Call 1 2026: Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) Grants

We are pleased to announce the opening of the 2026 Call for Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) Grants. Applications are accepted on a continuous basis and evaluated following each submission deadline.

Call deadlines

• Submission deadline: 27 May 2026 16:00 CEST.
• Three weeks after each deadline: applicants will be notified of the evaluation outcomes.
• 30 September 2026: final date for completing activities.

Important note: The evaluation of grant applications and the issuance of a formal decision regarding approval must be completed prior to the applicant’s start date of the STSM. Applicants should ensure that their submission is made before the deadline date preceding the start date of the planned scientific mission.

What are we looking for?

For this 2026 – Call 1, some suggested STSM topics with potential host institutions are outlined below. However, proposals are not limited to these and may address other relevant aspects within the scope of the Action.

All applicants are all strongly encouraged to foster collaboration across working groups in their applications; bidirectional exchanges between academia and operational forecasting are particularly encouraged.

Applicants may contact either of the WG leaders to discuss ideas and suitability before applying (details of the WG leaders are available here). If you have any general questions about STSMs, please contact the ANTICIPATE Grant Awarding Coordinator Dr Alexandre Ramos before applying: alexandre.ramos@kit.edu.

WG1

WG1 invites applications for STSMs focused on advancing knowledge and practice in multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS), with a particular emphasis on risk representation, communication, and decision-support tools.

WG1 particularly welcomes STSM proposals aligned with the following themes:

1. Best practices for multi-hazard visualisation and communication, including Identification and evaluation of effective visualization approaches for representing compound and cascading risks, or identification of user-oriented visualization strategies to enhance understanding and usability of MHEWS outputs.
2. Catalogue and intercomparison of MHEWS, including compilation of an inventory of existing MHEWS platforms across regions and institutions, a comparative analysis using harmonised criteria (e.g., usability, scalability, integration of hazards, communication effectiveness), or the identification of gaps, strengths, and opportunities for improvement.
3. Enhancing decision-making through S2S-based warnings, including exploration of the potential of sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) forecasts in multi-hazard contexts, an assessment of how extended-range warnings can support early action and decision-making processes, or bridging the gap between probabilistic forecasts and actionable information.

Proposals may include:

• Focus on specific real-world testbeds or regions
• Address compound hazard pairings (e.g., heatwaves–droughts, floods–landslides, coastal compound flooding)
• Integrate AI-based tools or innovative communication approaches
• Contribute to operationalisation and/or user engagement

WG2

WG2 particularly welcomes applications for STSMs focused the following project ideas with possible hosting institutions:

1. Exploring combined hazard indicators and identifying best practices for representing compound and cascading risks. Potential host: University of Strathclyde, UK (contact: Chris White chris.white@strath.ac.uk)
2. Using artificial intelligence to enhance extended‑range multi-hazard predictions, with emphasis on practical forecasting applications. Potential host: Danish Meteorological Institute, Denmark (contact: Morten Andreas Dahl Larsen mla@dmi.dk)
3. Review and evaluation of existing platforms for multi-hazard risk and warning information, identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement. Potential host: CMCC, Italy (contact: Timothy Tiggeloven timothy.tiggeloven@cmcc.it)

STSM projects can also focus on real‑world testbed regions and/or multi-hazard pairings, such as:

• Heatwaves and droughts (e.g., Eastern Europe: Romania, Poland, Turkey)
• Floods and landslides (e.g., Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Norway)
• Compound flooding from multiple sources (e.g., storm surge and precipitation), including North Sea, Baltic Sea, or potential UK case studies)

Applicants with interests in multi-hazard analysis, forecasting, AI methods, or risk communication are strongly encouraged to engage with potential hosts to shape their STSM project.

