Artistic Intelligence - CA23158
Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) Grants
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Important dates:
Application deadlines: From April 22 to April to May 20 2025.
For activities ending before: October 1 2025.
Evaluation of applications: Within three weeks after the application deadline.
Access the Call and Guidelines as PDFs below:
About Short-term scientific missions:
Short-term scientific missions (STSM) allow members of the Artistic Intelligence Action to visit an institution or organisation in a different COST Member country than the country of affiliation, with the purpose of training, collaboration, and exchange of knowledge and expertise.
STSMs Grants are paid by the Grant Holder Institution after the completion of the activity and approval of all required reports.
Funding scheme:
Minimum duration: Three days
Total maximum amount for missions: 2000 euros.
About Artistic Intelligence:
Artistic Intelligence - Responsiveness, accessibility, responsibility, equity (ARTinRARE) is a four-year COST Action running between 2024 and 2028. The primary objective is to advance the (re-)integration of artistic research and conventional modes of inquiry to benefit all forms of knowledge production, including the application of new computational techniques, to practice-based research across the arts.
The emphasis is on advancing artistic research as a field of knowledge formation in terms of its quality, societal impact, and valorisation strategies; enabling deeper integration with conventional forms of research (e.g., STEM, SSH); and facilitating the implementation of artistic research approaches and methods to real-world problems across academia, civil society, public policy, and the private sector (for further details, see the Memorandum of Understanding at the Action Home Page).
The Activities in Artistic Intelligence are structured in four Working Groups (WGs):
WG1. Adaptation Strategies
WG2. Collective Intelligences
WG3. Reference Frameworks
WG4. Policy Making and Recommendations
Application Procedures
The current call focuses on research activities in WG1, WG2, and WG3, with objectives and outcomes of prime interest in the current state of ARTinRARE, as described below. Therefore, applications for those objectives and outcomes will be prioritised in the selection of STSMs. This does not preclude applications with other topics, or related topics, if they fall within the tasks of one of the WGs mentioned below.
WG1
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Objective 1: Preparation of the "state of the art” and emerging practice around AI and Artistic research.
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Objective 2: Development of initial radical futures strategy and frameworks for AI and Artistic research.
WG2
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Objective 1: Prepare the ground for a common understanding of artistic intelligence as a response to AI.
WG3
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Objective 1: Identifying and describing existing research reference frameworks, examine how artistic research content is represented and their usefulness for referencing artistic research.
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Objective 2: Observe, evaluate and assess the basic principles and the concept of Artistic Intelligence in relation to AI and machine learning.
How to Apply?
1. Read the Artistic Intelligence guidelines for STSM Grants before applying
2. Prepare the required documents:
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Document generated by e-COST,
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Letter of invitation from the Host institution,
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Letter of support from the Home Institution,
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Updated CV in the e-COST profile.
3. Submit your application:
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Log in to your e-COST profile (or create one if you don’t have an account).
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Complete the electronic application form available at https://e-services.cost.eu/activity/grants.
Notification of results
The researchers who applied to the call will receive the results of the selection from the STSM responsible.
The selected researchers should wait for the official invitation from the Grant Holder before booking any travel arrangements.
After the STSM
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Confirmation from the Host Institution. Get a letter or an email from the senior researcher of the Host institution confirming that you have successfully completed the STSM.
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Prepare Your Report: Use the STSM Report Template to draft your report.
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Submit the Report: Upload the completed report to e-COST no later than 30 days after the activity’s conclusion, 15 days from the end date of the Grant Period, or, within a shorter timeframe if requested by the Grant Holder or Grant Awarding Coordinator to meet reporting deadlines.
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Capture the Moment: Take photos with the Host Institution team to share on ARTinRARE media channels. Personal posts on your own social media are also encouraged—please refer to the Guidelines for details.
Guidelines for Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) Grants
Mission
Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSM) are visits of a researcher or innovator to a host organisation or institution located in a different country than the country of affiliation with the purpose of training, collaboration, and exchange of knowledge and expertise for a determined period of time.
