We are proud to present the second edition of the TREASURE Newsletter. In this issue, we have highlighted the dedication and hard work of our team in advancing research on maternal prenatal stress and its impact on offspring. Our goal is to make complex scientific findings more accessible and engaging—not only to keep researchers involved in the project up to date but also to reach the general public and key stakeholders. We hope you enjoy reading it! Access to Newsletter
Third Call STSM
THIRD CALL STSM Third Call for Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) of COST Action Maternal Perinatal Stress and Adverse Outcomes in the Offspring: Maximising infants’ development (TREASURE) The call for applicants will be open from 3th of December to 17st of December 2025. The STSM will end before 1st October 2026 1. STSM and TREASURE This is the third call for Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) funded by Cost Action CA22114. STSM is a mobility grant aimed to promoting individual mobility to gain new skills and knowledge in areas of interest of the TREASURE COST Action. TREASURE is a four-year COST ACTION that started on 09/11/2023. The main goal is to address the effect of maternal stress on infant health in the short and long term. The activities in TREASURE are structured in six Working Groups (WGs). Details on the content and goals of each WG are available in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA22114/ 2. Application TREASURE offers four STSM grants to financially support individuals in their mobility. The minimum visit should last for 5 working days, and the maximum is 1 month. The Daily Allowance rate intends to cover expenses related to accommodation, meals, and/or short distance travel (defined as less or equal to 100 km one way) and other incidental costs (eg. taxi or parking expenses, fuel costs, carbon tax, toll charges, car rental expenses linked to car travel, tips, etc) but it may not necessarily cover all expenses. STSM applicants must calculate the cost of the visit by themselves, with the travel costs covered up to EUR 500 and daily amount depending on the country. Up to a maximum of EUR 2,000.00 in total can be awarded to each successful STSM applicant. Details about the maximum daily allowance that can be claimed for accommodation and meal expenses per country can be found in COST Daily Allowance Rates Applicants are also requested to consult the Annotated Rules for COST Actions and Grant Awarding User Guide Note: We may accept applications submitted after the deadline, provided that there is sufficient budget. However, grant requests submitted during the open call period will be given priority. IMPORTANT: STSMs must be completed by October 1st, 2026. 3. Application instructions Applications for STSMs are managed through the e-COST management tool (https://e-services.cost.eu/user/login). The applicants will complete the information on the website and upload the following documents: To be filled in e-COST: Title of the STSM Start and end date Budget requested by the applicant Information about the host institution and contact person Confirmation letter from the HOST Institution, confirming agreement to receive the applicant APPLICATION FORM, (template available in e-COST and in annex 2) including a work plan detailing the proposed activities. The work plan should describe goals, the work to be carried out by the applicant, expected outcomes and how it contributes to the Action objectives CV, including a list of academic publications if applicable A support letter from the HOME Institution This information will be visible to the holders of leadership positions and any evaluation committees in the Action for evaluation purposes. Once the STSM has ended, the grantee must submit a short report on the outcomes of the visit (annex 3) and a confirmation letter from the host institution verifying the successful execution of the STSM. The report and the letter need to be submitted within 30 days after the end date of the STSM. It is noted that if the applicant does not submit the required report on time, the grant is cancelled. For further details, the applicant may visit the Annotated Rules For additional information on the submission via the e-COST system, applicants may visit the Grant Awarding User Guide 4. Grant awarding criteria Each proposal will be ranked by the STSM committee of the Action, and an evaluation score will be given considering the relevance to TREASURE, the quality of work plan, the applicant’s CV and the optimal budget’s plan, adjusted to the days of the visit (annex 1). The selection will follow the COST policies on inclusiveness: Geographical spread, prioritizing ITC countries up to 10 points (see annex 1). ITC counties: https://www.cost.eu/about/strategy/excellence-and-inclusiveness/. Career stage: prioritizing young researchers (we will only fund senior researchers, if there are not enough applications from young researchers). Gender balance (if there is a tie in the selection process, we will prioritise gender balance). Note: Applicants who have previously received TREASURE STSM funding are not eligible. Scholarships will only be awarded to past STSM beneficiaries if there are not enough new eligible candidates. The final ranking will be approved by the Action Chair and the Grant Awarding Coordinator. GRANT AWARDING CRITERIA STSM Application Form More information
TREASURE educational video
We are delighted to share our educational video which captures what TREASURE is all about! https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9sw6yi
Gender Equality and Inclusive Communication Plan
