CA23136

Magnetism and chirality: twisting spins, light, and lattices for faster-than-ever spintronics

Principal investigator

Grant Awarding Criteria

Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs)

Objectives and Criteria for eligibility

 

STSMs are inter-country exchange visits which aim at fostering the CHIROMAG COST action objectives by allowing scientists to go to an institution or laboratory of another COST country with the aim of initiation and strengthening collaborations within the Action.

 

The research during STSMs should be performed within the objectives of one of the following working groups of the CHIROMAG Actions:

 

    1. 1. Magnetism in broken symmetry states     
    2. 2. Chirality in spin-lattice interactions: from chiral phonons to phono-magnetism
    3. 3. Controlling spins with ultrafast chiral excitations              
    4. 4. Emerging applications paradigms 

 

In addition:

 

  • – STSM applicants should be researchers from COST countries (see https://www.cost.eu/who-we-are/members/) or from approved by the CHIROMAG Action near-Neighboring countries institutions.
  • – STSM applicants should be visiting a research institution from an eligible country, different from that of the applicant.
  • – The duration of the STSM should be a minimum of 5 calendar days.

 

Financial support

 

The grant covers travel and subsistence based on a fixed sum (no receipts are required). A budget is requested for application. However, the final approved grant amount may not cover all expenses.

 

Successful applications will receive 80-200 Euros per day (depending on the country) for lodging and the travel subsidy (a maximum of 400 euros for short trips and 700 euros for long-distance travel).

 

Grant estimation must not exceed 200 euros per day for subsistence. The maximum grant value cannot exceed 2500 euros (including both travel and subsistence for the whole STSM period).

 

Payment of the Grant will be made after the exchange visit and is subjected to:

 

    1. 1. ​A scientific report (template available at http://www.cost.eu/STSM_report_template), received by the COST action within 30 days after the end day of the STSM and approved by the Grant Awarding Coordinator(s).
    2. 2. The host of the STSM has to confirm (by e-mail or report signature) that the STSM took place, in line with the submitted proposal.
    3. 3. A news item for the CHIROMAG website, submitted to the Science Communication Coordinator, within 30 days after the end day of the STSM.

 

Application

 

If you are interested in applying, go to https://e-services.cost.eu/ and log-in with your COST credentials, or create an account if you do not have one. Please, keep your CV in your COST profile updated, it will be used for evaluation of your application. Then select on the left menu COST Actions → My Grant Applications. Apply for a grant → Short-Term Scientific Mission Applications. Complete the on-line application form.

 

The on-line application should include the following information

 

    • – The working plan specifying the details of the research to be undertaken. Please, indicate how it fits in one of the objectives of the corresponding working group
    • – A tentative requested budget, including list of expenses (e.g.  airfare, hotel, etc.)
    • – A letter of support from the host institution
    • – Written agreement from the host institution that the STSM grant holder can perform the activities detailed in the STSM working plan

 

Once submitted to the COST office, download the form and send it via e-mail to the Grant Awarding Coordinator (chiromag_grants@petaspin.com), by the deadline of the application period.

 

If you are a student (PhD, research Master), we also request a letter of support from your supervisor.

 

Timeline for calls and decisions.

 

1st Call Deadline (EXTENDED):       8 February 2025

STSM Period: 1 January to 31 March

 

2nd Call Deadline: (tentative)           15 March 2025

STSM Period: 1 April to 30 June

 

3rd Call Deadline: (tentative)            15 June 2025

STSM Period: 1 July to 30 September

*All the STSMs of the third call should be finished and the report delivered before the 1st of November.

 

4th Call Deadline: (tentative)            15 October 2025

STSM Period: 1 November to 31 December

 

Grant award decision will be communicated within 2 weeks after the deadline of the call.

 

Selection of STSMs applications.

 

STSM applications will be selected by the selection committee (Grant Awarding Coordinators and 4 working group leaders). The applicants should indicate clearly the working group to which their proposal belongs and the WG leader will be asked to confirm the corresponding relation. Completely unrelated applications will be rejected directly.

 

The applications will be considered based on a system of points, which will be assigned by the selection committee determined by the following criteria:

 

Criteria A. On the scientific background, the criteria will be based on:

 

    1. 1. Scientific impact and relevance of the STSM to the objectives of the CHIROMAG Action (0-2 points).
    2. 2. Contribution to the nearest deliverables (1 point).
    3. 3. Establishing a new collaboration within the action (1 point)

 

Criteria B. To comply with the general COST objectives, the following criteria will be also applied (in order of preference):

 

    1. 1. The applicant is a PhD student, a MSc Student enrolled in a research master program, or an early-stage researcher, with a recommendation letter from their supervisor (1 point)
      We will preferentially award STSMs to applicants in the order noted in B.1. This should not discourage more experienced researchers from applying but their chances of being selected are slightly reduced.  Possible exceptions may be considered for those who are initiating a collaboration and do not have current students in the topic.
    2. 2.The Applicant or the host institution belongs to Inclusiveness Target Country or the approved near-neighboring countries institution (1 point)
    3. 3.The applicant belongs to a minority group in the Action (1 point)
    4. 4. Starting from the second year: the applicant or the host institution country did not receive STSMs in the previous year (1 point)

 

The uniform distribution over the rest of the countries as well as over the working groups will be also enforced. The preference will be also given to one application per institution within one call. The second application from the same person in the subsequent calls is not excluded but will be given a low priority, based on the available funds.