Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MSCA4Ukraine (MSCA4Ukraine)
Reporting period: 2023-07-01 to 2024-03-31
MSCA4Ukraine is a dedicated fellowship scheme that was established to provide support to displaced researchers from Ukraine, as part of the European Union’s (EU) response to the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which had started on 24 February 2022.
Implemented between July 2022 and June 2026, this support will enable over 120 displaced doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to continue their work at academic and non-academic organisations in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries, while maintaining their connections to research and innovation communities in Ukraine. MSCA4Ukraine will also aim to facilitate researchers’ reintegration in Ukraine if and when conditions for safe return are met, in order to prevent permanent brain drain, and contribute to strengthening the Ukrainian university and research sector, as well as its collaboration and exchange with the international research community.
The MSCA4Ukraine Programme of the European Commission is implemented by a consortium comprised of Scholars at Risk (SAR) Europe hosted at Maynooth University, Ireland (project coordinator / https://sareurope.eu) the German Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH / https://www.humboldt-foundation.de) and the European University Association (EUA / https://eua.eu). The French national PAUSE programme (https://www.programmepause.fr) hosted by the Collège de France, and the global Scholars at Risk Network (https://www.scholarsatrisk.org) participate as associated partners.
The MSCA4Ukraine scheme opened for applications on 6 October 2022. In February 2023, fellowship awards were issued to 124 researchers in 21 host countries. A list of successful applications and projects is provided at www.sareurope.eu/msca4ukraine/fellowship-awards.
MSCA4Ukraine is funded by the European Union. For further information about MSCA4Ukraine, visit: https://sareurope.eu/msca4ukraine/
Implemented between July 2022 and June 2026, this support will enable over 120 displaced doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to continue their work at academic and non-academic organisations in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries, while maintaining their connections to research and innovation communities in Ukraine. MSCA4Ukraine will also aim to facilitate researchers’ reintegration in Ukraine if and when conditions for safe return are met, in order to prevent permanent brain drain, and contribute to strengthening the Ukrainian university and research sector, as well as its collaboration and exchange with the international research community.
The MSCA4Ukraine Programme of the European Commission is implemented by a consortium comprised of Scholars at Risk (SAR) Europe hosted at Maynooth University, Ireland (project coordinator / https://sareurope.eu) the German Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH / https://www.humboldt-foundation.de) and the European University Association (EUA / https://eua.eu). The French national PAUSE programme (https://www.programmepause.fr) hosted by the Collège de France, and the global Scholars at Risk Network (https://www.scholarsatrisk.org) participate as associated partners.
The MSCA4Ukraine scheme opened for applications on 6 October 2022. In February 2023, fellowship awards were issued to 124 researchers in 21 host countries. A list of successful applications and projects is provided at www.sareurope.eu/msca4ukraine/fellowship-awards.
MSCA4Ukraine is funded by the European Union. For further information about MSCA4Ukraine, visit: https://sareurope.eu/msca4ukraine/
Activities during the preparation phase comprised developing MSCA4Ukraine’s visual identity and dissemination tools; broad publicity of the scheme; developing fellowship call documents and guidelines; establishing Advisory Board (strategic guidance), Internal Ethics Board (ethics guidance), expert evaluators’ pool and Selection Committee; preparing fellowship management systems; offering matchmaking and helpdesk services; evaluating and selecting applications; establishing new and fostering existing stakeholder networks in/between the EU and Ukraine; publication of results; signing of fellowship agreements with awardees.
Fellowship implementation and follow-up support for researchers started in March 2023. By now, 125 fellowships in 21 host countries across Europe are being implemented. In addition, by means of public events, networking meetings and visibility activities, including the first of five videos introducing fellows (M.9) MSCA4Ukraine continued disseminating project information to a broad international audience. Continued helpdesk and support services respond to queries of fellows and host institutions and assist successful but unfunded researchers in identifying alternative funding. The website provides updated resources, including on funding opportunities, reintegration, policy reports, events and webinars. Ongoing engagement with EU, Ukrainian and international stakeholders fosters relations and helps prepare the reintegration of fellows in Ukraine after their fellowships. Furthermore, a series of career development training and networking initiatives are being offered to fellows and other researchers from Ukraine, on topics such as project development, research ethics and open access in science.
