Last STSM Call for RESTORE in 2021: Find all important information here to apply for your STSM!
Applications Open: 17 December 2020
Applications Close: 17 January 2021
STSM can begin from end of January, when applicants will be informed about results. STSM and reporting must be completed by April 15, 2021.
Summaries
The RESTORE Action supported and funded the following STSMs in GP4:
Name: Cristina Jiménez-Pulido ECI: Y WG: 4 From ITC: N
Dates: 28/09/2020 to 20/12/2020 Host: Politecnico di Torino. Turin (Italy)
Title: Improving assessment tools for existing buildings to promote more ambitious and regenerative renovations of the built environment
Overview: It is well-known that there are many assessments, rating, and diagnostics methods to evaluate sustainability in buildings and cities. The work done during the STSM aimed to explore if any of them are capable to evaluate the regenerative capacity of existing buildings. To do that, the main regenerative principles to guide the building renovations from this promising approach have been identified and defined.To better understand the complex system of international assessment tools, rating methods or certification systems, it has been conducted a literature review of research papers and other relevant documents (grey literature). The knowledge accumulated on the topic of regenerative sustainability has also been explored.
The study has been focused on existing buildings, within a European context. The reason behind this decision is the great importance that building stock has to reach the European carbon-neutral goal by 2050. Moreover, the enormous challenge that the sustainable renovations represent has been considered justified the approach adopted. We assumed that sustainability assessment tools can contribute to the needed transformation of the built environment, based on previous experience and accumulated knowledge. However, it is needed to evolve beyond the Sustainability concept to fully address so ambitious challenges. The Regenerative sustainability paradigm is one of the most promising approach to that end, particularly when building renovations are carried out. The research is based on the hypothesis that widespread tools such as LEED or BREEAM need to be improved by introducing regenerative design principles within their assessment schemes.
The application of the identified regenerative principles in the design of building renovations represents a great challenge but also a opportunity to move forward with the needed transformation of the building stock, in order to ensure the fulfilment of built environment goals. In this context, it has been considered that the European instruments addressing the sustainability assessment of existing buildings must be also studied. In particular, Level(s) framework is an instrument recently launched by the European Commission with the aim of improving the sustainability of buildings. Level(s) seems to be a great development potential. Therefore, this new framework has been analysed together with a group of tools selected based on the literature review (BREEAM, LEED, DGNB, and LBC). Following an in-depth analysis and after detecting critical points, we have explored how these tools can adopt a regenerative perspective in the existing building assessment in order to mainstream a regenerative practice. It should be highlighted that the research conducted during the STSM and the conclusions reached in the study done, are going to be disseminated as a joint publication in an indexed journal.
For additional information and potential collaboration, please contact Cristina directly at: c.jpulido@upm.es
Deadline for applying for RESTORE STSM GP4 Grants is postponed!
New deadline for submitting STSM application is 17th January 2021.
All candidates can apply through E-Cost System when the system becomes active. Candidates who already sent their applications in PDF can now submit their application through E-Cost system, as by the new deadline, system will become active for applying.
Please download the GP4 STSM call text-updated.
The call for STSMs for grant period 4 is now open!
Start preparing your STSM!
You can apply from April 1st 2020. Deadline for applying in the first RESTORE STSM GP4 call is June 1st 2020. Have in mind you can apply for STSM in this period only by sending email to STSM Coordinator Jelena Brajković (as E-Cost will not allow upload of applications in the system). The Applicant should send all necessary documents to STSM Coordinator as required by the E-Cost System, as WORD or PDF files in the attachment of the email. All applicants will be notified as soon as possible about the results of the reviewing process and successful candidates can upload their STSM Applications in E-Cost system from the beginning of June, when the system becomes active.
Necessary files and information are specified in the Call text. For useful information see COST Vademecum (Section 8 of the June 2019 version) and STSM User Guide
Please download the GP4 STSM call text.
STSMs are research visits to a host institution where the applicant will perform research activities that advance the objectives of RESTORE. STSMs must be between 5 and 90 days (although, they may exceed that duration in specific instances for Early Career Investigators). RESTORE STSMs are financially supported by the Action with a fixed contribution of up to 2500 EUR. More information is available in the call text [ PDF ], and in the COST Vademecum (Section 8 of the June 2019 version).
You may contact the RESTORE STSM manager with questions by emailing Jelena Brajković.
The results of STSMs conducted during the first Grant Period are available here.
The results of STSMs conducted during the second Grant Period are available here.
The results of STSMs conducted during the third Grant Period are available here.