EUI and JRC establish cooperation in support of Ukrainian scholars

Under a newly launched cooperation initiative, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC) and the European University Institute (EUI) will provide Ukrainian researchers with a 12-month fellowship scheme to pursue a postdoctoral programme at the EUI in Florence.

As part of the effort to provide funding opportunities to support scholars who are directly affected by the war in Ukraine, the EUI has joined forces with the JRC in offering a fellowship programme to support Ukrainian researchers.

Through a special call for applications by the EUI’s Max Weber and Jean Monnet Fellowship Programmes, the JRC has awarded scholarships to five Ukrainian postdoctoral researchers. Throughout the programme, the researchers will be integrated in the EUI community through dedicated academic activities and initiatives.

The joint JRC-EUI fellowship programme will focus on providing support and a safe academic space to Ukrainian scholars affected by the war, with a specific emphasis placed on women researchers. The fellowship is also intended to provide resources and capacity-building for Ukrainian researchers to facilitate their return to Ukraine, with the long-term aim of restoring the research ecosystem after the war.

In addition, the programme will aim at developing academic skills, with a focus on science for policy, while also allowing scholars to pursue their own research.

The multidisciplinary programme will further aim at providing training and support in all aspects of an academic career – from publishing and presenting, teaching, applying for research grants and jobs, to communicating and disseminating research to a diverse audience including policymakers.

The EUI will welcome the scholars on campus on 1 September 2022, for a 12-month period.

Background

In May 2022 JRC and EUI have signed a Service Level Agreement in support of Ukrainian researchers and their families fleeing the war. The initiative is part of JRC's support to Ukraine partners, which is currently a major priority for the Commission under the leadership of President von der Leyen. This initiative shows concrete support to the Ukrainian scientific community to overcome the extremely difficult context in which they operate.

The project complements actions being developed by DG RTD and EAC, aiming at an integrated approach and a close cooperation among the services under the responsibility of Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, with the view to maximise impact.

The EC, the JRC and the EUI are long-standing partners. The JRC and EUI have established regular cooperation in the fields of evidence-based policy-making, migration, digital governance and artificial intelligence.