In view of the Russia’s ongoing war of aggression, Ukraine faces increasingly damaged research infrastructure, logistical and financial difficulties in maintaining research activities in the country, as well as a dangerous brain drain.

From the first day of Russia’s unjustified and illegal war against Ukraine, the European Union and its allies have made the collective decision to support Ukraine.

The European Commission is not engaging into further cooperation projects with Russian entities and suspending the preparations of grant agreement for the projects under Horizon Europe programme that involve Russian research organisations as well. The EC also suspends any payment to Russian entities under existing contracts.

The EC strongly committed to ensuring a continued successful participation of Ukraine and Ukrainian entities in Horizon Europe and Euratom Research and Training programmes.

Consequently Ukrainian scientists and researchers are considered as key participants in the EU Framework programmes for R&I.

On 9 June 2022, the Agreement associating Ukraine to Horizon Europe, the EU research and innovation programme (2021-2027), and to the Euratom Research and Training Programme (2021-2025) entered into force. The Ukrainian research and innovation actors can fully participate in these programmes on equal terms with entities from the EU Member States.

Ukraine does not have to contribute financially for the present and there is a general encouragement across the Horizon Europe Work Programme to create opportunities, where possible, for the affected persons and entities of Ukraine.

In addition, the EU offered dedicated tangible support to the Ukrainian research and innovation community.

Dedicated initiatives:

• MSCA4Ukraine (€25 million) offered fellowships to displaced researchers of Ukraine in the EU and Associated Countries.
• EIC4Ukraine (€20 million) offers financial support and advice to deep tech start-ups
• ERC4Ukraine has over 500 vacancies linked to ERC grants available (still opened)
• Research Infrastructure (RI) service providers in health, green, digital and frontier knowledge are encouraged to offer fast-track access to Ukrainian researchers
• EU Mission for Climate Neutral and Smart Cities: €5 million action will support peer-to-peer cooperation with the Ukrainian cities to help them integrate climate neutrality in local recovery plans
• Human Frontier Science Program for health scientists from Ukraine
• Call on Political perspectives for the Eastern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans required the participation of at least one entity from Ukraine, Georgia or Moldova
• Excellence Hubs Initiative: Ukrainian entities encouraged to apply for ‘mentoring scheme’ on innovation (still opened)

Calls to support cooperation frameworks

Strategic Partnership on Raw Materials

• Earth Observation platform, products and services for raw materials
• Technologies for extraction and processing of critical raw materials (IA) (still opened)

Administrative cooperation arrangement on Copernic data access and Earth Observation data exchange

• Designing space-based downstream applications with international partners

Other available support

Hop On Facility allows for legal entities Ukrainian to join ongoing Horizon projects that have no partner from the Widening countries (still opened).

Joint fellowship initiative with the European University Institute (EUI) in science for policy competences and JRC’s calls to access its 60 unique research infrastructure facilities, including nuclear, are open to Ukraine.

Finally, JRC provides policy advice on smart specialisation and technology transfer and carries assessment work of demographic future of Ukraine and the post-war water-related needs.

Support to Eastern Partnership (EaP) partner countries – provides resources to help increase participation in Horizon Europe (available).