In the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the ongoing war, members of the EU research and innovation community are mobilising efforts to support Ukrainian researchers. In addition to a multitude of support statements, actions offering practical support are increasing in number.

On 22 March, a dedicated portal ERA4Ukraine was launched under the Euraxess network as a one-stop shop for information on support to researchers of Ukraine by the EU, its Member States and Associated Countries. It includes bottom-up initiatives like ScienceforUkraine whose mission is to collect and disseminate information about support opportunities at the university, national and international level for graduate students and researchers directly affiliated to an academic institution in Ukraine.

At the EU level, on 28 March DG RTD sent a letter to beneficiaries of EU funded grants under the Horizon programmes, showcasing the opportunity to provide help by giving special consideration to researchers of Ukraine when publishing and filling up vacancies in ongoing Horizon projects. It will soon be possible to indicate such opportunities in ongoing projects via the Funding & Tenders Portal (‘My Projects’ menu). The details will be announced on the Funding & Tenders Portal homepage once the new function is available.

Among other initiatives, on 5 April, Commissioner Mariya Gabriel proposed MSCA4Ukraine, a new action offering fellowships to researchers who had to flee Ukraine. The MSCA fellowships scheme is to allow them to continue their work in the EU Member States and Horizon Europe associated countries.

At the regional level, a growing number of initiatives are being developed, for example by universities setting up websites with dedicated information, available support, job, scholarship and cooperation opportunities for Ukrainian researchers (e.g. Lodzkie Region’s University of Lodz website, Flanders’ KU Leuven website and Hessen’s universities’ aid fund website. There are similar efforts at a national level, often undertaken by national research councils and academies of sciences, such as the Swedish Research Council website, the French PAUSE program’s website, the Czech Academy of Sciences’ website, and the Polish Academy of Sciences’ website, which form part of the great variety of support provided by European countries and regions, especially those neighbouring Ukraine.

We encourage ERRIN members to share information about their regional activities and initiatives in support of Ukrainian researchers and R&I ecosystem by uploading relevant items to the ERRIN website (Noticeboard, Events, Partner Searches etc.), using the tag ‘Solidarity with Ukraine’. These examples could be to engage other members in existing initiatives or to inspire others to start new ones. All the submitted content will be collected on our ‘Solidarity with Ukraine’ page.

Members of the ERRIN community who would like to personally express solidarity in addition to practical efforts, may endorse a statement of support for the academic and research community of Ukraine that was developed jointly by Brussels-based R&I liaison offices from eight Central and Eastern European countries. Everyone concerned, especially individual members of the community of Brussels-based research & innovation liaison, is invited to endorse the statement in their personal capacity here. The list of signatories and supporting individuals is available on the same page.