CLEANFOREST launches the following VMG for researchers being members and actively participating in the Action to conduct projects beneficial to the action on the topics proposed below. We particularly encourage participation from young researchers (under the age of 40) including PhD Students or postdoctoral fellows. MSc students will not be considered in the present call.
How to apply
- First contact the leader of the VMG topic and send your CV. Once the leader has accepted your application, please ask for an acceptance letter.
- Then apply at https://e-services.cost.eu/activity/grants by including the VM application template, a CV, a motivation letter and the acceptance letter from the VMG leader.
Reporting
Reports on the outcomes of the VMG must be submitted on the e-COST until October 7, 2026. Failure to submit the required report on time will effectively cancel the grant. The grant payment will be executed after the approval of the report by the Grant Awarding Coordinators and the Leader(s) of the VMG.
Project 1: Review of atmospheric nitrogen and sulphur deposition monitoring techniques and preparation of a methodological guide
As part of the ongoing activities of WG1, the work will focus on finalizing the review of the available methodologies for monitoring nitric acid, particulate matter, as well as modelling approaches for estimating atmospheric deposition and the use of low-cost sensors for measuring gaseous pollutant concentrations. Based on this review, a methodological guidance document for establishment of air quality and atmospheric deposition monitoring networks will be completed. The guidance will compile the available monitoring approaches, identify current knowledge gaps, and provide practical recommendations for network design through three monitoring scenarios developed for different budget, infrastructure, and personnel requirements.
Leaders: Ajinkya Deshpande (AjiDes@ceh.ac.uk) and Rocío Alonso (Rocio.alonso@ciemat.es)
Duration: 3-4 weeks (expected to start on August 5, 2026)
Location: Virtual
Total grant: max 1500 EUR
Project 2: Reflecting on challenges and opportunities for integrating methods of forest monitoring across scales identified during the WG2 systematic review
One of the biggest challenges was the standardisation of data extraction – this resulted from heterogeneity in the literature on reporting of trends, the use of different metrics within each of our selected methods, and the fact that different papers used different metrics due to different aims. The review also identified geographical gaps in data, temporal biases and metrics with few studies reporting long-term trends, particularly remote sensing, but data sources exist that could be utilised for trend analyses, presenting opportunities to fill identified gaps.
There is scope to summarise the challenges and opportunities for assessing trends in forest conditions, with a focus on assessing the suitability of common methods used for answering different questions and exploring the under-utilisation of remote sensing in particular in long-term assessments. The lessons from the systematic review again support the need for a harmonised system for forest monitoring in Europe across scales to address reporting gaps and methodological-based uncertainties / limitations, to generate robust unbiased evidence for policy makers. This VMG could draft/outline a perspective piece to communicate these lessons learned.
Leader: Tom Pugh (thomas.pugh@mgeo.lu.se)
Duration: 6 weeks (expected to start on August 10, 2026)
Location: Virtual
Total grant: max 1500 EUR
Project 3: What are the environmental drivers of stress (WUE and growth) in temperate mixed forests?
During the COST Action, WG2 has conducted a systematic review of trends in forest growth, mortality, and water-use efficiency (WUE). Qualitative information on trends in these three metrics was extracted, and characteristics such as forest type, climatic zone, and observation method were identified as important explanatory factors of trend direction. The most represented tree species in the literature identified were: Fagus sylvatica Picea abies Quercus robur Quercus petraea and Abies albiesa, and there is scope for deeper interrogation of drivers of growth and WUE on this tree species. This VMG will initiate the first step to take the systematic review further, beyond qualitative information, towards extracting and/or collating data from published sources to answer applied questions focused on environmental stressors. The recipient of this VMG will 1) Help to finalise protocol for conducting the meta-analysis; 2) update the current database compiled for the systematic review including papers published after March 2024; (3) contribute to extracting harmonised data on growth and WUE from the sources identified during the WG2 systematic review; (4) support the statistical analysis and data preprocessing for identifying the drivers of growth and WUE stress. The recipient will also design a spreadsheet of the processed data which will subsequently be tested by the wider working group.
Leader: Carlos Landivar (carlos.landivar@bfw.gv.at)
Duration: 6 weeks (expected to start on August 10, 2026)
Location: Virtual
Total grant: max 1500 EUR
Project 4: Completing the content of the guidebook for species selection in climate-smart and resilient forests
Building on the work carried out in WG3 towards elaboration of Deliverable 3.2 and 3.3, this VMG aims to support the final stages of completing the content of the guidebook for species selection in climate-smart and resilient forest. The grant will support the completion of the deliverables as the applicant will be required to perform the following tasks:
(1) Data completion and verification: Fill carbon sequestration data for the 13 species lacking measurements (all Acer, Alnus, Betula, Carpinus, Fraxinus, Juglans, Pinus nigra, P. halepensis, Quercus cerris, Q. pubescens).
