COST Action ES1203 Training School – Call for Trainees

1^st TRAINING SCHOOL

on Drivers – pressures and indicators for monitoring treeline ecosystems

Thessaloniki, 15 – 19 September 2014

ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI (AUTh)

Department of Forestry and Natural Environment, Lab of Range Science (236), 54124 Thessaloniki Greece.

CALL for Trainees to participate in 1^st Training School of COST Action ES 1203 (SENSFOR) Enhancing the resilience capacity of SENSitive mountain FORest ecosystems under environmental change

The SENSFOR “Enhancing the resilience capacity of SENSitive mountain FORest ecosystems under environmental change” is an initiative as a Concerted Action of the COST (European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research) agency, supported by the European Science Foundation.

The SENSFOR is supporting the training, education and exchange of young researchers and experienced scientists to establish new areas of scientific collaboration on investigation of the drivers and extention of contemporary and future environmental changes in European mountain forests, developing methods for estimating their resilience and defining consequences for the society.

Early Stage Researchers in forestry, environmental science and ecology including pre- or postdoctoral (PhD title plus < 8 years) researchers, PhD students, MSc students, that would like to apply for a Grant as Trainee in order to participate to the 1^st Training School of Action, can be financially supported by SENSFOR (COST Action ES1203), applying to a Candidate for Grant.

The duration of the 1^st Training School is 5 working days including 2 field trips. The grant as 800 EURO will partially cover the travelling costs, hotel accommodation and subsistence during 5-day Training School.

Participating COST Countries in COST Action ES1203 SENSFOR, at the date on April 2014 are:

Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, United Kingdom.

The Applicant must fill a Form (see attached file) and reply to the Action Coordinator of Training Schools, Scientific Secretary and Action Chair (see contact data below). The Applicant will be informed on the own candidature for grant from the Grant  Holder by means of an official email via the e-COST tool (https://e-services.cost.eu/), at least 3 weeks before the school starts.

Short description of the Training School

The training school will include lectures and field trips in tree line ecosystems in Northern Greece.

The lectures will be about identification of drivers and pressures on tree line ecosystems, their effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services. In particular, there will be lectures regarding floristic and fauna biodiversity, genetic biodiversity of tree line marginal populations, and priorities in conservation and management of marginal tree populations. Additionally, lectures about bioindicators in forest trees and indicators of soil quality to assess impact of climate and/or land use changes for monitoring the tree line ecosystems will be also included.

The trainers will be experts from the participating COST Countries in COST Action ES1203 SENSFOR.

Basic Rules for Grant Application:

• Aim: strengthening the education of young researchers in the Action issues coming from the COST Action Member States to foster collaboration and cooperation in Science and Technology.

• Number: 20 grants for young researchers from Action partnership and COST Countries signing MoU.

• Applicant: The Applicant is responsible for submitting his/her application via email to:

Training School Coordinator (sbrat@abv.bg)

Action Chair (kari.laine@oulu.fi).

COST Action ES1203 will assure gender balance and promote “women in science and technology”.

• Duration: The 1st Training School covers 5 working days.

• Finance:

The reimbursement rate per day is EUR 160 maximum;

Up to EUR 300 may be attributed for the travel expenses;

A maximum grant of EUR 800 can be awarded;

Grant for Trainees can vary depending on the country of the Trainees (e.g. Domestic, near countries, far countries);

Prior the Training School, the trainees must register on e-COST: https://e-services.cost.eu.

• Registration: The granted Applicant must use the on-line e-COST registration tool

(https://e-services.cost.eu/). The application should arrive at the COST Action management timely by deadline on 15 June 2014.

• Selection of the Grants: Selection responsibility is of the Action. The Action’s Training School Coordinator, supported by Core group Committee, will assess the received applications and will approval for grants. This decision will be given from Training School Coordinator to inform MC Chair and Grant Holder for running the grant procedure on approval/deny. The Grant Holder will go forward about the decision for the required grant. This procedure is electronically based.

• Approval: The granted Applicant will be informed by Grant Holder by email via e-COST system (https://e-services.cost.eu/).

• Practical Info: The granted applicant must book directly own airplane tickets and arrangements for travel. A list of proposed hotels will be announced soon.

For further information please contact:

Professor Kari Laine (MC chair)

University of Oulu
Thule Institute
FIN-90014 Oulu
Finland

kari.laine@oulu.fi

Dr Svetla Bratanova-Doncheva (Training School Coordinator)

Institute of biodiversity and ecosystem research-Bulgarian Academy of sciences, Division “Ecosystem research”
No2, str. “Major Gagarin”
IBER-BAS
1113 Sofia
Bulgaria

sbrat@abv.bg

Assistant Professor Eleni Abraham (Organizer of the Training School)

Department of Forestry and Natural Environment

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

54124, Thessaloniki

Greece

eabraham@for.auth.gr

Applicants must send a Cover Letter containing the following information:

1. Name of home institution(s)

2. Personal motivation for participation in the Training School

3. Relevance of your participation for SENSFOR

4. Previous experience with DPSIR framework and/or indicators

5. List of publications/presentations

6. Other information of direct relevance for your application

Forest Research Institute, BAS

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