ConnectLAA first call for STSM Grants – 2025

First call for STSM Grants, grant period May to September 2025

Deadline for submission: May 15, 2025

Grant Period: May 2025 – September 28, 2025

Funding: up to EUR 2000 per grant

STSM duration: between 5 and 30 days (includes travel)

Number of STSM grants available: 4

1) STSM Call - Working Group 1

The aim of WG1 “Transfer archival knowledge to support LA archive management and operation” is to promote the adaptation of archival standards and approaches in LA and to initiate the discussion of archival science in order to improve the overall quality of archives and records.

The development of archives and archivists will be supported by fostering the application of post-custodial archival approaches and promoting a common dialogue between archivists and the field of LA especially in countries where archives and records are in a fragile situation.

Furthermore, WG1 seeks to enable archives and archivists to acquire proficiency in the appraisal, acquisition, classification, and description needed to manage and relay the information on LA archives in their countries through networking tools and methods: manuals, visits, and master classes.

STSM Topics WG1:

• Research on stakeholder's national networking scheme for LA archives as good practices.

• Research on good practices related to the inventory of records before and during donation process - from LA offices/practitioners to the archives.

Goal: Explore best practices at the host institution and replicate the outcomes at your home institution.

Outcome: Written report on research outcomes and an online presentation of the mission’s results.

Description: The aim of this mission is to examine best practices (innovative models, solutions, and approaches in archival management) at a European host institution by a study visit and do a report of the scenario of the implementation of these best practices within their home institution or country. Analyze best practices at the host institution and explore how they can be replicated in the applicant's home country or institution.

The applicant should explain why they have chosen this particular host institution and outline how they intend to use the best practices to build a strategy for LAA archives in their country.

Host Institution: To be selected by the STSM candidate (see LAA map for references: https://bit.ly/mapWG1). It should be an official institution/legal entity, a public or private archive/collection with relevant LA related records.

Supervisor(s): Responsible parties at the host institution. To be defined by STSM candidate.
(Necessary data: Name and Email address).

If needed, one of the WG1 leaders can help the applicant as a co-supervisor.

Requirements: Clearly expressed and realistic benefits to the Action and its deliverables. Applicant with relevant management or research experience related to LA archival materials.

Duration: up to 10 days, including traveling

Available Grants: 1

Period: June 2025 - August 2025

2) STSM Call - Working Group 2a and 2b

The aim of WG2 “Enhance the use of LA archives for research and practice by deepening the network” is to enhance European competitiveness in LA history research and design practice by improving the accessibility and usability of archival material / primary sources as professional practice has become increasingly international.

Goal: Map the topics in the current academic discourse on landscape architecture history related to LA archives in terms both of archival operation and management and of research, including archival work and the external perspective on LA archives (offered by donors, practitioners, etc.) and identify knowledge gaps where further research is needed to enhance both LA history and LA archives.

2a) STSM Topic WG2a:

What topics and issues are explored in research on the history of landscape architecture in Eastern Europe – particularly in countries that were under the Iron Curtain, which had a distinct approach and a more centralized system compared to other European nations.

Goal: Provide an overview of European landscape architecture history studies carried out in Eastern Europe that would contribute to the goals of the STSMs.

Tasks: Map the topics of published articles, books, short documentaries, competition briefs, presentations, etc. related to LA history and created with the use of LA archives. Provide a relevant selection of a minimum of 30 case studies from a minimum of 5 different countries where similar LA archives were used differently in the academic discourse.

Outcome: A written report on activities carried out with the following attachments:

• A list of publications, briefs, presentations, short documentaries etc. on landscape architecture history studies from Eastern Europe with short reviews and bibliographical data;
• A brief report on the chosen case studies (including authorship, pictures, maps, videos, and other relevant information).

2b) STSM Topic WG2b:

What topics and problems are present in research on landscape architecture history studies carried out in Western Europe?

Goal: Provide an overview of European landscape architecture history studies carried out in Western Europe that would contribute to the goals of the STSMs.

Tasks: Map the topics of published articles, books, short documentaries, competition briefs, presentations, etc. related to LA history and created with the use of LA archives. Provide a relevant selection of a minimum of 30 case studies from a minimum of 5 different countries where similar LA archives were used differently in the academic discourse.

