STSM Call 2012-12

Eights call for Short Term Scientific Missions

Absolute last date for submitting an application - 31st December 2012

This is the last opportunity to propose STSMs under FORSYS. The applications will be evaluated as they are submitted, on a monthly basis (deadlines: 30th of September, 31st of October, 30th of Novembre, 31st of December) until the available budget is exhausted. In any cases, missions have to be completed and reported no later than 28ht of February to be of value for the Action.

Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) allow scientists to learn from an institution or laboratory in another COST country innovative concepts and methodologies of particular interest to young scientists. The Applicant should normally be a post graduate student, a postdoctoral fellow or be employed in an institution of a COST Country having accepted the MoU.

FORSYS activities are structured in four Working Groups (WGs):

1. DSS Architecture and design
2. Method-based management system
3. Knowledge management
4. Participatory processes

The WGs’ work passes a number of milestones of various characters which relate directly to the points highlighted in the scientific program. One aim of STSMs is to contribute to the achievement of one or more milestones (see the WG workplans on http://fp0804.emu.ee/). The current call is evaluated on the following criteria (without priority): (i) case studies of DSS strengths and weaknesses (see e.g. http://fp0804.emu.ee/wiki/index.php/STSM_Opportunities); (ii) STSM suggestions from WGs (see list below); (iii) contribution to guidelines to support the design of DSS; (iv) general contribution to FORSYS milestones.

Applications can only be submitted by using the on-line registration tool on http://www.cost.esf.org/stsm (select Action FP0804). To see details go to ftp://salix.slu.se/download/FORSYS_info/STSM.pdf (copy link to browser if needed). The applicant should also submit to STSM coordinator Luigi Portoghesi (lporto@unitus.it): (i) a detailed work plan, (ii) CV, and (iii) host acceptance letter.

The work plan should be structured as follow: 
* Background of and motivation for the mission 
* Goal of the proposed STSM and its contribution to FORSYS objectives 
* Main contents of the STSM (list of activities to be carried out at the host institution)

The budget for an individual STSM can be maximum € 2500 including travel (seldom in excess of € 400) and a daily allowance (€ 60-90). The Steering Committee of FORSYS will evaluate the applications on behalf of the Management Committee.

STSM suggestions from WGs

WG1

• Link the DSS to the problem types through the problem dimensions; label the problem types (connected to the wiki).
• Glossary, first step towards an ontology of the wiki.
• Categories as the basis for DSS search on the wiki.
• Implementing a new query builder and the query result forms on the FORSYS semantic wiki.
• Architecture – new approaches.

WG2

• New case study descriptions that focus on the application of existing DSS tools to forest management questions, or to the improved delivery of ecosystem services in a specific region, with specific emphasis on the methods used and the rationale for selection.

WG3

• To contribute to the formulation of the FORSYS guidelines: What is the benefit of using Knowledge Management (KM) techniques and tools in developing DSS? Which tools and techniques can be used for a particular design phase? What is the joint benefit of the use of KM tools and techniques in relation to the participation of different users (e.g. decision maker) and developers (scientist, IT-specialist, decision analyst)? What is the benefit of using web2.0 social media tools?

• To contribute to the formulation of the FORSYS guidelines: What is the benefit of integrating Knowledge Management (KM) techniques and tools in DSS? Which tools and techniques can form an integral part of a DSS for multipurpose forest management? Which design principles have to be considered in offering such techniques and tools to the user of the DSS? How can DSS developers (scientist, IT-specialist, decision analyst) link knowledge management processes (e.g. knowledge identification, generation, sharing, ..) to the planning and decision making processes of DSS?

WG4

• Study specific cases of interest from the participatory planning (PP) point of view. _The study can be based on the general template presented on the WIKI pages, but also case studies concentrating on the use and/or usefulness of forest DSS in a particular participatory planning case are welcomed.
• Make reviews of the collected information (cases/CR), and see what tools are actually used in PP and what have not been used. If tools seemingly useful are not utilized in practice, we try to find out why.
• Screen the DSS cases to see how common using PP in the development has been, and to what sort of tasks.