Main achievements comprise the swift deployment of a highly visibly fellowship scheme, as well as other support measures for researchers from Ukraine; the great solidary from the scientific community, showcased by ca. 1,000 interest expressions to host researchers from Ukraine and the voluntary commitment of over 450 expert evaluators from over 45 countries; the large volume of high-quality applications, including 78 which scored above 85% but could not be funded due to budgetary constraints; support for successful but unfunded (due to limited financial capacities) applicant researchers from Ukraine, leading to the award of funding for an additional seven (7) researchers from Ukraine in Sweden (5), the Netherlands (1) and Estonia (1). Furthermore, intense efforts were invested in the preparations of a second call for project proposals, envisaged for mid-2024, by means of a funding extension of €10 million for MSCA4Ukraine.
Fellowship implementation and follow-up support for researchers started in March 2023. By now, 125 fellowships in 21 host countries across Europe are being implemented. In addition, by means of public events, networking meetings and visibility activities, including the first of five videos introducing fellows (M.9) MSCA4Ukraine continued disseminating project information to a broad international audience. Continued helpdesk and support services respond to queries of fellows and host institutions and assist successful but unfunded researchers in identifying alternative funding. The website provides updated resources, including on funding opportunities, reintegration, policy reports, events and webinars. Ongoing engagement with EU, Ukrainian and international stakeholders fosters relations and helps prepare the reintegration of fellows in Ukraine after their fellowships. Furthermore, a series of career development training and networking initiatives are being offered to fellows and other researchers from Ukraine, on topics such as project development, research ethics and open access in science.
Main achievements comprise the swift deployment of a highly visibly fellowship scheme, as well as other support measures for researchers from Ukraine; the great solidary from the scientific community, showcased by ca. 1,000 interest expressions to host researchers from Ukraine and the voluntary commitment of over 450 expert evaluators from over 45 countries; the large volume of high-quality applications, including 78 which scored above 85% but could not be funded due to budgetary constraints; support for successful but unfunded (due to limited financial capacities) applicant researchers from Ukraine, leading to the award of funding for an additional seven (7) researchers from Ukraine in Sweden (5), the Netherlands (1) and Estonia (1). Furthermore, intense efforts were invested in the preparations of a second call for project proposals, envisaged for mid-2024, by means of a funding extension of €10 million for MSCA4Ukraine.
MSCA4Ukraine developed and awarded a certificate to 78 researchers from Ukraine whose applications to the scheme were of exceptionally high quality, exceeding an overall score of 85 per cent and a minimum of 3.5/5 points in each of the three selection criteria, but which could not be funded due to limited finances and the large volume of very high quality research proposals submitted to the scheme. The MSCA4Ukraine ‘Accolade of Excellence’ is modelled on the European Commission’s (EC) Seal of Excellence (SoE), an award for Horizon Europe project proposals ranked above a predefined quality thresholds but unfunded due to budgetary constraints. A number of EU Member States with SoE programmes in place have recognised the certification as eligible to be considered for alternative national research funding allotted to such accredited projects. In fact, by the end of the first project year, five Accolade certified projects submitted by Swedish host institutions were awarded funding by the Swedish Research Council.
Furthermore, in the course of the second project year, a case management system was established and tested in order to offer successful but unfunded applicant researchers from Ukraine assistance by means of identifying alternative funding sources and other support.
Furthermore, in the course of the second project year, a case management system was established and tested in order to offer successful but unfunded applicant researchers from Ukraine assistance by means of identifying alternative funding sources and other support.