Call for Virtual Mobility (VM) Grant Application

Dear Colleagues,

The Virtual Mobility (VM) Grants consists of a collaboration in an online setting among researchers or innovators within the COST Action, to exchange knowledge, learn new techniques, etc.

Virtual Mobility grant benefits to:

  • COST Action: uses a flexible tool to implement online activities inside the network, achieve the MoU objectives and significantly increase their impact and reach. Contributes to European leadership in knowledge creation and increasing its innovation potential.
  • VM grantee: develop(s) capacity in online collaboration and networking in a pan-European framework.

Examples of activities that can be performed by the VM grantee are:

  • Virtual mentoring scheme, with special focus on activities and exchanges that can generate capacity building and new skills, particularly for Young Researchers and Innovators (e.g. managerial skills, methodological skills, communication skills, etc);
  • To support the harmonisation and standardisation of methods and procedures within the Action networking activities, e.g.
  • setting up a survey amongst all Action members to collect different results and outcomes from experiments done in their respective labs and research groups;
  • coordinating the discussions to create common protocols to be used by the network afterwards;
  • preparing questionnaires and response scales to be used by the Action members as part of online networking activities.
  • To support the implementation of research coordination related activities that do not necessarily require in- person presence, e.g.
  • computational or modelling activities;
  • data analysis of the Action for a specific report or activity.

Virtual Mobility (VM) Grant Awarding Criteria

Who can apply?

Virtual Mobility (VM) Grants are reserved exclusively for researchers or innovators (individuals working in novel ways to enhance palliative care through education, policy or practice):

1) who are COST Action: CA22127 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**2,3,4

2) who implement online activities inside the network

3) to achieve the MoU objectives and significantly increase their impact and reach

4) for a determined period of time1

*Action Participant3

Any person being a Management Committee member, a Management Committee Observer, a Working Group member, or an ad-hoc contributor to a COST Action.

** Annex I – Level A: Country and Organisations Table4

List of countries: https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2023/11/Annex-I-level-A-Country-and-Organisations-Table-Version-1.7.pdf

 

Virtual Mobility (VM) Grant Application should include:

1) title of the Virtual Mobility

2) start and end date (within the active Grant Period, i.e. no overlap across two consecutive Grant Periods)

3) budget requested by the applicant

4) main objective

5) description of the work to be carried out by the applicant

6) plan for participation

7) expected outcomes and description of the contribution to the Action MoU objectives

 

How to apply?

The applicant is obliged to create a Grant Application by logging into e-COST and clicking on the Grant Applications tab. Next, the applicant should  select the grant from the page ‘Apply for new grant’ (‘Virtual Mobility’)2.

Grant application instructions for COST actions are included in Grant Awarding User guide available at: https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2025/01/COST-Grant-Awarding-user-guide.pdf

 

The following documents for the grant application are required:

 

Application timeline:

Grant applications can be submitted in an active Action Grant Period (VM date within the active Grant Period, i.e. no overlap across two consecutive Grant Periods)1.

 

Grant application evaluation:

All grant applications will be assessed by the Core Group of the CA22127 under the formal eligibility criteria, budget plan of the CA22127, Grant Period timeline and goals, the Science Communication Plan adopted by the COST Action and expected impact on creation of new collaborations among CA22127 participants.

Detailed criteria:

– Is the VM adding value to the work related to COST Action CA22127

– Is the VM adding value to the networking activities relevant to the COST Action CA22127

– Is the VM support the achievement of one (or several) MoU objective(s) and significantly increase their impact and reach

– Is the VM contributes to development of European leadership in knowledge creation and increasing its innovation potential

 

VM Grants provide a contribution for the overall effort, not necessarily covered by an employer or by a Grant Holder institution. The amount of the grant should reflect the duration, scope and complexity of the task and activities to be covered via the VM grant. The grant cannot exceed 1500 EURO.

The Grant Awarding Coordinator coordinates the collection and evaluation the VM Grant Applications and encodes grant approval or rejection in the e-COST.

The Core Group of the CA22127 on behalf of the Management Committee take decisions on the VM Grant awarding/rejection.

 

Financial support:

We offer grants up to 1500 EURO.

VM Grants provide a contribution for implementing online activities within COST Action CA22127. In particular, VM may support:

  • virtual mentoring scheme
  • harmonisation and standardisation of methods and procedures within the Action networking activities
  • the implementation of research coordination related activities that do not necessarily require in- person presence

VM Grants can be paid after the end of the VM and submission of the complete report/documentation, according to these conditions and the rules of the COST Association.

Grant reporting

Grantee is obliged to submit the required report on the on the work developed, main outcomes and achieved outputs of the Virtual Mobility, and description of the future follow up collaboration. The report and relevant documentation for claiming a VM Grant should be submitted by using report template in the e-COST within 30 days after the end date of the VM or 15 days after the end of the Grant Period, whichever date comes first1.

The Grant Awarding Coordinator verify the validity and content of the report and coordinates approval of the report. The Core Group of the CA22127 on behalf of the Management Committee take decisions on the report approval /rejection1.

Guidance for COST Association are applicable for grant application evaluation awarding. For more information, please read section “Documents for running a COST Action” at

https://www.cost.eu/funding/documents-guidelines/.

 

Sources:

  1. COST. ANNOTATED RULES FOR COST ACTIONS [Internet]. [accessed 2024 Jan 13]. www.cost.eu (https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2024/11/COST-094-21-V2.0-Annotated-Rules-for-COST-Actions-Level-C.pdf )
  2. COST. Grant Awarding user guide. (https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2025/01/COST-Grant-Awarding-user-guide.pdf )
  3. ANNEX II – LEVEL A: DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS APPLICABLE THROUGHOUT COST IMPLEMENTATION RULES GLOSSARY (https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2021/10/Annex-II-level-A-Glossary-REVISION.pdf)
  4. COST. ANNEX I-LEVEL A: COUNTRY AND ORGANISATIONS TABLE. https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2023/11/Annex-I-level-A-Country-and-Organisations-Table-Version-1.7.pdf