WG3

In this funding round, WG3 welcomes STSM applications focused on the following topics:

1. Mapping and harmonisation of multi-hazard impact datasets across Europe, including relevant case studies and best practices. Expected output would be structured inventory of datasets and case studies, including a harmonised classification and identification of key gaps to support the WG3 catalogue. This STSM is aimed at PhD or early-career researcher with experience in environmental datasets, data analysis or risk assessment.
2. Development of a framework to capture and integrate direct tangible, indirect and intangible impacts of multi-hazard events, including potential metrics and data representation strategies. The candidate would review and use of existing impact classification frameworks, with recommendations on how to integrate direct, indirect and intangible impacts into existing datasets, including proposed metrics/proxies and data representation strategies. This would suit a researcher with background in risk assessment, impact modelling or socio-economic analysis of hazards.
3. Analysis and improvement of existing multi-hazard impact databases, including their data structures, metadata standards and interoperability features. It is expected that the STSM would produce a comparative assessment of existing databases, identification of limitations and gaps, and a set of recommendations to improve data structure, metadata and interoperability, supporting the development of the WG3 trial database. Preferred applicant would be a researcher with experience in data modelling, database analysis or information systems.

WG4

WG4 particularly welcomes STSM applications focused on the following topics:

1. Analysis of stakeholder needs and gaps in Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS), drawing on survey data and expert input to identify priorities for next-generation EWS design and implementation. Potential host: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria (contact: Robert Sakic Trogrlic trogrlic@iiasa.ac.at)
2. Review and documentation of best-practice examples of operational MHEWS, with a focus on what makes systems effective across different hazard contexts, governance structures, and levels of development.  input to identify priorities for next-generation EWS design and implementation. Potential host: VU Amsterdam, the Netherlands (contact: Marleen de Ruiter m.c.de.ruiter@vu.nl)

Applicants with interests in multi-hazard analysis, forecasting, AI methods, or risk communication are strongly encouraged to engage with potential hosts to shape their STSM project.

WG5

WG5 particularly welcomes STSM applications that contribute to building long-term bridges between research and operational communities, enhancing capacity building, and supporting the development of more effective and actionable multi-hazard early warning systems. In line with this aim, we would welcome STSM applications that seek and promote exchanges across academia and operational services, with a strong focus on co-design, mutual learning, and strengthening the research-to-operations (R2O) link.

WG5 particularly encourage bidirectional exchanges such as:

1. From academia to operational services, to allow researchers to gain first-hand understanding of operational constraints, real-time decision-making environments, data workflows, and the practical requirements of early warning and hazard management systems.
2. From operational services to academia, to enable practitioners to engage directly with research environments, methodologies, and emerging scientific developments.

This two-way interaction is intended to improve the relevance, usability, and uptake of scientific outputs, while ensuring that operational needs and constraints more directly inform research activities.

How to apply

Carefully read the STSM Guidelines before applying. Follow these steps to submit your application:

1. Review the STSM guidelines
2. Prepare the required documents:
3. Complete the ANTICIPATE STSM Grant Application form and save it as a PDF document. The ANTICIPATE template can be found below.
4. Provide the invitation letter from the Host Institution.
5. Provide the letter of Support from the applicant’s home institution
6. Updated CV in e-COST profile
7. Submit your application:
   • Log in to your e-COST profile (or create one if you don’t have an account) and complete the electronic application form available here.

After the STSMs

• 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.
• Prepare your report: Use the ANTICIPATE STSM Report Template, which can be downloaded below.
• Submit the report: Upload the completed report to e-COST no later than 30 days after the activity’s conclusion and/or 20 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.
• For dissemination purposes: A very short summary (maximum 280 characters, including spaces) including a photo with collaborators or a short video (uploaded separately in e-COST).

Enquiries

If you have any questions about STSMs, please contact the ANTICIPATE Grant Awarding Coordinator Dr Alexandre Ramos before applying: alexandre.ramos@kit.edu

Additional documentation

• ANTICIPATE CA24144 STSM Grant Guidelines
• ANTICIPATE CA24144 STSM Application Template
• ANTICIPATE CA24144 STSM Report Template
• ANTICIPATE CA24144 MoU
• Action Networking Tools
• COST Grant Awarding User Guide
• COST Annotated Rules for COST Actions