PortASAP COST Action CA16215– ITC Conference Grants Guidelines

 

Since COST’s priority is enhancing research collaboration where ideas and people can grow without borders, conference grants are provided to expand the networking potential of the Action. ITC Conference Grants provide support for conference participation of PhD students and ECI researchers from participating Inclusiveness Target Countries* to attend international science and technology related conferences not specifically organised by the COST Action. ITC Conference Grants are designed to reimburse the costs of conferences attended by eligible Action participants.

 

* COST Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs): Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Serbia and Turkey.

 

 

1.  CONFERENCE GRANTS –ELIGIBILITY

 

The following eligibility criteria apply:

1. Conference Grants are exclusively reserved for PhD students and ECI’s with a primary affiliation in an institution located in an ITC.

2. The applicant must make an oral/poster presentation at the conference in question and must be listed in the official event/conference programme. The main subject of the oral presentation / poster presentation / speech at the approved conference must be on the topic of the Action and must acknowledge COST.

3. Only conferences sponsored by a University, a scholarly society, or academic association will be considered for ITC conference Grants.

4. Attendance at European conferences is preferred. However, conferences held elsewhere can also be considered.

5. Applications must be submitted at least 45 days before the Conference start date.

6. Only one Conference Grant can be awarded per institution during the COST action.

 

2. EVALUATION AND SELECTION OF APPLICANTS

 

The eligibility check of each received Conference Grant application is performed by the Action’s Conference Grant Coordinator. Following, eligible applications will be evaluated by the corresponding Working Group Leader. The selection of successful applicants must be done according to the following evaluation criteria:

• Alignment of the abstract contribution with the scientific scope of the Action (5 points)

• Alignment of the abstract contribution with the selected Working Group objectives (5 point)

• Scientific excellence of the work presented in the accepted abstract (5 points)

• Relevance of the conference to the applicant’s field of research (5 points)

Only applications with a minimum score of 14/20 will be selected for support.

 

3. CONFERENCE GRANTS –FINANCIAL SUPPORT

 

A Conference Grant is a fixed financial contribution which takes into consideration the budget request of the applicant and the outcome of the evaluation of the application by the delegated person(s). Conference Grants do not necessarily cover all of the expenses related to participating in a given conference. A Conference Grant is a contribution to the overall travel, accommodation and meal expenses of the selected Grantee. The calculation of the financial contribution for each Conference Grant must respect the following criteria: Up to a maximum of EUR 1000 in total can be granted to each successful applicant. Up to a maximum of EUR 160 per day can be afforded for accommodation and meal expenses. Up to a maximum of EUR 500 can be claimed for the conference fees to be incurred by the selected Grantee. In addition, 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 must be deducted from the Grant. Documentary evidence of the conference fee amount must be provided by the applicant and must be archived by the Grant Holder along with the relevant administrative documents.

“Regarding UK-affiliated researchers and potential eligibility of expenses please visit https://www.cost.eu/news/administrative-measures-regarding-a-potential-no-deal-brexit/”

 

4. APPLICATION

 

Create your Conference Grant Request through the following link:

 

https://e-services.cost.eu/conferencegrant

 

Fill in the application form indicating applicant and conference details and conference attendance budget. Add the following supporting documents: (a) short description of the involvement in the Cost Action, (b) acceptance letter from the conference organisation, (c) copy of the abstract submitted.

 

Finally, send the following files by e-mail to the Conference Grant Coordinator and the Action Chair Chair: (a) online application form, (b) justification of the PortASAP ITC grant. This second file should be a 1-page document indicating: name of the applicant, selected Working Group, and justification on how the application meets each of the evaluation criteria defined in section 2 (template available here).

 

 

5. APPROVING CONFERENCE GRANTS FOR PAYMENT

 

The Grantee has 30 calendar days from the end date of the Conference in question to submit a scientific report to the Working Group Leader, the Conference Grant Coordinator and the Action Chair.

Payment of the Grant is subject to the submitted scientific report being approved by the Action Chair (or Vice-Chair if the Action Chair is affiliated to the Grant Holder Institution).

 

For general information on ITC Conference Grants, eligibility and detailed application procedures, please read the ITC Conference Grants User guide.

Whom to contact?

 

PortASAP Chair: Guillaume Erny (guillaume(at)portasap.eu)

PortASAP ITC Grants Coordinator: Lorena Diéguez (lorena.dieguez(at)inl.int)