The European University Association welcomes the European Commission’s recent announcement of a new scheme - MSCA4Ukraine - to be funded under the Horizon Europe programme’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

As part of the EU’s response to the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine, MSCA4Ukraine’s dedicated fellowships will provide support to researchers from Ukraine. This support will enable them 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. The scheme may also facilitate researchers’ reintegration in Ukraine if conditions for safe return are met, in order to prevent permanent brain-drain and contribute to strengthening the Ukrainian university and research sector and its collaboration and exchange with the international research community.

EUA is part of the consortium implementing the scheme, alongside Scholars at Risk Europe (hosted at Maynooth University, Ireland) and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany). In addition, the French national PAUSE programme (hosted by the Collège de France) and the global Scholars at Risk Network will participate as associated partners.

Further information on the scheme’s matchmaking and advisory services for researchers and prospective host organisations will be provided in August 2022. A call for applications with detailed information on application requirements, eligibility, evaluation and selection criteria will be published in September 2022, and widely disseminated, including via the Horizon4Ukraine page of the European Commission’s Funding and Tenders Portal.

In the meantime, this short document provides initial information about the application process.

To stay up to date with the next steps, EUA encourages host organisations and researchers who wish to apply, and all other interested parties, to sign up here to a mailing list to receive further information and notifications about the scheme.  

The MSCA4Ukraine scheme will provide an important EU response to the current emergency while demonstrating the EU’s core principles of academic freedom and freedom of scientific research. While welcoming this important new scheme for researchers affected by the situation in Ukraine, EUA continues its efforts together with its Inspireurope partners to encourage the development of dedicated European and national fellowship schemes for researchers and students at risk from all countries. We are glad to share the Inspireurope policy recommendations report and to invite eveyone to act the same way.