Gender Equality and Inclusive Communication Plan Gender Equality and Inclusive Communication Plan COST Action CA22114 – Maternal Perinatal Stress and Adverse Outcomes in the Offspring: Maximising infants’ development (TREASURE) VERSIONS AND HISTORY OF CHANGES This document is based upon work from COST Action CA22114 (TREASURE) Maternal Perinatal Stress and Adverse Outcomes in the Offspring: Maximising Infants’ Development, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding organisation for research and innovation networks: www.cost.eu. 1. COST Excellence and Inclusiveness Policy Analysis The COST Action TREASURE (CA22114) comprises 460 members from 38 Full COST Countries. Gender distribution is currently 81% women and 19% men, which reflects the gender distribution typically observed in the field of peripartum mental health. Mandatory leadership roles are held by women in 90% of the cases, significantly surpassing the COST indicatory target of 50%. Participation from Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs) is strong (44%), with 43% of all members being young researchers. In terms of ITC inclusiveness, TREASURE includes members from 23 ITC countries and 15 non-ITC countries, thereby exceeding the minimum requirement of 12 participants from ITCs. However, only 10% of young researchers and 1 ITC-based researcher currently hold mandatory leadership roles. Nevertheless, it is important to highlight that many ITC-based and young researchers hold significant leadership roles within TREASURE that are not classified as mandatory leadership positions (e.g., Gender Balance and Young Researchers Coordinator, Working Group co-leaders, subgroup leaders, etc.). 2. Objectives and Priorities – Increase gender equality, i.e., actively recruit participants of underrepresented gender for WG participation, leadership roles, and activities – Promote young and ITC-based researchers into leadership roles – Explore mechanisms for equitable access to leadership roles, in alignment with COST policies and Core Group decisions Additional initiatives – language inclusivity: The COST Action TREASURE is committed to the use of inclusive language in scientific and non-scientific communication, including presentations, publications, website, social media, and other. Achieved – Our Gender Balance and Young Researchers Coordinator, Maja Žutić, gave a well-received presentation to the Core Group (March 17, 2025) on gender balance and adopting inclusive language in both academic and public communication – The Action provided extensive resources for inclusive language on its website: https://www.treasurecost.eu/2025/02/05/cost-webinar-how-to-submit-research-to-open-research-europe-2/ 3. Plans and Actions a) Gender balance – Monitor and report gender balance among speakers (e.g., training school trainers), participants of project activities (e.g., training school trainees, STSM participants), and other activities – Encourage gender-balanced representation such as by trying to invite a balanced representation of genders in key events and activities (e.g., training schools) and positions (WG members, leadership roles) – Celebrate key awareness days on social media b) Inclusive Language and Communication – Systematically apply inclusive language in all communication (scientific and non-scientific e.g., social media, website) – Circulate information to Action participants about inclusive language resources provided on the website – Create guidelines for inclusive language (in collaboration with WG6, create a document regarding the use of inclusive language and disseminate it to Action participants) – Provide training (e.g., hold a workshop/webinar on gender equality and inclusive language to Action participants) – Offer resources (e.g., disseminate relevant materials to Action participants) – If available, participate in the COST Academy events on gender equality and inclusive language – Provide new information and materials on inclusiveness and equality on the official Action website: https://www.treasurecost.eu/2025/02/05/cost-webinar-how-to-submit-research-to-open-research-europe-2/ – Promote using inclusive language in calls and templates – Promote inclusivity in photos and videos on social media and website posts: showing people in all their diversity engaging in a variety of different roles, using colour schemes that avoid gender stereotypes and are visible to people with colour blindness, showing a range of ages, backgrounds, races, and ethnicities to reflect the fullness of society. c) Monitoring and Evaluation – Publish annual GEP reports and revise plans if needed – Track and analyse participation by gender, age, and ITC status d) Future general plans regarding balance and inclusiveness Regarding gender and geographical balance, COST TREASURE is actively working to increase the engagement of: researchers of the underrepresented gender (e. males), researchers from currently non-participating countries, younger and more ITC researchers to take on leadership roles (e.g., through informal networking opportunities, discussion groups, etc.). Celebrate key awareness days on social media, e.g.: International Day of Women and Girls in Science – 11.2. International Women’s day – 8.3. World Maternal Mental Health Day – the first Wednesday in May Mother’s Day –the second Sunday in May International Men’s Day – 19.11. World Mental Health Day – 10.10. International Father’s Day – the third Sunday of June. In line with our commitment to language equality, we plan to: Promote using inclusive language in all forms of communication (text, images, videos, papers, and social media), Organise and participate in webinars and workshops, and provide resources. These efforts support COST’s commitment to fostering an inclusive research environment that values equality, diversity, and excellence. 4. Timeline and Responsibilities Activity Timeline Responsible person/group Provide inclusive language and gender-balance training to Action participants (e.g., a webinar or a workshop) By February 2026 WG6, Gender-balance and Young Researchers Coordinator (Maja Žutić) Promote leadership opportunities for young and ITC-based researchers 2025-2026 Gender-balance and Young Researchers Coordinator (Maja Žutić), Action Chair, Core Group Annual GEP report Yearly Gender-balance and Young Researchers Coordinator (Maja Žutić), Action Chair Celebrate important milestone days on social media/website Throughout the year WG6, Gender-balance and Young Researchers Coordinator (Maja Žutić) Create a document regarding the use of inclusive language and disseminate it to all Action participants By the end of 2025 WG6, Gender-balance and Young Researchers Coordinator (Maja Žutić) PDF Edit Template
