• Opportunities

Opportunities



Policy background



Ukraine is a key partner country within the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and the Eastern Partnership (EaP). Bilateral cooperation with Ukraine contributes to the objectives of the Eastern Partnership.


The Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation between Ukraine and the EU, establishes a legal basis for the science and technology cooperation between EU research organisations and Ukrainian institutes as well as state bodies. Signed on 4 July 2002, the Agreement is regularly renewed. The latest renewal was finalised in 2022 making the Agreement effective as of 8 November 2019 for a period of five years. Through the establishment of a Joint Committee, the agreement also provides a framework for dialogue to discuss the development of research and innovation policies, share best practices and increase collaboration.


Since 2016, Ukraine was fully associated to the EU’s Horizon 2020 and EURATOM Research and Training (2014- 2020) programmes. Under Horizon 2020, Ukraine participated in 230 projects, involving 323 participants, for a total funding request of €45.5m. Ukraine has been particularly strong in researchers’ mobility (MSCA), energy, climate and transport.


In EURATOM Research and Training (2014-2020), Ukrainian entities received approximately €4.9m for both fusion and fission activities. In 2016, Ukraine also benefited from the Horizon 2020 Policy Support Facility’s recommendations on research and innovation in Ukraine, which triggered a series of structural reforms for the modernisation of the national research system.


The agreement with Ukraine associating it to Horizon Europe and Euratom Research and Training Programmes is in force since 9 June 2022 and supports Ukrainian researchers and innovators in the context of ongoing military aggression by Russia. In line with the Association Agreement, Ukrainian entities can participate in the programmes on equal terms with entities from EU Member States. Ukraine does not have to contribute financially for years 2021, 2022 and 2023. In addition, a number of dedicated support measures have already been deployed including; a €25 million fellowship scheme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, €20 million action by the European Innovation Council to support deep tech start-ups of Ukraine and €5 million action to facilitate peer-to-peer cooperation with the Ukrainian cities on climate neutrality principles in the local recovery plans.


Dedicated initiatives



Calls to support cooperation frameworks


Strategic Partnership on Raw Materials



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



Other available support


Under the Hop On Facility, Ukrainian entities can join ongoing Horizon projects that have no partner from the Widening countries.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) collaborates with Ukraine on nuclear safety and security, including on nuclear emergency preparedness and monitoring of radiological data through the European radiological data exchange platform. It also runs a 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 EaP partner countries


The European Commission is implementing a project within the Global Support Service Facility to facilitate a stronger participation of the 5 EaP countries making resources available to help increase participation in Horizon Europe.


Scheme: Horizon Europe


Sub-scheme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Type of the grant: Postdoctoral Fellowships

Deadlines usually in September


The objective of Postdoctoral Fellowships (PFs) is to support researchers’ careers and foster excellence in research. The PFs action targets researchers holding a PhD who wish to carry out their research activities abroad, acquire new skills and develop their careers. PFs help researchers gain experience in other countries, disciplines and non-academic sectors.


There are 2 types:


1. European PFs. They are open to researchers moving within Europe or coming to Europe from another part of the world to pursue their research career. These fellowships take place in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country and can last between 1 and 2 years. Researchers of any nationality can apply.

2. Global PFs. They fund the mobility of researchers outside Europe. The fellowship lasts between 2 to 3 years, of which the first 1 to 2 years will be spent in a non-associated Third Country, followed by a mandatory return phase of 1 year to an organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. Only nationals or long-term residents of the EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries can apply.


Both types of fellowships may also include short-term secondments anywhere in the world during the fellowship (except during the return phase of a Global Fellowship).

In an effort to build bridges between the academic and non-academic sector, researchers can receive additional support to carry out a placement of up to 6 months in a non-academc organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. This placement needs to take place at the end of their fellowship.


Interested researchers submit an application together with a host organisation, which can be a university, research institution, business, SME or other organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. All disciplines are eligible for Postdoctoral Fellowships, including research areas covered by the Euratom Research and Training Programme.


Example


The ENCOUNTER project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101027291. It examines young adolescent’s experiences in the EU. The research team will specifically compare the dynamics and features of NMRs, including the comparison between genders, in the Czech Republic.


Further information: https://encounter.mentoring.cuni.cz/FHSE-17.html

Contact at Charles University, Research Support office/European Centre: ondrej.daniel@ruk.cuni.cz




Scheme: Horizon Europe


Sub-scheme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Type of the grant: Doctoral Networks

Deadlines usually in November


MSCA Doctoral Networks will implement doctoral programmes, by partnerships of universities, research institutions and research infrastructures, businesses including SMEs, and other socio-economic actors from different countries across Europe and beyond.


MSCA Doctoral Networks are indeed open to the participation of organisations from third countries, in view of fostering strategic international partnerships for the training and exchange of researchers.


These doctoral programmes will respond to well-identified needs in various R&I areas, expose the researchers to the academic and non-academic sectors, and offer training in research-related, as well as transferable skills and competences relevant for innovation and long-term employability (e.g. entrepreneurship, commercialisation of results, Intellectual Property Rights, communication).


