ITC Grants

CA20127

2nd Grant Period Call for ITC Conference Grants – 2023

Purpose: ITC Conference consists of a presentation of the own work given by a Young Researcher and Innovator affiliated with an Inclusiveness Target Country/Near Neighbor Country for their participation in high-level conferences fully organized by a third party, i.e. not organized nor co-organized by the COST Action. 

Eligibility criteria: ITC Conference Grants are Open to Young Researchers and Innovators (individuals <40 years old) with a primary affiliation in an institution located in Inclusive Target Countries (ITC) and Near Neighbour Countries (NNC), participating in WIRE COST Action.

The applicant must make an oral/poster presentation at the conference and must be listed in the official event/conference program. The main subject of the presentation at the approved conference must be on the topic of WIRE and must acknowledge the COST Action. Grantee delivers the approved (oral or poster) presentation, following any specific request of acknowledgement set by the Action MC. More information on the topics is available on WIRE webpage

Funding: Financial support provides contribution for travelling, accommodation and subsistence expenses, registration fee, printing of scientific poster and overall effort. Conference Grants do not necessarily cover all the expenses related to participating in a given conference.

The maximum amount to be awarded is:

– Up to EUR 2 000.00 per grant for face-to-face conferences

OR

– EUR 500.00 for virtual conferences

IMPORTANT: Final decision on the awarded amount will reflect the duration and location of the Conference and the actual conference fee.

Upon approval of the application, the Grantee receives a Grant Letter from the Grant Holder stating the approved amount and the conditions for receiving the grant.

Application: They will be submitted online in e-COST at least one month before the Conference using available dedicated forms and must upload their CV in their e-COST profile. Applicants are informed that their application and CV can be accessed by the holders of leadership positions and any evaluation committees in the Action for evaluation purposes. Applications will be evaluated until the availability of the budget.

The content of the application shall include:

To be filled in e-COST:

  • Conference title, date (within the active Grant Period, i.e., no overlap across two consecutive Grant Periods) and country;
  • Requested budget;
  • Attendance Type

To be uploaded to e-COST:
Application form (template available on e-COST) describing

  • Relevance of the conference topic to the Action and Motivation describing the potential for impact on the applicant’s career.
  • Copy of the abstract of the accepted oral or poster presentation;
  • Acceptance letter from the conference organizers;
  • Short description of the applicant’s involvement in WIRE COST Action
  • Recommendation letter from supervisor for PhD student.

Upon approval of the application, the Grantee receives a Grant Letter from the Grant Holder stating the approved amount and the conditions for receiving the grant.

Evaluation of Applications: The grant applications will be evaluated on a continuous basis (first come, first served) within 10 days from the receipt of the application. Applications will be evaluated until the availability of the budget. Evaluation criteria are based on the consistency of the ITC Conference with the Action MoU objectives and on the consistency of the requested amount with the conference duration and location.

Implementation of the Activity: Grantee delivers the approved (oral or poster) presentation, following any specific request of acknowledgement set by the Action MC

Reporting and claim for payment of the grant: Once the activity has ended, the Grantee must submit the required reports and relevant documentation in e-COST within 30 days after the end date of the activity or 15 days after the end of the Grant Period, whichever date comes first.
Claim the payment by submitting the report via e-COST. 
The required report/documentation for claiming an ITC Conference Grant is:
– Report to the Action MC on the outcome of the presentation of the accepted contribution, in terms of the Grantee’s visibility, including the establishment of new contacts for future collaborations
– The certificate of attendance,
– The programme of the conference or book of abstracts/proceedings indicating the presentation (oral or poster) of the Grantee
– Copy of the given presentation (oral or poster);

Grants are paid by the Grant Holder Institution after the completion of the activity and approval of all required report/documentation.

For further information, write to the Grant Awarding Coordinator Mara de Joannon (mara.dejoannon@stems.cnr.it)