Virtual Mobility consists of a collaboration in a virtual setting among researchers or innovators within the COST Action, to exchange knowledge, learn new techniques, etc.
Virtual Mobility benefits
- COST Action: uses a flexible tool to implement virtual 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 virtual collaboration and networking in a pan-European framework.
What is a Virtual Mobility (VM) grant?
- Virtual Mobility Grants are grants awarded to individual WG members for supporting activities aiming at capacity building and transfer of knowledge through. See full details: COST Annotated Rules.
- VM Grants should contribute to the scientific objectives of our COST Action, and respect COST policies with particular attention on inclusiveness and excellence. Please see more information in Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA22155/
- Since the financial support comes as a grant, no invoices or other justification of the expenses will be requested.
- The VM Grants cannot be used to attend virtual conferences or to purchase software license or set up a database.
Who can apply?
Grants are open to all Action participants with a primary affiliation to an institution located in a COST Full or Cooperating Member country and to MC Observers from a COST Near Neighbour Country.
How much financial support is?
- COST foresees up to 1500 EUR per VM Grant. Since the financial support comes as a grant, no invoices or other justification of the expenses will be requested.
- The VM Grants cannot be used to attend virtual conferences or to purchase software license or set up a database.
- The Grant Holder shall pay the approved grant to the grantee after the MC has approved the grantee’s report and no later than 15 days from the end of Grant Period.
How to apply?
- All applicants must carefully read the funding and eligibility rules detailed in the COST Annotated Rules.
- The applications need to be submitted via eCOST platform https://e-services.cost.eu/activity/grants.
- The following information will need to be filled in:
- Title
- Start and end date (within the active Grant Period, i.e. no overlap across two consecutive Grant Periods)
- Budget requested by the applicant
- The following documents will need to be uploaded:
- Application form describing: Main Objective, description of the work to be carried out by the applicant, plan for participation, expected outcomes and description of the contribution to the Action MoU objectives; download VM Grant application form
- Detailed instructions on how to submit your application can be found in the Grant Awarding user guide.
What after application?
- The applicant will be formally notified of the outcome of their VM grant application by the Grant Awarding Coordinator no more than four weeks after the application was submitted.
How to report of VM Grant?
- Once the activity has ended, the grantee submits the required Report on the outcomes in e-COST within 30 days after the end date of the activity and claim for payment of the approved grant.
The template for the VM Grant report can be downloaded here
- Please note that the reimbursement of VM grantees will be done after the activity is over and the final report is submitted by the VM grantee. Exceptions to this rule cannot be granted.
- Please note that COST can request additional information to substantiate the information contained within the documents submitted by VM Grant applicants.
- Failure to submit the scientific report within 30 days will effectively cancel the grant. The Action Chair or Grant Awarding Coordinator is responsible for approving the scientific report and informing the Grant Holder that the VM Grant has been successfully accomplished. After receipt of the approval by email, the Grant Holder will execute the payment of the grant.
- The final report will be uploaded to the potarch.eu webpage
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