Short Term Scientific Missions – TENET – COST Action CA22170

2026 Call for Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) Grants

Super Admin — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:10:55 +0000

We are pleased to announce the opening of the 2026 Call for STSM Grants. Applications are accepted on a continuous basis, with two key cut-off dates for evaluation. Please note that up to 60% of the annual STSM budget may be allocated in the first round.

Call deadlines

January 12^th and April 6^th, 2026: Cut-off dates for applications.
Two weeks after each cut-off dates: Applicants will be notified of the evaluation outcomes.
October 5^th, 2026: final date for completing STSM 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 scientific mission. Applicants should ensure that their submission is made before the cut-off date preceding the start date of the planned scientific mission.

How to apply

Follow these steps to submit your application:

Review the Guidelines: Carefully read the TENET STSM Guidelines before applying.
Prepare the required documents:
- Complete the TENET STSM Grant Application Form and save it as a PDF document. Download TENET template below.
- Invitation letter from the Host Institution.
- Letter of Support from the applicant’s home institution
- Updated CV in e-COST profile
Submit your application:
- Log in to your e-COST profile (or create one if you don’t have an account).
- Complete the electronic application form available here. https://e-services.cost.eu/activity/grants

After the STSM

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 TENET STSM Report Template to draft your report. Download TENET template below.
Submit the Report: Upload the completed report to e-COST no later than 30 days after the activity’s conclusion, 15 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.
Capture the Moment: Take photos with the Host Institution team to share on TENET’s social media. Personal posts on your own social media are also encouraged—please refer to the Guidelines for details.

Call documents

Downloadable files to assist your application are available below.

STSM Research Mobility Map

Super Admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:39:04 +0000

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kinvasko@gmail.com

\r\n

Home Institution: Meditcinsky Universitet-plovdiv, Bulgaria

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Host Institution: Orthopaedic Hospital König-Ludwig-Haus & University of Würzburg, Germany

\r\n

Host: Prof. Denitsa Docheva

\r\n

Title: Fostering research synergy between Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg – Medical University of Plovdiv for innovation in tendon disease modelling

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Dates: 02/06/2025 - 10/09/2025

"},{"id":"loc14","title":"Nevra Pelin Cesur","coord":[0.3928,0.7207],"layer":"euro","about":"Paracelsus Medical University, Austria","desc":"

nevra.cesur@pmu.ac.at

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Home Institution: Paracelsus Medical University, Austria

\r\n

Host Institution: University of Oxford, United Kingdom

\r\n

Host: Prof. Sarah Snelling

\r\n

Title: The annotation of achilles tendon single-nuclei RNA sequencing datasets

\r\n

Dates: 02/06/2025 - 16/06/2025

","group":["2025"]},{"id":"loc13","title":"Chloé Yeung","coord":[0.3982,0.5398],"layer":"euro","about":"Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Denmark","group":["2025"],"desc":"

ching-yan.chloe.yeung@regionh.dk

\r\n

Home Institution: Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Denmark

\r\n

Host Institution: Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom

\r\n

Host: Prof. Chauvanne Thorpe

\r\n

Title: Unlocking the Interfascicular Matrix: Bridging Species, Methods, and Circadian Biology

\r\n

Dates: 22/04/2025 - 13/05/2025

"},{"id":"loc12","title":"Zacharoula Rafaella Toutoudaki","coord":[0.5172,0.6068],"layer":"euro","about":"Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece","group":["2025"],"desc":"

zacharoula160@gmail.com

\r\n

Home Institution: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

\r\n

Host Institution: University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

\r\n

Host: Prof. Mandy Peffers

\r\n

Title: Impact of ageing on autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) preparations - implication of PRP efficacy for tendon injury treatment in aged horses

\r\n

Dates: 30/06/2025 - 30/07/2025

"},{"id":"loc11","title":"Kristiyan Stiliyanov Atanasov","coord":[0.4344,0.8187],"layer":"euro","about":"Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Spain","desc":"

kristiyan.stiliyanov@gmail.com

\r\n

Home Institution: Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Spain

\r\n

Host Institution: Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), Switzerland