Outcome: A written report on activities carried out with the following attachments:

• A list of publications, briefs, presentations, short documentaries etc. on landscape architecture history studies from Eastern Europe with short reviews and bibliographical data;
• A brief report on the chosen case studies (including authorship, pictures, maps, videos and other relevant information)

Host Institution (minimum 1, maximum 3): The applicant must specify the institution(s) where he/she intends to carry out the research. If awarded an STSM, the applicant must provide evidence of conducting research at these institutions.

Supervisor(s): Responsible parties at the host institution to be indicated by STSM candidate. (Necessary data: Name and Email address).

Requirements: very good command of English, command of the language of the country(ies) of STSM would be an additional advantage, and the ability to carry out literature studies and case studies, interest in the use of landscape architecture archives proven by previous activities and/or publications.

Duration: from 5 to 30 days

Available Grants: 2

Period: 25 May - 3 September (latest) 2025

3) STSM Call - Working Group 3

WG3 “Enhance education through the use of archives” will support higher education through the improved use of LA archives as tools and a source of knowledge in higher education. It promotes co-creation and knowledge exchange between European universities and stimulates interaction between teachers, students at all levels, and practitioners. It also offers lifelong learning for practitioners to update their knowledge and improve their skills in using LA archives in landscape design, planning, and management practices.

The aim of Working Group 3 for the first year is to map and analyze current didactic and pedagogical tools and methods in LA education. An online survey and an exploratory hybrid workshop provided a first understanding of the use and non-use of LA-related archival material in higher education.

STSM Topic WG3: The topic of this STSM is to study the current use of archival records in teaching practices. The key question for this year is how teachers in higher education use LA archives in their teaching:

• In which courses or educational activities do they use LA archives?
• What are the learning objectives do they try to achieve? How do archives contribute to these?
• What kind of archival material do they use?
• How is the archival material used?
• If applicable, what difficulties or gaps do they perceive?

Goal: Map and structure tools and didactic and pedagogic methods for using LA archives in higher education. In LA education this encompasses courses such as history courses, drawing courses, design studios, historical landscape management courses, Bachelor and Master thesis, summer schools and PhD research.

Outcome: Written report on research outcomes.

Description: Produce a state-of-the-art catalogue of didactic and pedagogical tools and methods as applied in the use of LA archives in higher education.

The activities of this STSM consist of:

• Attending regional hybrid workshops
• Collecting data from working group members on the current use of LA archives in higher education
• Analysing data from a didactic and pedagogical perspective
• Documenting the outcomes of the research in a catalogue of state-of-the-art use of LA archives in higher education

Host Institution:

• Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway or
• Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands

(to be decided by mutual agreement).

Supervisor(s):

• For NO: Lei Gao, lei.gao@nmbu.no
• For NL: Marlies Brinkhuijsen, marlies.brinkhuijsen@wur.nl

Requirements: This STSM is particularly relevant for young teachers or people with teaching aspirations who are interested to dive into didactics and pedagogy. We are looking for someone who:

• is able to execute academically sound research mostly independently;
• preferably has some knowledge of didactical and pedagogical tools and methods, or at least affinity with them;
• has some experience with the use of LA archives;
• has good writing skills.

Duration: Four weeks, including three weeks for data collection, analysis and reporting (of which one week will be the academic stay at the host institution), and one week for online attendance of regional workshops and seminar in May/June 2025.

Available Grants: 1

Period: May-September 2025

The academic stay at the host institution should be happening between June 2025 and September 2025. Details to be decided by mutual agreement.

What is a STSM?

A Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) grant funds a visit to a host organization located in a country different from the country of affiliation by a researcher or innovator for specific work to be carried out for a determined period of time.

The scope of the STSM should contribute to the objectives of the COST Action CA23128 “Connecting Landscape Architecture Archives to enhance European landscape practice, research and education (ConnectLAA)”, defined in its Memorandum of Understanding: https://e-services.cost.eu/files/domain_files/CA/Action_CA23128/mou/CA23128-e.pdf.

Who can apply?

The STSM Grant offers a valuable experience for Young Researchers and Innovators as well as for the already established researchers in supporting their career development, according to the COST key principles of excellence, inclusivity, and gender balance.

What can you apply for?

You can apply for a STSM lasting between 5 and 30 days. The STSM provides a contribution for travel, accommodation, and subsistence expenses, implementation of the project, delivery of the report to the Grant Awarding Committee, and overall effort.

How to apply?