Proposals for doctoral networks can reflect existing or planned research partnerships among the participating organisations.

The selection procedure for doctoral candidates must be open, transparent and merit-based, in line with the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The vacancy notice (to be widely advertised internationally, including on the EURAXESS website) must include the gross salary (not including employer’s social contributions) offered to the researcher.

MSCA Doctoral Networks are encouraged to lead to Industrial or Joint Doctorates.


Example


MOVES – Migration and Modernity: Historical and Cultural Challenges – is a European Joint Doctorate (EJD) funded by the European Union. This doctoral programme is defined by a unique collaboration between university researchers in the Humanities and Social Sciences and partners across sectors (NGOs, charities working with migrants and cultural and creative industries) in five EU countries. It identifies the contemporary issue of migration as a problem to be treated within the wide context of modernity, acknowledging the way it has shaped European identity, first in the outward thrust of European nations in colonial movements, then through emigration from many European countries, and recently through immigration as the predominant form of mobility in Europe.


Further information: http://projectmoves.eu/#

Contact at Charles University, Research Support office/European Centre: ondrej.daniel@ruk.cuni.cz




Scheme: Horizon Europe


Sub-scheme: European Research Council

Type of the grant: Starting grants

Deadlines usually in Spring


The European Research Council provides attractive and flexible funding to enable talented and creative individual researchers, with an emphasis on early-stage researchers, and their teams to pursue the most promising avenues at the frontier of science, on the basis of EU-wide competition based solely on the criterion of excellence.


Researchers of any nationality with 2-7 years of experience since completion of PhD, a scientific track record showing great promise and an excellent research proposal can apply.

Applications can be made in any field of research and must be submitted by a single Principal Investigator (PI) in conjunction with and on behalf of their Host Institution, called the applicant legal entity.


ERC grants support projects carried out by an individual researcher who can employ researchers of any nationality as team members. It is also possible to have one or more team members located in a non-European country.


Starting Grants may be awarded up to € 1.5 million for a period of 5 years. However, an additional € 1 million can be made available to cover eligible “start-up” costs for researchers moving from a third country to the EU or an associated country and/or the purchase of major equipment and/or access to large facilities and/or other major experimental and field work costs.

An ERC grant can cover up to 100% of the total eligible direct costs of the research plus a contribution of 25% of the total eligible costs towards indirect costs.


Example


The NG-NLG project aims to overcome the major hurdles that prevent current state-of-the-art models for natural language generation (NLG) from real-world deployment. While deep learning and neural networks brought considerable progress in many areas of natural language processing, neural approaches to NLG remain confined to experimental use and production NLG systems are handcrafted.


Further information: https://ufal.mff.cuni.cz/grants/ng-nlg

Contact at Charles University, Research Support office/European Centre: veronika.syrovatkova@ruk.cuni.cz




Scheme: Horizon Europe


Sub-scheme: COST Actions

Deadlines usually in October


A COST Action is an interdisciplinary research network that brings researchers and innovators together to investigate a topic of their choice for 4 years. COST Actions are typically made up of researchers from academia, SMEs, public institutions and other relevant organisations or interested parties.


Open to all science and technology fields, including new and emerging fields; COST Actions offer an inclusive, pan-European environment for individuals of all levels of seniority to grow their professional research networks and boost their careers.


COST Actions act as a pre-portal to other funding instruments. Follow-up proposals from COST Actions have a 37% success rate, which leads to 5.8 million spin-off funding per Action. COST Actions are gender inclusive: During Horizon 2020, 42% of participants were women. COST Actions are a career accelerator for young researchers. 88% indicate that participation has led to advancement.



Example


TRACTS brings together scholars from disciplines of the social sciences and humanities with artists, decolonial activists, memorialization experts and legal professionals to bridge current cultural, political and geographical gaps in research on traces. In response to the recent waves of populism, actors as diverse as environmentalists, human rights activists, and curators have been confronting and creatively deploying the legacies of the 20th century. This shows no sign of abating in a Europe marked by rapid technological, environmental and socio-economic changes. As such, mapping the challenges in the realms of social justice, climate change, and technological impact on society requires reflecting on and producing new understandings regarding traces. An inclusive network on traces in the context of pressing challenges of social justice, climate change and technology can inform transformative research agendas and create new paradigms in the social sciences and humanities in Europe and beyond. This Action gathers a critical mass of scholars and practitioners at a crucial juncture of the European project. Focusing on the conceptual, methodological and ethical challenge of traces, TRACTS develops a comprehensive research coordination and training program, including experimental knowledge production and training for future research leaders. TRACTS will host symposia, workshops, and research meetings to provide a platform for collaboration and exchange to advance the state of the art in different fields. These will lead to deliverables such as joint publications and a special issue on TRACTS advancements, a Traces Atlas, an online repository on traces research and a series of newsletters and podcasts.


Further information: http://tractsnetwork.online/

Contact at Charles University, Research Support office/European Centre: ondrej.daniel@ruk.cuni.cz




Last change: September 5, 2023 13:22 
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