\r\n

Host: Prof. Jess Snedeker

\r\n

Title: Training in a Mechano-Culture System for Investigating Tendon Stromal-Immune Interactions

\r\n

Dates: 20/06/2025 - 20/09/2025

","group":["2025"]},{"id":"loc10","title":"Christine Lehner","coord":[0.4287,0.5999],"layer":"euro","about":"Paracelsus Medical University - Institute of Tendon & Bone Regeneration, Austria","desc":"

christine.lehner@pmu.ac.at

\r\n

Home Institution: Paracelsus Medical University - Institute of Tendon & Bone Regeneration, Austria

\r\n

Host Institution: University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

\r\n

Host: Prof. Mandy Peffers

\r\n

Title: Hot tendon: proteomic analysis of heat-stressed tendon cells

\r\n

Dates: 15/02/2025 - 22/02/2025

","group":["2025"]},{"id":"loc9","title":"Marguerite Meeremans","coord":[0.4593,0.6516],"layer":"euro","group":["2025"],"about":"Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Belgium","desc":"

marguerite.meeremans@ugent.be

\r\n

Home Institution: Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Belgium

\r\n

Host Institution: Institute of Lightweight Design and Structural Biomechanics - ILSB, Austria

\r\n

Host: Prof. Phillipp J. Thurner

\r\n

Title: Comprehensive biomaterial characterization for developing a representative equine in vitro tendon model

\r\n

Dates: 31/03/2025 - 11/04/2025

"},{"id":"loc8","title":"Elisabetta Chiaradia","coord":[0.3771,0.7441],"layer":"euro","about":"Universita Degli Studi Di Perugia, Italy","desc":"

elisabetta.chiaradia@unipg.it

\r\n

Home Institution: Universita Degli Studi Di Perugia, Italy

\r\n

Host Institution: University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

\r\n

Host: Prof. Mandy Peffers

\r\n

Title: Proteomic analysis of secretome of tenocytes exposed to cytokines

\r\n

Dates: 16/09/2024 - 27/09/2024

","group":["2024"]},{"id":"loc7","title":"Giacomo Cortella","coord":[0.3957,0.7854],"layer":"euro","about":"Università degli Studi di Salerno, Italy","desc":"

gcortella@unisa.it

\r\n

Home Institution: Università degli Studi di Salerno, Italy

\r\n

Host Institution: University of Porto – ICBAS, Portugal

\r\n

Host: Prof. Manuela E. Gomes

\r\n

Title: Optimization of Magnetic Spheroid Cultures for Enhanced Tendon Regeneration and Tissue Engineering Applications

\r\n

Dates: 16/09/2024 - 30/09/2024

","group":["2024"]},{"id":"loc6","title":"Carlos Peniche","coord":[0.4382,0.6679],"layer":"euro","about":"MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Netherlands","group":["2024"],"desc":"

c.penichesilva@maastrichtuniversity.nl

\r\n

Home Institution: MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Netherlands

\r\n

Host Institution: Institute for Biomechanics ETH-Zürich, Switzerland

\r\n

Host: Prof. Jess Snedeker

\r\n

Title: miRNA profiling in Mechanically Stimulated Tendon Assambloids

\r\n

Dates: 08/09/2024 - 22/09/2024

"},{"id":"loc5","title":"Manuel Gomez-Florit","coord":[0.333,0.8271],"layer":"euro","about":"Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Spain","desc":"

manuel.gomezflorit@ssib.es

\r\n

Home Institution: Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Spain

\r\n

Host Institution: University of Porto – ICBAS, Portugal

\r\n

Host: Prof. Manuela E. Gomes

\r\n

Title: Proteomic analysis of macrophage-derived extracellular vesicles

\r\n

Dates: 02/09/2024 - 06/09/2024

","group":["2024"]},{"id":"loc4","title":"Kyriakos Spanoudes","coord":[0.5437,0.8986],"layer":"euro","group":["2024"],"about":"Edex - Educational Excellence Corporation Limited, Cyprus","desc":"

kyriakos.spanoudes@vetexmachina.com

\r\n

Home Institution: Edex - Educational Excellence Corporation Limited, Cyprus

\r\n

Host Institution: University of Zurich, Switzerland

\r\n

Host: Prof. Jess Snedeker

\r\n

Title: Knowledge transfer on a medium-size model for the testing of tendon biomaterials

