Are you interested in joining the activities of the COST Action on “Distant Reading” but unsure about how to go about it? Then you are in the right place here. This page briefly describes the different ways in which people can participate in the COST Action.

Please note that this page can only provide a brief overview. For a more detailed and more precise account of the various forms of engagement with our COST Action, please see the official COST Vademecum document (PDF). For a more in-depth understanding of research topic as well as the aims and objectives of this COST Action, please read the Memorandum of Understanding (PDF) of the Action.

A general condition for participation is that you are affiliated with a university (or other types of academic and research institutions) located in a country that is a participating country of the COST Action Distant Reading. The list of participating countries can be found on the COST website.

If this is the case, you have a number of options:

  • You can apply for a Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM). STSMs are research stays where a researcher from one participating country spends some time working with colleages in another participating country. Typical durations of STSMs in our Action are one to two weeks. During an STSM, you should advance your skills and competencies in areas relevant to the COST Action and contribute something useful to the COST Action. Check our website for any new Calls for STSM.
  • You can apply for an Integration Target Country Conference Grant (ITC-CG). These are special grants for researchers from so-called COST Integration Target Countries to present research directly linked to the COST Action at conferences in Europe. The list of these countries can be found here: https://www.cost.eu/who-we-are/cost-strategy/excellence-and-inclusiveness/. Check our website for any new Calls for ITC Grants.
  • You can join a Training School (TS). Training Schools are organized on topics relevant to the Action. Watch the “Calls” page on our website for calls for application to a Training School. There are usually a number of grants supporting your participation in a Training School and you are encouraged to apply for such a grant. Check our website for any new Calls for Training Schools.
  • You can become a Working Group member. The COST Action is organized into Working Groups (WGs), each responsible for a distinct area of research related to the overall objectives of the Action. You can find a description of the WGs on the “Working Groups” page of our website. If you would like to become a member of one of these working groups, please contact the working group lead. In your application to join, you should describe what you think you could contribute to the objectives of the working group.