The applicant should explicitly address in the cover letter the motivation for participating in the conference in terms of the new knowledge, expected grantee’s visibility, and contribution to their career development. The establishment of new contacts for future collaborations and impact on the applicant’s career will be highly positively considered in the evaluation. Priority will be given to early-career researchers and young researchers.
- Inclusiveness criteria: Gender balance and geographic coverage will be considered.
- Past applications: Applicants that have benefitted from previous MARGISTAR mobility grants or that are applying for other types of mobility (STSM, VM, ITC) can apply, however priority will be given to applicants who have not been awarded any MARGISTAR grants before.
- Coherence of the proposal: This criterion considers the coherence between the requested budget with the duration and destination of the proposed mobility. Evaluators will check the reasonability of the costs comparing the amount requested with the 2024 Daily allowance table issued by COST Action and online available information about travel costs. This criterion also considers the potential impact of the presentation: oral presentations are favoured over poster presentations; presentations developed within the frame of a collaborative project within two (or more) different COST Member Countries will be preferred.
Once the evaluation process is complete, all applicants will receive a formal notification through e-cost informing them about the outcomes of the selection and whether their request was approved.
If selected, the applicant will 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 financial support is provided in the STSM grant?
Up to €4,000 in total can be awarded to each successful STSM applicant for travel expenses, accommodation, and subsistence expenses.
The number of STSMs approved and the amount granted for each STSM will be determined during the evaluation process by the Grant Awarding Coordinator in cooperation with the Core Group.
The maximum financial support granted for each STSM will be determined during the evaluation process by the Grant Evaluation Committee (i.e., the MARGISTAR Core Group). The amounts granted for each STSM will depend on the location of the STSM and the length of the mobility, and will be determined during the evaluation process.
Grantees must make their own arrangements for all health, social, personal security, and pension matters.
Participant grants are non-commercial transactions, therefore, claims as such are not subject to VAT deduction. Taxes normally due or applicable concerning the payment of the grant are not to be deducted from amounts payable to participants. It is the responsibility of each participant to ensure that all amounts that they receive from COST funding are compliant with their national tax rules and obligations.
What do grantees need to do during and after the STSM?
The applicant is responsible for choosing and contacting the host institution and for organising the application process.
During the STSM
The STSM must take place as foreseen in the submitted Application. If the STSM work plan includes delivering a presentation in the host institution (e.g., a seminar or lecture), the grantees must acknowledge COST and MARGISTAR in the presentation properly and must use the official logos and visual identity.
In addition, the grantees are expected to actively network with researchers at the host institution and promote the COST Action to potential stakeholders.
If the STSMs dates are modified, the grantee should get in touch with the Grant Awarding Coordinator as soon as possible and provide an updated letter justifying the change, that in no case can happen later than September 30, 2025.
After the STSM
Within 30 days after completion of the STSM, the grantee must submit travel documentation, report, and supporting documentation via the e-COST system to claim the grant. Late submission, beyond the deadline, leads to a cancellation of the Grant.
The grantee will receive an e-notification to submit the report and other supporting documents on e-COST. The grantee must submit it in e-COST and to the Grant Awarding Coordinator the following documents:
- Payment claim via e-COST.
- Report to the Action MC on the work developed, main achievements of the STSM and planned future follow up activities. This report should be done using the COST template.
- Receipts of travel and accommodation.
The grantee is also required to write a blog post to be published in the MARGISTAR blog to disseminate his or her mobility experience to a wider audience. The grantee will receive instructions for this via e-mail.
Grant Payment
Payment is subject to the grant report being pre-approved on behalf of the Action’s MC by the delegated Grant Awarding Coordination team. The grant is payable up to 30 days after the grantee’s report and supporting documents have been approved by the Action Chair (or Vice-Chair).
STSMs grantees may request up to 50% pre-payment of the approved grant. This amount is subject to availability of funds and approval by the Grant Holder Institution. The request of prepayment shall be submitted to the Grant Holder Manager. In cases when the Grant Holder approves a pre-payment of up to 50% of the grant for an STSM, the amount is paid by the Grant Holder at any moment before or during the duration of the STSM. The Grant Holder needs to ensure adequate tracking of any amount pre-paid and record in e-COST the total final grant after the mission has been fulfilled.
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 grantees.
Acknowledgement of COST Action MARGISTAR
If work resulting from a STSM is published in a journal, please add the following acknowledgement: “This work/Part of this work was supported by the CA21125, A European forum for revitalisation of marginalised mountain areas (MARGISTAR).”
Events must acknowledge the MARGISTAR logo in relevant documents. If the work is presented in a conference or event, the COST Action logo must be displayed and the COST Action MARGISTAR must be acknowledged.
Contact
For additional information about this call, please contact Grant Awarding Committee co-coordinators: Dr. Laura Boffi ([email protected]) or Dr. Anita Bušljeta Tonković ([email protected]).
