The Research Council of Norway announces the launch of an initiative to support Ukrainian researchers in partnership with the National Research Foundation of Ukraine

Since the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Research Council of Norway (RCN) has been actively supporting Ukrainian researchers and the National Research Foundation of Ukraine (NRFU).

In March 2025, the Research Council of Norway announced the allocation of around NOK 60 million as part of a comprehensive support strategy for science and research in Ukraine. This programme covers both immediate and medium-term actions – from operational support for researchers to the long-term strengthening of the research system in Ukraine. Significant attention is paid to the integration of Ukrainian researchers into international research programs, as well as to the preparation of future calls where Ukraine will be a priority country in the areas of security, democracy, and post-war recovery.

As part of this support, the RCN is now launching an initiative to support Ukrainian researchers in partnership with the NRFU.

The ‘Recruit a Researcher from Ukraine for an Ongoing Researcher Project’ initiative covers all thematic areas and aims to:

maintain and develop Ukrainian research during the war;

involve Ukrainian researchers in ongoing projects of Norwegian researchers;

increase international network between the research communities of both countries.

The initiative has been developed in close coordination with the National Research Foundation of Ukraine considering the current needs of the Ukrainian research community and focusing on practical support for researchers who continue their work despite the war. The NRFU will be responsible for verifying the documents submitted by Ukrainian applicants.

Applications open on 1 September 2025.

The projects must start between 1 August 2024 and 31 October 2025.

The duration of the project may cover the period until December 30, 2029.

The expected total funding available for this initiative is NOK 19,000,000.

Funding of NOK 1 – 1.5 million per project is available under this call.

Requirements for Ukrainian researchers

Researchers who meet the following criteria are eligible to participate:

• have academic degree a minimum of a PhD (or equivalent)/Doctoral diploma;
• hold his/her main position at a Ukrainian public research organization or a higher education institution;
• are based and working in Ukraine.

A Ukrainian partner must be a public Ukrainian research organisation or a higher education institution, which is registered as a legal entity in the Ukrainian Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs and Public Organisations.

The Ukrainian partner can only participate in one project under this scheme.

The applications is submitted by a Norwegian research group and must include:

• project description (maximum 2 pages, in English) (sample);
• CV of a Ukrainian researcher (in English) (sample);
• a written formal approval (letter of support) confirming that the institution will support the Ukrainian researcher’s participation and implementation of the project and researcher is working and based in Ukraine signed by the head (or authorized representative) of the Ukrainian public research organization/higher education institution (on the official letterhead, in English) (sample);
• an official certificate verifying the researchers’ main place of employment at the public research organization or a higher education institution (certificate of employment, submitted in Ukrainian with an unofficial English translation, with mandatory indication that the Ukrainian researcher is employed full-time at the primary place of work);
• a copy of the PhD (or equivalent)/Doctoral diploma.

Applications will be processed on a ongoing basis and in the order in which they are received. It is the management of the Project Owner organisation for the project that assesses the quality of the researcher and the research. Eligibility checks are carried out by the RCN administration in cooperation with the National Research Foundation of Ukraine.

The call will close on 1 December 2025 at 13:00 (CET) / 14:00 (EET).

Further details about participation are available on the official RCN website: Recruit a Researcher from Ukraine for an Ongoing Researcher Project

We wish all applicants success!