Guidelines for Short and Exchange Visit Travel Grants

Appendix 3

A limited number of travel grants, mainly to support visits directly relevant to the Research Networking Programme in question and from one European country to another, are available.

The ESF supports two types of visits:

1.  Short visits of up to 15 days
2.  Exchange visits, from 15 days to six months, renewable

Eligibility

The availability of Programme grants should be openly advertised, using the means considered most appropriate by the Steering Committee (advertising in a scientific journal, email circulation, website, etc.).

Applicants may be both pre-doctoral and post-doctora

1.  undertake work applicable to the Programme;
2.  apply to stay in a country other than the country of origin;
3.  return to the institution of origin upon termination, so that the applicant’s institution may benefit from the broadened
     knowledge of the scientist.

As a general rule, having assessed scientific merit and relevance to the Programme, preference should normally be given to applications in the following order: 

1.  between contributing countries;
2.  between a contributing country and a non-contributing ESF member country;
3.  between a contributing country and a non-ESF member country in Europe;
4.  between a contributing country and any country not covered by 1-3.

If agencies from countries with ESF Observer status are not contributing to a given Programme, their scientists should be classed as non-ESF. In the case of doubt, decisions on eligibility will be taken by the ESF Head of Unit.

Additional programme selection criteria

The Programme Steering Committee may decide to apply its own criteria in addition to the above. For example, the Committee may decide that short visits are more beneficial to senior scientists, and that support for longer visits should be reserved for graduate students/post-doctoral researchers. These criteria must be discussed and agreed at the Steering Committee’s meeting prior to any call. The Steering Committee may also decide to define the priority topics within the field of the Programme.

Assessment

Applications will be assessed using Guidelines for Programme Steering Committees Concerning Assessment of Applications for Funding (Appendix 1 - PDF 206 KB), by the whole Steering Committee, or the Steering Committee may decide to delegate this task to a sub-group of the Committee.

Level of award

• Short Visit Grants are reimbursed, on a per diem basis of 85 EUR plus actual travel expenses up to a maximum of 500 EUR, after the visit on submission of a completed balance payment form accompanied by the original travel tickets.

• Exchange Visit Grants are reimbursed on the basis of an allowance of 1600 EUR per month/400 EUR per week/57 EUR per day plus actual travel expenses up to a maximum of 500 EUR.

The grants do not cover health insurance, taxes, or retirement scheme contributions.

Applications

1. Applicants are asked to submit on-line the ESF application form for a Short or Exchange Visit Grant. The forms can be accessed from the relevant Programme website. Applications should generally include information listed below but additional information related to additional selection criteria may also be requested.
   
   Short Visit Grant applications:
   
   A short description of the proposed project work (about 250 words) and the aim of the visit
   A curriculum vitae of two A4 pages
   Full address details of the prospective host(s)
   Proposed starting date
   Estimated travel costs
   
   
   Exchange Grant applications:
   
   A short description of the proposed project work (about 1000 words) and the aim of the visit
   A curriculum vitae of two A4 pages
   List of five most recent publications
   A letter of recommendation from someone familiar with the applicant’s work
   A letter of acceptance from the host at the receiving institution
   Full address details of the prospective host(s)
   Proposed starting date
   Estimated travel costs
   

2. The Programme Chair, who automatically receives a copy of each application, is responsible for circulating the application for decision and relaying the decision to the ESF office.

3. The ESF will inform applicants of the outcome of the evaluation procedure.

4. If the application is successful, the grantee will receive instructions on how to complete the acceptance form and on reporting procedures.

5. For Short Visits – payment is made after the visit subject to submission of the scientific report, signed host statement form(s) and original travel ticket(s). If the length of stay is shorter than the foreseen period, the payment will be adjusted accordingly.

6. For Exchange Visits - upon receipt of the acceptance form, the ESF makes an advance payment (normally 80% of the allocated grant). The final payment will be made upon receipt at the ESF, online, of the scientific report, signed host statement form(s) and original travel ticket(s). In the case of cancellation or unreasonable delay (six months or more), all advances must be returned to the ESF.  If the length of the stay is shorter than the foreseen period, the grantee should reimburse to ESF the amount of unspent funds.

Evaluation of scientific reports

All reports should be submitted online within one month of the end of the visit.

Scientific Reports for both Short and Exchange Visit Grants should contain the follow

• Purpose of the visit

• Description of the work carried out during the visit

• Description of the main results obtained

• Future collaboration with host institution (if applicable)

• Projected publications/articles resulting or to result from the grant (ESF must be acknowledged in publications resulting from the grantee’s work in relation with the grant).

• Other comments (if any)

All reports will be evaluated within the Programme, normally by the sub-group delegated to recommend the awards, and if necessary using external peer review. Unless other arrangements are agreed, the contents of reports will be considered as being in the "public domain" and may be used, suitably acknowledged, in the compilation of reports submitted by the Programme to ESF.

ESF financial rules for the reimbursement of travel costs

Air tickets should be tourist class (or at a lower rate if cheaper tickets, e.g. PEX/APEX, are available). To benefit from the most economical fare, early booking is essential.  Where no price is indicated on the ticket, the invoice should also be provided to the organiser.
 
Train tickets and train supplements may be first class.
 
Taxis should only be taken when convenient public transport is not available. 

Costs of health, life and luggage insurance are not reimbursed by the ESF.
 
Cancellation insurance fees will only be reimbursed for PEX/APEX tickets. 

Use of private car (including road tolls and fuel) should be reimbursed, unless otherwise agreed in advance, on the basis of 1st class train fare or, for longer distances, on the basis of the APEX airfare where this is more economical.  An estimate of the fare from a certified travel agent should be produced with the claim for reimbursement. For short journeys by car where no public transport is available and therefore no estimate of fare can be provided, the number of miles/kilometres covered should be indicated.  When two or more participants travel together by car, travel costs will be reimbursed to one person only.