\r\n

Dates: 18/08/2024 - 24/08/2024

"},{"id":"loc3","title":"Ekaterina Oleinik","coord":[0.4745,0.6279],"layer":"euro","about":"TU Wien, Austria","desc":"

ekaterina.oleinik@tuwien.ac.at

\r\n

Home Institution: TU Wien, Austria

\r\n

Host Institution: Ghent University, Belgium

\r\n

Host: Prof. Catharina De Schauwer

\r\n

Title: Establishment of a protocol for the induction of inflammation on tendon-derived cells embedded in fibrin hydrogels

\r\n

Dates: 12/08/2024 - 11/10/2024

","group":["2024"]},{"id":"loc1","title":"Bayram Suzer","coord":[0.5884,0.8678],"layer":"euro","about":"Bursa Uludag University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Türkiye","desc":"

suzer@uludag.edu.tr

\r\n

Home Institution: Bursa Uludag University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Türkiye

\r\n

Host Institution: University of Salerno, Itay

\r\n

Host: Prof. Giovanna Della Porta

\r\n

Title: Tendon stem cells cultures to enhance in vitro investigations on tendon regenerative events.

\r\n

Dates: 15/07/2024 - 30/07/2024

\r\n","group":["2024"]},{"id":"loc2","title":"Vittoria Guerra Altheman","coord":[0.3156,0.8703],"layer":"euro","about":"Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto, Portugal","desc":"

v.altheman@unesp.br

\r\n

Home Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto, Portugal

\r\n

Host Institution: Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands – IdISBa, Spain

\r\n

Host: Prof. Manuel Gomez-Florit

\r\n

Title: 3D bioprinting of tendon constructs using bioinks derived from tendon decellularized extracellular matrix

\r\n

Dates: 27/06/2024 - 11/07/2024

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2025 Call for Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) Grants

Super Admin — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 10:02:48 +0000

We are pleased to announce the opening of the 2025 Call for STSM Grants. Applications are accepted on a continuous basis, with two key cut-off dates for evaluation. Please note that up to 60% of the annual STSM budget may be allocated in the first round.

Call deadlines

January 27^th and March 31^st, 2025: Cut-off dates for applications.
NEW! The second call deadline has been extended to April 7th, 2025.
Two weeks after each cut-off dates: Applicants will be notified of the evaluation outcomes.
October 5^th, 2025: final date for completing STSM activities.

How to apply

Follow these steps to submit your application:

Review the Guidelines: Carefully read the TENET STSM Guidelines before applying.
Prepare the required documents:
- Complete the TENET STSM Grant Application Form and save it as a PDF document.
- Invitation letter from the Host Institution.
- Letter of Support from the applicant’s home institution
- Updated CV in e-COST profile
Submit your application:
- Log in to your e-COST profile (or create one if you don’t have an account).
- Complete the electronic application form available here.

After the STSM

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 TENET STSM Report Template to draft your report.
Submit the Report: Upload the completed report to e-COST no later than 30 days after the activity’s conclusion, 15 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.
Capture the Moment: Take photos with the Host Institution team to share on TENET’s social media. Personal posts on your own social media are also encouraged—please refer to the Guidelines for details.

Call documents

Downloadable files to assist your application are available below.