STSM grant benefits to:
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the STSM Grantee, who receives funding for implementing a project with an international team and gains new knowledge or access to equipment or techniques not available in the home institution;
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the STSM Host who receives an international partner in their institution and can develop long-lasting collaboration.
An STSM should specifically contribute to the COST Action's scientific objectives, helping achieve the Action MoU objectives and deliverables.
STSM Grants are paid by the Grant Holder Institution after the completion of the activity and approval of all required report. However, STSMs grantees may request up to 50% pre-payment of the approved grant. This amount is subject to the availability of funds and approval by the Grant Holder Institution. The request for pre-payment shall be submitted to the Grant Holder Manager.
Eligibility
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Action 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 may apply;
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The STSM should take place in a Host Organisation located in a different country than the country of affiliation for specific work to be carried out and for a determined period of time;
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The Host Organisation should be in another participating COST Full Member/ COST Cooperating Member country, Participating COST Partner Member country,
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Approved International Partner Country (IPC) or be an NNC Institution;
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For the 1st Grant Period, the STSM must have a minimum duration of 3 calendar days (excluding travel);
STSMs should comply with the scope of the Action.
Submission of applications
Prepare the Grant application and additional supporting documentation:
- STSM Grant Application Form: the document can be downloaded from the Artistic Intelligence website or COST STSM Grant Application, based on e-COST template. Save as a PDF document once completed.
- Invitation letter from the STSM Host Institution: a signed written invitation letter from the STSM Host institution stating that the applicant may perform the activities detailed in the STSM working plan on the agreed dates. The letter must be dated back not more than 3 months, and must be signed by a permanent staff representative of the Host institution (e.g. head of the research group, PI, head of department, Director of the institution, etc.)
- Letter of support from the applicant's institution: a signed written letter from the applicant's home institution stating that the applicant is authorised to perform the activities detailed in the STSM working plan on the agreed dates must be submitted.
- Candidate's CV: Applicants must upload their CV in their e-COST profile (max. 3 pages). This information will be visible to the Grant Evaluation Committee of the Action for evaluation purposes.
- Apply at e-COST: The applicant encodes a grant application by logging into e-COST and clicking the Grant Applications tab. The applicant can select the Grant from the 'Apply for new grant' page. Applicants must fill in all requested sections and upload all required documents before submitting the application.
Evaluation Committee
As approved by the Management Committee (MC), the evaluation will be performed by the Grant Evaluation Committee (GEC). The committee will include the Grant Awarding Coordinator, the Chair or the Vice Chair, and the WG leaders.
Participants will be selected on the basis of an evaluation-criteria score (see below). The committee will also seek an acceptable gender balance, geographical and career stage diversity in successful applicants.
Evaluation Procedures and Criteria
Formal Requirements (to be rated as NO/YES by the Grant Awarding Coordinators on the e-COST system):
- The STSM is within the scope of the ARTinRARE Action;
- The STSM is taking place in a different country than the country of affiliation of the applicant;
- The STSM is taking place within the current Grant Period.
If any of the previous is ''NO'' - do not proceed with the application assessment – the decision is "NO".
Quality Requirements (from 0 to 10 points):
- Relevance of the proposal: the degree to which the work plan is detailed in its objectives and outcomes and how they apply to the Action's tasks. The quality and excellence of the Organisation/Event should also be considered (1-5 points).
- Feasibility of the mission: the degree to which the time spent in the host organisation and the required budget will effectively contribute to reaching the goals planned for the mission and impact the applicant's career. The adequacy of the applicant's CV to the mission's goals should also be considered (1-5 points).
In case of identical scores, applications will be prioritised as follows:
- Young Researchers (under the age of 40);
- Gender Balance;
- The Grant applicant and the Host Institution are actively involved in ARTinRARE COST Action , i.e. listed as Working Group (WG) members on the website;
- One applicant per centre.
The Grant Holder will inform each approved applicant by sending a Grant Letter generated from e-COST.
Change of approved STSM dates
In the event of a modification to the agreed-upon dates for the STSM, the applicant must notify the Grant Holder and Grant Awarding Coordinator before the originally planned start. A clear explanation for the alteration must be submitted. Date changes will not be authorised after the original start date.
