Brussels (Brussels Morning) – The European Commission allocates an additional €10 million to MSCA4Ukraine, aiding 125 displaced researchers. The initiative supports their work and contributes to Ukraine’s research and recovery.
The European Commission has boosted the budget of the MSCA4Ukraine initiative, set up to fund researchers forced to escape Ukraine, with an extra €10 million. The project, set up under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) has backed displaced researchers since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
According to the Press of the European Commission, the additional funding will allow at least 50 additional researchers, including doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers, who were pushed to flee Ukraine to resume their work safely on research assignments at universities, companies, research bases and other organisations based in the EU and nations associated to Horizon Europe. It will also permit the researchers to access training, talents and career development prospects. Specific support will be open for organisations hosting the researchers and those associates relocating with their families.
How many Researchers have benefited from the initiative?
Since its takeoff, the MSCA4Ukraine fellowship scheme has backed 125 displaced researchers from Ukraine, being readied and working in 21 countries.
What Research Opportunities Does MSCA4Ukraine Offer?
Selected researchers will be capable of starting a new project or continuing their previous work to pursue their research on any topic of their choosing, including issues directly linked to helping Ukraine and its recovery. Current MSCA4Ukraine fellows are donating to topics such as investigating war crimes in Ukraine or managing the mental healthcare needs of displaced Ukrainian women.
The scheme is an element of the wider EU support for Ukraine. Specifically in the discipline of research and innovation, Ukraine participates in Horizon Europe and the Euratom programme without continuing to contribute financially. The EU has recently extended a Horizon Europe Office in Kyiv and set up a plan to help Ukrainian deep-tech businesses under the European Innovation Council (EIC).
How Does MSCA4Ukraine Support Ukrainian Scholars?
The MSCA4Ukraine is characteristic of the wider EU response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. First established in September 2022 with an initial funding of EUR 25 million from Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, a component of Horizon Europe, the MSCA4Ukraine is the Commission’s devoted scheme to support displaced researchers from Ukraine, encouraging them to continue their profession safely in Europe. The MSCA4Ukraine call is open to Ukrainian citizens, stateless persons, and nationals from third countries with their primary residence in Ukraine on 24 February 2022 who have been displaced as of that date.
What is the Purpose of MSCA4Ukraine?
The initiative also seeks to help safeguard Ukraine’s research and innovation system and the autonomy of scientific research at large. Sponsored researchers are encouraged to cooperate with their peers in Ukraine, thus strengthening the partnership and integration between the scientific societies of the country and the EU.
Maintaining this partnership will also facilitate their return to and reintegration into Ukraine once possibilities allow. Although supported researchers are unrestricted to choose their research topic, a substantial number of the fellows have decided to perform on issues directly linked to helping Ukraine.
Who Operates the MSCA4Ukraine Initiative?
The MSCA4Ukraine is operated by a group of organisations experienced in helping 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 EU University Association. These organisations are also engaged in the MSCA-funded project in backing of researchers at risk InspirEurope+.
