The Commission has topped up the budget of the MSCA4Ukraine initiative, set up to support researchers forced to flee Ukraine, with an additional €10 million. The scheme, set up under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) has supported displaced researchers since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
The extra funding will enable at least 50 additional researchers, including doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers, who were forced to flee Ukraine to continue their work safely on research projects at universities, companies, research centres and other institutions based in the EU and countries associated to Horizon Europe. It will also allow the researchers to access training, skills and career development opportunities. Specific support will be available for organisations hosting the researchers and those fellows relocating with their families.
Since its launch, the MSCA4Ukraine fellowship scheme has supported 125 displaced researchers from Ukraine, being trained and working in 21 countries.
Selected researchers will be able to start a new project or continue their previous work to pursue their research in any subject of their choosing, including on issues directly linked to helping Ukraine and its recovery. Current MSCA4Ukraine fellows are contributing to topics such as investigating war crimes in Ukraine or addressing the mental healthcare needs of displaced Ukrainian women.
The scheme is part of the wider EU support to Ukraine. Specifically in the domain of research and innovation, Ukraine participates in Horizon Europe and the Euratom programme without having to contribute financially. The EU has recently opened a Horizon Europe Office in Kiev and set up a scheme to help Ukrainian deep-tech companies under the European Innovation Council (EIC).
It has also created a European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Community Hub in Ukraine, which will give Ukrainian innovators remaining in their home country access to partners, markets, testbeds, trainings and investment.
On 18 and 19 April, MSCA4Ukraine researchers will be giving their testimonials at the annual Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions conference on the topic of researchers' careers organised with the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Next Steps
The next MSCA4Ukraine call is expected to be launched in May 2024, allowing selected researchers to start their fellowships by early 2025. The first step for researchers wishing to apply is to prepare an application together with their potential host organisation, who will then submit the proposal on the researcher's behalf.
An information day for prospective host organisations will be organised shortly after the call is published.
Background
The MSCA4Ukraine is part of the wider EU response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. First launched in September 2022 with an initial budget of EUR 25 million from Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, a part of Horizon Europe, the MSCA4Ukraine is the Commission's dedicated scheme to support displaced researchers from Ukraine, enabling them to continue their work safely in Europe. The MSCA4Ukraine call will be open to Ukrainian nationals, stateless persons, and nationals from third countries with their main residence in Ukraine on 24 February 2022 who have been displaced as of that date.
The initiative also aims at helping safeguard Ukraine's research and innovation system and the freedom of scientific research at large.
Supported researchers are encouraged to cooperate with their counterparts in Ukraine, thus strengthening the cooperation and integration between the scientific communities of the country and the EU. Maintaining this collaboration will also facilitate their return to and reintegration in Ukraine once circumstances allow. Although supported researchers are free to choose their research topic, a significant number of the fellows have decided to work on issues directly linked to helping Ukraine.
The MSCA4Ukraine is managed by a group of organisations experienced in supporting researchers at risk. It is composed of Scholars at Risk Europe (hosted at Maynooth University, Ireland), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany, and the European University Association. These organisations are also involved in the MSCA-funded project in support of researchers at risk InspirEurope+.
