Erasmus+ Mobility for staff

The Erasmus+ staff mobility grant is an EU-funded grant that helps finance EU staff training mobility with other Erasmus+ partner institutions. The activities that are covered by UM’s Staff Mobility Policy are:

• Job-shadowing and the exchange of practices for support staff (including teaching staff category 4), also in the context of partners’ staff trainings weeks (for an overview of available staff training weeks read more on IMOTION
• In a later stage research activities (e.g. developing a joint paper, collecting data, presenting research outcomes etc.) for early career researchers (research profiles R1 up to R2) will be possible as well. 

If you would like to participate in this programme, you will have to arrange the job shadowing/ training yourself. The duration of your stay can range from 2 till 5 working days. Erasmus+ provides a partial contribution to the cost of the stay abroad. Yet as the Erasmus+ grant only provides a partial compensation of the costs (see below), it will be supplemented with UM funds to a maximum of €1,500.- per mobility. Being a Dutch public university, these top ups are subject to the nationally agreed maximum remuneration amounts for foreign business trips. 

The UM Erasmus+ staff mobility grant therefore consists of three funding components:

1. a daily allowance (for accommodation & meals)
2. a travel cost allowance (to and from the mobility destination)
3. a UM top-up, where necessary (the total grant can be up to a maximum of €1,500.-)

Daily allowance amounts

Travel cost amounts

Based on the travel distance per participant. Travel distances must be calculated using the distance calculator supported by the European Commission. The applicant must indicate the distance of a one-way travel to calculate the amount of the EU grant that will support the round trip.

Staff members can apply for a green travel allowance. This allowance is in place if the staff member travels by train or bus to the mobility destination.

Application

Step 3: Complete the application form within the deadline and send it to the Staff Mobility Coordinator. Within 1 week after the deadline, you will receive an email with the outcome of the selection. 

In the application form you have to explain where you want to do your mobility and what you want to do. You have to motivate your choices and indicate why you need to get awarded the staff mobility grant. You will be asked to indicate relevant passages of your CV and give an estimated budget overview for travel & accommodation (max. €1500 for 5 working days including 2 travel days). Furthermore, we would like to receive the confirmation from the receiving institute that they can and will receive you. 

If you are selected for an Erasmus+ staff mobility you have to: 

Step 4: Complete the form Staff Mobility Agreement for Training, make sure the form is signed by your manager, a representative of the receiving institution and yourself.  
Step 5: Send the Staff Mobility Agreement for Training via email to the Staff Mobility Coordinator.
Step 6: The Staff Mobility Coordinator will check your form and if correct, send it to the Central Erasmus+ Office.
Step 7: The Central Erasmus+ Office will send you a Grant Agreement, which needs to be filled out at least 2 weeks before the start of your mobility. 
Step 8: Finally, you will receive a Certificate of Attendance Staff Mobility. This form must be completed by the receiving institution and must be sent via email to the Central Erasmus+ Office within two weeks after the end of your mobility.
Step 9: The day after your mobility ends, you will receive an automated email invitation to fill out the online Participant Report detailing your Erasmus+ mobility. Completing this last step is mandatory; please note that the Erasmus+ funds will not be transferred to the budget number until this Participant Report has been submitted.

Insurance

 As a staff member of Maastricht University, your Erasmus+ training period abroad will be covered by AIG Travel Guard Business Travel Insurance. Please note; if you extend your stay make sure to take out a travel insurance for the private part of your stay. You can find more information on UMployee. 

Declare your costs

You can apply for a deposit before the start of your mobility to cover your costs. Within 2 weeks after your mobility, you have to provide evidence of those costs (tickets, invoices etc.). You can declare a maximum of €1,500.- per mobility. 

Expenses for accommodation and other cost

You can only declare a maximum as indicated by the Dutch Government based on the country/city your mobility takes place in. You can find the rates here.

For example: 

You go on mobility to Florence for 4 days (3 nights). 

You can declare a maximum of €179,-/night (3 x €179,- = € 537,-) for your hotel and maximum €105,-/day (4 x €105,- = € 420,-) for other costs like diner, taxi etc. 

A maximum of €543,- is left for travel expenses. 

Expenses for travel

Participating staff members can use the following transportation options in line with the applicable provisions.

Train
If the travel time by train for your business trip is a maximum of eight hours, we will encourage you to make your business trip by train. The travel time is the time involved in traveling, calculated from the employee's work location to the destination. This includes pre- and post-transport to the station or airport and includes waiting time (check-in time). 

Plane
If the travel time by train is more than 8 hours, you can travel by plane. If this is the case, you can still choose to make the business trip by train.

You are entitled to a direct flight if available. This is only different for a direct flight of more than 6 hours. In that case, your employer can give you tickets or reimburse you for a non-direct flight if:

• the costs are at least € 350.00 lower than the ticket for the direct flight and

• the travel time due to the non-direct flight increases by a maximum of four hours.

Instructions how to apply for a deposit and declare costs will be send by email together with the Grant Agreement.