(2) Consistency check of the rationale behind the composite indices versus scientific literature.
(3) Develop, distribute, and analyze questionnaires to support: (1) methodology validation by the core expert group, and (2) regional customization through adjustment of index weighting for wider distribution within the CLEANFOREST community.
(4) Text refinement and regional guidance development: Revise the main text to ensure consistent terminology and a coherent narrative flow. The document should be developed in two versions: (1) a shortened version suitable for pre-print preparation, and (2) an expanded version that preserves the methodological basis for publication as an annex or technical report.
At the end of the VMG, the applicant needs to provide the material for both documents, which will be used for the final preparation of the guidebook.
Leader: Lora Stoeva (loragstoeva@gmail.com)
Duration: 2-4 weeks (expected to start on August 15, 2026)
Location: Virtual
Total grant: max 1500 EUR
Project 5: WG4 meta-analysis of atmospheric N deposition and climate extremes on global forests: database harmonisation and environmental data addition
The CLEANFOREST WG4 database currently contains productivity and ecosystem response variables extracted from more than 500 publications (>16,000 observations). Before analysis can be finalised, the database requires harmonisation and completion of several environmental descriptors.
The grantee will be responsible for:
- harmonising the database structure and variable naming;
- checking and correcting geographic coordinates;
- removing duplicate records;
- standardising the categorisation of response variables (leaf, stem, litter, roots, soil and soil biota);
- compiling and integrating additional site descriptors including climate zones, forest types and other relevant environmental variables.
The expected outcome is a fully cleaned and documented database ready for statistical analysis and publication.
Leader: Ivika Ostonen (ivika.ostonen@ut.ee)
Duration: 3 weeks (expected to start on August 1, 2026 or as soon as possible)
Location: Virtual
Total grant: max 1500 EUR
Project 6: WG4 meta-analysis of atmospheric N deposition and climate extremes on global forests: performing the statistical modelling and draft preparation
Building on the harmonised WG4 database, this Virtual Mobility Grant will focus on analysing forest ecosystem responses to atmospheric nitrogen deposition and climate extremes.
The grantee will be responsible for:
- compiling and integrating drought-related indices (e.g. SPEI) where necessary;
- conducting statistical and meta-analytical assessments of forest responses to elevated nitrogen deposition and drought;
- investigating interactions between nitrogen deposition, climate conditions and forest ecosystem functioning;
- preparing figures, tables and the first manuscript draft for publication.
Given the short remaining time of the COST action funding period, the grantee will already start on drafting the statistical analysis code in parallel to the database harmonization. Accordingly, the grantees of both calls will exchange their advances regularly. The expected outcome is a complete first draft of a manuscript reporting global forest responses to atmospheric nitrogen deposition and climate extremes, suitable for submission to an international peer-reviewed journal.
Leader: Line Nybakken (line.nybakken@nmbu.no)
Duration: 3 weeks (expected to start on August 1, 2026 or as soon as possible)
Location: Virtual
Total grant: max. 1500 EUR
Project 7: Review of eLTER Monitoring Data for Forest Resilience Assessment
Assessing the resilience of European forests requires integrating information from long-term ecological monitoring networks that collect data on forest structure, ecosystem functioning, and environmental drivers. As part of the ongoing WG4 systematic review, the eLTER network represents a key source of information for identifying resilience-related variables and understanding how long-term monitoring supports resilience assessment across different ecological contexts.
This Virtual Mobility Grant will contribute to the harmonization of metadata from the eLTER network and support the development of a comprehensive database of resilience-related monitoring parameters.
The selected candidate will assist with:
- Reviewing technical and scientific reports from the eLTER network to extract relevant information on resilience-related indicators, monitoring methodologies, and data structures;
- Compiling and organizing extracted information into the project’s metadata database;
- Managing and curating the database to ensure consistency, traceability, and quality control across all information sources;
- Supporting communication with the project team by documenting progress and reporting any data gaps or inconsistencies identified during the review.
Leaders: Mariangela Fotelli (fotelli@elgo.gr), Natassa Kiorapostolou (natasa.kiorapostolou@gmail.com), Uyên Bùi (buiuyen299@gmail.com)
Duration: 4 weeks (expected to start on August 17, 2026 or as soon as possible)
Location: Virtual
Total grant: Maximum EUR 1,500