Report on Activities of COST action P9
RADAM 2005-6

STSMs in 2005-6

Short Term Scientific Missions have been an essential part of the Action, indeed these were most attractive to the members as they allowed research programme to be developed and new collaborations to be initiated. A first call for proposals was issued in January 2004 and several responses received. Unfortunately changes in staff at the COST office slowed the administration of such awards and many were not processed until later in the year.

At the Lyons meeting the New COST Adminstrator, Ms S Beauloye, attended the meeting and reported the new arrangements for STSMs encouraging applications. The Action proved to be extremely popular and engendered many STSM applications (over 60 in all) before the COST office in March 2005 announced that no more STSM’s could be hosted in 2005. A full list of the 75 STSM’s held in 2004/5 was attached to the previous report (2004-5).

In 2005-6 changes within COST restricted the number of STSMs that can be held but the MC continued to support these to these and dedicated around 40% of the budget to these activities with the recommendation that they should be for a maximum of 2 weeks and that no group should host more than one in any one year. However late in both 20065 and again in 2006 the COST office found some additional resources for STSMs - which the RADAM Community rapidly utilized. In 2007 we again have given priority to STSMs and a recent call by the office for new STSMs to be held by end of May is receiving widespread support.

A full list of the now nearly 120 STSMs funded in this Action is being prepared on the Action Website together with final reports and will form the basis of the final Report of the Scientific outcome of this Action.

We recognise that the Action is therefore perhaps unique in its level of STSM activity but we believe that these are the most valued activity of the Action and the most scientifically productive - leading to a large number of publications and has led to a new and innovative RADAM research community developing across Europe.

STSMs in 2005      STSMs in 2006