What are Virtual Mobility Grants?
Virtual Mobility (VM) Grants in the LILY COST Action support collaboration and networking that can be carried out entirely online, without the need for physical travel.
These grants are intended to facilitate virtual exchanges of knowledge, skills, and methods among researchers and innovators within the LILY network.
Activities
Examples of activities that can be performed by the VM grantee are:
- Virtual mentoring scheme, with special focus on activities and exchanges that can generate capacity building and new skills, particularly for Young Researchers and Innovators (e.g. managerial skills, methodological skills, communication skills, etc);
- To support the harmonization and standardization of methods and procedures within the Action networking activities, e.g. setting up a survey amongst all Action members to collect different results and outcomes from experiments done in their respective labs and research groups; coordinating the discussions to create common protocols to be used by the network afterwards; preparing questionnaires and response scales to be used by the Action members as part of virtual networking activities.
- To support the implementation of research coordination related activities that do not necessarily require in-person presence, e.g. computational or modelling activities; data analysis of the Action for a specific report or activity.
- Each VM grant provides €1,000 for the grant period.
- The grant covers costs related to virtual collaboration (e.g., communication, software licenses, data management).
- A scientific report is required within 30 days of grant completion, detailing the purpose, work, achievements, and future steps.
- A short video (up to 3 minutes) is required, highlighting the achievements of the VM, which will be shared on LILY’s social channels.
- The report and host institution’s approval (can be email confirmation) must be submitted to complete the grant process.
Applications should be submitted via e-COST platform.
To be filled in e-COST:
- Title of the activity
- Start and end date (must fall within the active Grant Period, i.e., no overlap across two consecutive Grant Periods)
- Budget requested
- Information about the host institution and contact person (the host institution must be in a different country than the applicant’s affiliation)
To be uploaded to e-COST:
- Application form (template available on e-COST) including:
- The main objective of the activity
- Description of the work to be carried out
- Plan for participation
- Expected outcomes
- Contribution to the Action’s MoU objectives
- Any additional documents required by the Action (e.g., recommendation letter)
For more information, please see the Application Guide.
Applications are assessed based on eligibility, scientific merit, alignment with LILY objectives, impact, contribution to COST excellence and inclusiveness policies (e.g., support for young researchers and gender balance), and the potential for fostering interdisciplinary collaborations based on the following criteria:
Scientific quality of the proposal:
- Relevance: Alignment with the scientific scope of COST Action LILY.
- Innovation: Contribution to interdisciplinary research, international collaboration, and new knowledge within LILY’s objectives.
- Feasibility: The likelihood of achieving the proposed objectives within the VM timeframe.
- Career Impact: How the VM will enhance the applicant’s professional development.
- Access to resources: Utilization of unique facilities, expertise, or equipment unavailable at the applicant’s home institution.
Applicant qualifications:
- CV and research background: The applicant’s qualifications, experience, and research contributions.
- Publication record: Preference will be given to applicants with publications related to the LILY Action themes.
Prioritization Criteria:
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- Young Researchers and Innovators (YRI): Preference will be given to applicants under the age of 40 and PhD students.
- Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC): Priority will be given to applicants affiliated with institutions in ITC countries, though applications from non-ITC institutions are also welcome.
- Gender balance: LILY is committed to promoting gender equality in all activities.
Within 30 days after the VM’s completion, the grantee must submit a scientific report to both the host institution and the Action Management Committee (MC).
The report must include:
- The purpose of the VM
- Work carried out
- Main achievements
- Future follow-up activities
- The report must follow the official scientific report template, available in the Grant Awarding user guide and on the e-COST Supporting Documents page.
Apart from the report, selected participants are required to record a short video (up to 3 minutes) at the end of their VM activities. In this video, participants should briefly present their work, key achievements, and highlights from the experience. The video, along with other communication materials, will be shared on LILY’s social media channels.
Host institution approval
After submitting the scientific report, the grantee must obtain an official acceptance confirmation from a researcher affiliated with the host institution.
The host institution’s approval can be a formal email confirming that:
- The VM took place.
- The goals outlined in the work plan were achieved.
Document submission and grant completion
- The grantee must upload both the scientific report and the host institution’s acceptance confirmation (both in PDF format) to the e-COST system for the completion of the VM.
- Failure to submit these documents will result in the cancellation of the Grant.
- Late submission may also lead to Grant cancellation and may require reimbursement of pre-paid funds.
Grant compliance
If any conditions or obligations are not met, the grant report will be rejected, and the grant will be canceled.
For further details on COST rules and Short-Term Scientific Missions, please refer to the COST Grant Awarding User Guide and COST Annotated Rules.
VM past calls
This call was open from 10 June to 27 June 2025
VM period: between 05 July and 15 October 2025
WG1 VM1. Project: “NbS in history and management”
Hosting institution: Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Hamburg, Germany
Award: €1000
Description: This study investigates the historical development and management of Nature-based Solutions (NbS), with a focus on their multisectoral conceptualization. It addresses key gaps in the literature regarding the co-creation of NbS across sectors and aims to quantify the economic implications of implementation, including health co-benefits and disservices. A case study using German health insurance claims data will be developed to support empirical analysis of health impacts associated with NbS exposure.
Deliverable: Hands-on contribution to the paper drafting and performing calculations of the costs of maladaptation.
WG1 VM2. Project: “Blue-Green Cities and Infectious Disease Risks: A Systematic Review of Climate Adaptation Strategies in relation to Vector- and Water-Borne Diseases.”
Hosting institution: the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Award: €1000
Description: We are conducting a literature review on infectious disease risk associated with blue-green nature-based solutions in urban areas.
Deliverable: We are looking for a second reviewer who will assist with the data extraction, i.e., the entire title and abstract screening phase of the review, as well as full-text screening of the first 30 included studies. And, if time permits, also contribute to the full-text screening of as many studies as feasible within the available time.
WG1 VM3. Project: “Marine and Coastal NBS and health.”
Hosting institution: University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Award: €1000
Description: This project explores the role of marine and coastal Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in shaping human health outcomes, building on the Ocean and Human Health framework. It investigates how these NbS can transform the framework’s structure by addressing implementation challenges, local socio-ecological realities, and issues of vulnerability and inequality.
Deliverable: Hands-on contribution to the literature review to gather evidence and contribution to paper drafting.
WG2 Project: “Mapping and categorising stakeholders engaged in Nature-based Solutions and health”
Hosting institution: University of Primorska, Izola, Slovenia
Award: €1000
Description: This VM will establish a basis for mapping and categorizing stakeholders in nature-based solutions and health through an inclusive, cross-knowledge approach. A standardized tool will be developed to support systematic stakeholder mapping across the COST network, addressing structural, institutional, and actor-related dimensions.
Deliverable: Development of a standardized data collection instrument for stakeholder mapping in nature-based solutions, ensuring a systematic and comparable approach across member countries of the COST network. Results of this VM will feed into a research publication showcasing a comprehensive stakeholder map and categorisation at national level, highlighting key actors, their roles and interests.
WG3 Project: “NbS-Health network and data platform”
Hosting institution: Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Award: €1000
Description: This project develops a pilot data platform linking Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and health. It will integrate Large Language Models (LLMs) to extract, categorize, and structure case study data, while supporting knowledge exchange among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. The platform will prioritize seamless data integration and usability for diverse stakeholders.
Deliverable:
- Optimize prompt engineering to enhance LLM output accuracy.
- Conduct internal testing with a selected group to evaluate data consistency.
- Develop APIs to facilitate platform interoperability.
- Create documentation and training materials for end-users.