After review by the Grant Awarding Board, the following Grant applications were funded:

Name	Home Institution	Host institution	Title	Dates
Marguerite Meeremans	Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Belgium	Institute of Lightweight Design and Structural Biomechanics – ILSB, Austria	Comprehensive biomaterial characterization for developing a representative equine in vitro tendon model	31/03/2025 – 11/04/2025
Christine Lehner	Paracelsus Medical University – Institute of Tendon & Bone Regeneration, Austria	University of Liverpool, United Kingdom	Hot tendon: proteomic analysis of heat-stressed tendon cells	15/02/2025 – 22/02/2025
Kristiyan Stiliyanov Atanasov	Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Spain	Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), Switzerland	Training in a Mechano-Culture System for Investigating Tendon Stromal-Immune Interactions	20/06/2025 – 20/09/2025
Zacharoula Rafaella Toutoudaki	Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece	University of Liverpool, United Kingdom	Impact of ageing on autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) preparations – implication of PRP efficacy for tendon injury treatment in aged horses	30/06/2025 – 30/07/2025
Chloé Yeung	Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Denmark	Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom	Unlocking the Interfascicular Matrix: Bridging Species, Methods, and Circadian Biology	22/04/2025 – 13/05/2025
nevra pelin cesur	Paracelsus Medical University, Austria	University of Oxford, United Kingdom	The annotation of achilles tendon single-nuclei RNA sequencing datasets	02/06/2025 – 16/06/2025
Vasil Dzharov	Meditcinsky Universitet-plovdiv, Bulgaria	Orthopaedic Hospital König-Ludwig-Haus & University of Würzburg, Germany	Fostering research synergy between Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg – Medical University of Plovdiv for innovation in tendon disease modelling	02/06/2025 – 10/09/2025

2024 Call for Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) Grants

Super Admin — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:29:34 +0000

We are pleased to announce the opening of the 1st Call for STSM Grants. The grant period will span from April 1st, 2024, to October 31st, 2024, inclusive.

Application deadlines

April 1st 2024 – May 30th 2024: Application for STSM Grants is open;
June 15th 2024: Notification to applicants;
October 1st 2024: deadline for the conclusion of STSM activities, including submission of STSM reports.

Interested applicants should sign in to e-COST profile (or sign up if they do not have a profile) and apply online here.

Downloadable support files:

Please follow this link for further details on the call:

After review by the Grant Awarding Board, the following Grant applications were funded:

Name	Home Institution	Host institution	Title	Dates
Vittoria Guerra Altheman	Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto, Portugal	Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands – IdISBa	3D bioprinting of tendon constructs using bioinks derived from tendon decellularized extracellular matrix	27/06/2024 – 11/07/2024
Bayram Suzer	Bursa Uludag University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Türkiye	University of Salerno	Tendon stem cells cultures to enhance in vitro investigations on tendon regenerative events.	15/07/2024 – 30/07/2024
Ekaterina Oleinik	TU Wien, Austria	Ghent University	Establishment of a protocol for the induction of inflammation on tendon-derived cells embedded in fibrin hydrogels	12/08/2024 – 11/10/2024
Kyriakos Spanoudes	Edex – Educational Excellence Corporation Limited, Cyprus	University of Zurich	Knowledge transfer on a medium-size model for the testing of tendon biomaterials	18/08/2024 – 24/08/2024
Manuel Gomez-Florit	Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Spain	University of Porto – ICBAS	Proteomic analysis of macrophage-derived extracellular vesicles	02/09/2024 – 06/09/2024
Carlos Peniche	MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, the Netherlands	Institute for Biomechanics ETH-Zürich	miRNA profiling in mechanically stimulated tendon assambloids	08/09/2024 – 22/09/2024
Giacomo Cortella	Università degli Studi di Salerno, Italy	University of Porto – ICBAS	Optimization of magnetic spheroid cultures for enhanced tendon regeneration and tissue engineering applications	16/09/2024 – 30/09/2024
Elisabetta Chiaradia	Universita Degli Studi Di Perugia	University of Liverpool	Proteomic analysis of secretome of tenocytes exposed to cytokines	16/09/2024 – 27/09/2024