STSM Grants Financial Support:
A STSM Grant contributes to covering the costs of economy travel, accommodation, and subsistence expenses for the selected candidates. STSM grantees must make their own arrangements for all provisions related to personal security, health, taxation, social security, travel insurance and pension matters.
In the first Grant Period, the STSM must have a minimum duration of 3 calendar days. Travel days are excluded from the STSM when calculating the financial contribution. The STSM must be completed by October 1st of each year.
Provide an overview or your budget within the STSM Grant Application Form (see example below):
• Subsistence and accommodation: The daily allowance rate (to be found at www.cost.eu/daily_allowance) is based on the country where the event takes place;
• Travel: The incurred long-distance travel expenses are reimbursed on face value including VAT, up to a maximum of EUR 1500, cancellation insurance included;
• The requested financial contribution for each STSM will be calculated according to the following formula up to a maximum of EUR 2000 in total:
Final amount = (Daily Allowance x number of days) + Travel
The financial support will be decided by the Action Core Group on the proposal of the evaluators, based on the request of the applicant, and should reflect the duration and location of the STSM.
The COST Association and the Grant Holder of the Action cannot be considered an STSM grantee's employer, i.e., the STSM Grant cannot be considered a salary.
Approving STSM Grants for Payment
The pre-approved grantee must submit the following documents at the latest 30 days after the end date of the mission or 15 days after the end date of the Grant Period, whichever comes first:
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A Grant Report, which can be found on the Action website or at COST STSM Grant Report template. The report is drafted by the applicant (max. 4 pages). When preparing it, please consider the following:
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The report for COST is a public document. Please take this into account in terms of Intellectual Property Rights;
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The report does not need to contain specific and detailed results of the research. Rather, it should focus on the aspects that are the aim of STSM, in particular, how the collaborative research during STSM has strengthened the scientific relationship between Home and Hosting institutions within the framework of COST;
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It should include a short summary for dissemination purposes: A very short summary (maximum 280 characters, including spaces) for the ARTinRARE media channels, including a photo with collaborators or a short video;
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Confirmation from the Host institution: A letter or an e-mail from the representative of the Host institution confirming that the applicant has successfully completed the mission.
Failure to submit the requested documents within the established period from the end date of the STSM will effectively cancel the Grant
The Grant Awarding Coordinator and the Grant Holder Scientific Representative are responsible for approving the scientific report and informing the Grant Holder Manager that the mission has been successfully completed.
Grants are paid by the Grant Holder Institution after the completion of the activity and approval of all required report/documentation. Within 30 days from the end date of the STSM, the successful applicant must submit the scientific report, the dissemination materials and the approval letter of the scientific report from the Host institution. These documents must be uploaded on e-COST to proceed with the request for payment.
Participants from ITCs can request a pre-payment of 50% of their STSM Grant when they complete the first day of their STSM. For that purpose, the representative of the Host Institution must confirm by e-mail to the Grant Holder that the first day of the mission has officially started, and then the Grant Holder can arrange the payment of 50% of the STSM grant; the remaining 50% of the Grant is payable once administrative requirements have been satisfied after the STSM.
STSM cancellation:
If, for any reason, the applicant cannot or has not been able to complete the STSM, the applicant must inform the Grant Holder and Grant Awarding Coordinator, providing an explanation in order to delete the grant request.
Example:
A Grant applicant plans to perform a research stay at a University in a different country for 8 days, from May 2nd to May 9th.
Budget:
Details and description of the budget.
Travel: 320 €
Subsistence and accommodation: 1809 €
Total: 2129 €
Requested: 2000 €
The flight from Porto (Portugal) to Vienna (Austria) has an approximate cost of 320 Eur, departing on May 1st and returning on May 6th. The stay lasts for 5 days.
The subsistence and accommodation costs have been calculated using the following formula: (5 x 201) + 320 = 2129 EUR
* This call is based upon work from COST Action Artistic Intelligence, CA23158, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).
COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding agency for research and innovation networks. Our Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and enable scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers. This boosts their research, career and innovation.