The application process is as follows: Applicant must carefully read the funding rules detailed in supporting documents (see: Main information, supported documents and links) Applicant must create an account and submit an application through an e-COST. Main information to be provided in the application:

To be filled in e-COST:

• Title
• Start and end date (within the active Grant Period of the Action)
• Budget requested by the applicant;
• Information about the host institution and contact person. The location of host institution must be in a different country than the country of affiliation of the applicant;

To be uploaded to e-COST:

• Application form (template available on e-COST) describing: goals, description of the work to be carried out by the applicant (proposed work plan), expected outcomes and description of the contribution to the Action Memorandum of Understanding objectives;
• A short CV (maximum 2 pages) including recent publications, if applicable.
• The budget requested (in €) the STSM duration in days (with a minimum of 5 calendar days, including travel time) and a Budget Breakdown detailing justification for accommodation, travel expenses, and per diem allowance in a separate file. Each successful applicant is eligible for up to a maximum of €2000 in total funding, subject to the duration of the STSM and the location of the host institution.
• A written agreement from the host institution confirming the STSM applicant's ability to carry out the activities outlined in the STSM work plan on the approved dates.

Evaluation

The Grant Awarding Committee will assess each application.

Main criteria for evaluation will be as follows: The relevance and application of the research to the field of the Action and Working Groups Objectives and Deliverables (30%).

• Clarity in defining the relevant Working Group’s topic and specific deliverable(s) addressed in the proposal.
• Demonstration of how the proposed work plan aligns with and supports the development of upcoming deliverables.
• Identification of participation in the development process of relevant deliverables during or after completing the STSM.

Scientific Excellence and Quality of the Proposed Work Plan (30%)

• The quality and clarity of the proposed research;
• Assessment of the proposed work plan's scientific rigor and innovative aspects.
• Feasibility and realism of the planned activities.

Promotion of Collaboration and Know-How Exchange (15%)

• Evaluation of the STSM's potential to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange within ConnectLAA.
• Consideration of consolidating existing collaborations and establishing new scientific contacts is particularly encouraged.

Realistic Budget Planning (10%)

• Justification of the financial aspects of the application.
• Reasonableness of the estimated expenses.

Other criteria (15%)

• The applicant's profile will be considered towards the potential of successfully completing the STSM based on her/his previous work and active participation and contribution to the activities of the Action’s working groups.
• Geographical distribution of applicants within the same STSM call.
• Gender balance within the same STSM Call.
• Affiliation country; applicants from ITC (Inclusiveness Target Country) nations are given preference.
• Career development: Young Researchers and Innovators (YRI) are preferred over experienced ones.

Reporting and claim for payment of the grant:

• Once the activity has ended, the Grantee must submit a report and all necessary documentation through e-COST. Submission is required within 30 days of the activity’s end date, or 15 days after the end of the Grant Period, whichever date comes first;
• The submission the supporting documents is mandatory, or the Grant is canceled. The required Report should be completed following the official STSM Report template (https://www.cost.eu/STSM_report_template) detailing: title, start and end dates of the STSM; purpose of the mission; description of work carried out; description of achievements and planned follow-up activities, and confirmation of successful STSM by the host.
• Payment is processed upon successful report submission via e-COST.

Reimbursement:

• The Grant Holder Institution pays grants after completing the activity and approving all required reports/documentation.
• STSM Grantee may request up to 50% pre-payment of the approved grant. This amount is subject to the availability of funds and approval by the Grant Holder Institution. The request for pre-payment shall be submitted to the Grant Holder Manager.
• STSM activities must occur within the dates specified in this call.
• Applicants shall not receive different overlapping grants during the same grant period.

For detailed rules regarding eligibility and financial support, please see the relevant sections of the:

COST Annotated Rules:

https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2025/02/COST-094-21-V2.0-Annotated-Rules-for-COST-Actions-Level-C.pdf

and: Grant Awarding User Guide:

https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2025/01/COST-Grant-Awarding-user-guide.pdf

Main information, supported documents and links:

– CA23128 (ConnectLAA) Website: https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA23128/

– STSM Grant Application Form: https://www.cost.eu/STSM_GrantApplication

– STSM Report Template: https://www.cost.eu/STSM_report_template

– Grant Awarding user guide: https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2025/01/COST-Grant-Awarding-user-guide.pdf

– Annotated Rules for COST Actions: https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2025/02/COST-094-21-V2.0-Annotated-Rules-for-COST-Actions-Level-C.pdf

– Main contacts:

• Grant Awarding Coordinator - Kinga Kimic: kinga_kimic@sggw.edu.pl
• Grant Holder Manager - Heidi Manser: heidi.manser@students.boku.ac.at