Expanding cutting-edge research cooperation between Ukraine and Germany

A new funding programme will offer attractive prospects Ukrainian researchers. On 8 December 2020, the 13 selected German-Ukrainian projects to be supported under the new funding scheme 'German-Ukrainian Centres of Excellence' were officially presented. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will provide the programme which intends to strengthen top-level research in Ukraine with up to 11.3 million euros.

Thomas Rachel in conversation with Dr. Andrij Melnyk
Thomas Rachel, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, in conversation with the Ambassador of Ukraine, H.E. Dr. Andrij Melnyk. © BMBF / Hans-Joachim Rickel

On the occasion of the official presentation of the selected projects, Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Rachel said:

'The new funding programme between Germany and Ukraine is a new building block in the close cooperation between our two countries. Ukraine plays a prominent role in the EU's neighborhood policy and is participating in the European Research Area with increasing intensity. We expressly support this commitment by Ukraine. That is why we are strengthening cutting-edge research in Ukraine with the new funding programme. The response to our call for proposals has exceeded all of our expectations. We were able to choose from a large number of very good applications and to include a total of 13 projects to be funded during a concept phase. Our approach of using the programme to build a bridge back home for top Ukrainian scientists living abroad will be implemented, too: Many projects plan on recruiting a returnee as Head of the Centre of Excellence.'

With the new funding programme 'Establishing German-Ukrainian Centres of Excellence', the BMBF is supporting the establishment of excellent German-Ukrainian working groups in Ukraine, thereby expanding bilateral research and development expertise in a sustainyble manner. The 13 selected projects now have 12 months to develop viable concepts for setting up their Centre of Excellence.

4 to 5 projects will then be selected for four-year funding in the implementation phase. The BMBF intends to provide around 11.3 million euros for both project phases.

The International Bureau (IB) supports the BMBF in the technical and administrative design of German-Ukrainian research cooperation.

The IB oversees the aforementioned funding announcement, conceives evaluation criteria for the applications, carries out the cooperation policy assessments, coordinates the expert assessments, prepares the funding decision, organises accompanying events, acts as a contact for applicants and funding recipients - in short, manages the entire project funding process.