EFDS Programme Announces Second Round Results: Supporting Displaced Scientists in Ukraine and Europe

The European Fund for Displaced Scientists (EFDS) Programme, launched in partnership with the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, has announced the results of its second round of funding.

The first round of calls, launched in May and June 2022, received overwhelming interest. All applications were evaluated and selected by an independent selection committee composed of senior officials from international and pan-European science institutions representing universities, funding organisations, and researchers, including ERC, EUA, Global Young Academy, and Science Europe. While 35 applications from European host institutions (Funding Line 1) and 6 applications from Ukrainian institutions (Funding Line 2) were selected for funding, a reserve list of applications under both Funding Lines was created.

Due to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, most scholars won’t be able to return to Ukraine in the near future. On the other hand, the vast majority of Ukrainian scholars remain in Ukraine (Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science, October 2022) and continue research and academic activities under increasingly hard conditions created by the war. Considering the urgent need to support those scholars, it has been decided that the second round would support applicants under both funding lines, distributing the remaining EFDS funds in support of 6 more applications under Funding Line 1 and two applications under Funding Line 2.

In this second round, the EFDS funds will help support 56 Ukrainian scholars who are still in Ukraine, including early-career researchers, as well as 6 scholars in European countries (Poland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria).

The EFDS Programme continues to be an important source of support for displaced scientists in Ukraine and Europe and will pursue its goal to provide assistance, networking opportunities, and other forms of support to help the Ukrainian science community.