Polska Akademia Nauk (PAN) Long-term Programme 2023 to Support Ukrainian Research Teams

Deadline: January 16, 2023

Applications are invited for the Polska Akademia Nauk (PAN) Long-term Programme 2023 to Support Ukrainian Research Teams. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) through its Scientists and Engineers in Exile or Displaced (SEED) programme is collaborating with the Polish Academy of Sciences to award grants to facilitate the pursuit of research projects by teams of Ukrainian scientists and researchers hosted by the institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

As part of efforts to build and sustain a healthy science and research ecosystem in Ukraine, the programme aims to support the development and implementation of research projects. The principal investigator (PI), who will lead the team, shall conduct research at one of the units of the PAS and will have the flexibility to build their research teams. Research team members may carry out their research tasks from Ukraine if feasible.

The design of the grant programme allows scholars in Ukraine to continue research under the supervision of experienced PI from Ukraine, hosted for up to 3 years at the PAS. During the project, all team members will hold a double affiliation. All team members must demonstrate a clear plan to maintain coordination and productivity between Poland and Ukraine.

Funding

The maximum funding limit for a project under this programme is up to 900,000 PLN (approx. $200,000 USD) per year for up to three years; in total up to 2,700,000 PLN (approx. $600,000 USD). Initial contracts will be valid for 12 months with a possibility of extension, subject to satisfactory review of progress reports and contingent upon funding availability. The budget may include:

• competitive monthly salary commensurate with research experience
• accommodation allowance in Poland
• research expenses: travel, conferences, small-scale equipment (under PLN 10,000), research materials and supplies, access to large-scale research apparatus, publication costs, etc. or other justified expenses

Eligibility

• Open to competitive Ukrainian scientists, researchers and engineers who intend to strengthen and rebuild Ukrainian science;
• Have a doctoral degree (i.e. Ph.D.);
• Documented scientific achievements (e.g. research grants, patents, publication records) and at least one letter of recommendation;
• Ukrainian citizenship or official employment at a recognized scientific institution in Ukraine (universities, scientific units of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) as of February 24, 2022;
• Fluency in English.

The programme is open to all research disciplines. Preference will be given to teams undertaking activities in the fields of:

• mathematics
• computer science and engineering
• telecommunications
• energy and environmental engineering
• materials sciences
• agriculture
• physics
• chemistry
• life sciences and biomedical sciences

Application

The deadline for applications is January 16, 2023. Interviews with candidates for PIs will be conducted in February 2023. Funding decisions are expected by March 2023.

• The PI candidate fills in the application form and sends it to the relevant unit of the PAS identified as a prospective host unit. The list of the PAS units is available here. This step must take place before the submission deadline, as the PAS host unit needs to assess the application internally and decide on its availability to play the role of the host. If you wish to partner with a unit not listed on the website please contact ukraina@pan.pl.
• If the PAS unit decides to play the role of the host, it forwards the application with all required attachments duly signed by an authorized representative of the unit to: seed@nas.edu with a CC to: ukraina@pan.pl.
• The review process is a two-stage application selection procedure based on substantive merits. First, the applications will be reviewed by PAS and NAS. Second, the selected candidates will be invited for an interview with an “Evaluation Commission” appointed by the Academies. The Evaluation Commission will present a ranked list of applications recommended for funding for approval by the Presidents of the NAS and the PAS.

Applicants need to submit the following:

• Project Description
• Project Budget
• Documentation of the scientific achievements of the potential PI (e.g. research grants, patents, publication record), and other documents confirming fulfilment of the eligibility requirements

The completed application package, duly signed by the director of the PAS unit, must be sent to seed@nas.edu with a CC to ukraina@pan.pl with the subject line: “LTP Ukraine  – PI Family name”. Applications not sent to the seed@nas.edu address will not be eligible for funding.

For more information, visit Polska Akademia Nauk.