The U.S. ambassador to Poland and several heads of international science academies convened in Warsaw on June 29 to honor a group of Ukrainian scientists selected by U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS) whose projects will receive long-term funding. The event also served as an opportunity for international science academies to stress their continued commitment to Ukrainian science and scientists as the war in Ukraine continues.  

Eighteen Ukrainian research teams across various scientific disciplines were chosen to receive the financial support of up to approximately $200,000 per year for up to three years — a total of approximately $8 million. The goal of the funding is to provide outstanding Ukrainian scientists with stable conditions for conducting research that, in the future, will lead to rebuilding science in Ukraine. Financial support for the grants is also being provided by the Royal Society of the U.K., Elsevier, the National Cheng Kung University of Taiwan, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities. 

“So many of you have faced tremendous hardship, and you boldly move forward in the name of knowledge,” said U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski in his address to the researchers. “You have proven that in order to solve the problems that the world faces, we must work together. And right now, this is a time of historic strategic convergence between the United States, Poland, and our allies and partners across the globe. Every citizen, every scholar, and every scientist plays a role.” 

“There is no future for Ukraine without Ukrainian scientists,” said U.S. National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt. “And there is no future for humanity on this planet without international collaboration.” 

The new grant program is one of several efforts initiated by NAS and its international allies to help support Ukrainian scientists stay connected to science and be prepared to help rebuild their country. Shortly after the war began, NAS and PAS, with along with other science academies and philanthropic partners, teamed up to help provide short-term support to hundreds of Ukrainian researchers who were forced to flee to Poland and neighboring countries. And just over a year ago, NAS, PAS, and other global science academies met in Warsaw to develop a 10-point action plan for Ukrainian science. “Today, we were able to deliver on one of those actions,” McNutt said. “And I couldn't be more pleased to see the quality, the caliber, and the topics of science being addressed.”  

Selected from among 174 applications, the 18 grant recipients are working in astronomy, environmental sciences, mathematics, psychology, materials sciences and engineering, agriculture, biomedical sciences, physics, and chemistry. During the event, several of the selected principal investigators shared overviews of their projects’ plans and goals, which cover a wide range of diverse topics — from evaluating hazards from heavy metal pollution caused by military activities in Ukraine to investigating evidence-based strategies for coping with war-related mental health issues to studying the formation and evolution of the nuclear star cluster in the Milky Way. 

The Ukrainian research teams will conduct their work in scientific units of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The principal investigator will remain in Poland for the duration of the project, while the other members may conduct research both in Poland and in Ukraine. Participation in the grant program assumes that scholars from Ukraine will keep their affiliation with Ukrainian institutions. 

The support comes at a critical time, especially for scientists who are still in Ukraine. Although they face many hardships — from frequent power blackouts to severely damaged infrastructure to lack of access to high-quality instruments and equipment — they are determined to continue with their work, said Anatoly Zagorodny, president of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. “This support helps us to stand our ground — our scientific ground,” said Zagorodny, who described the devastating toll the war is taking on the nation, including scientists who have lost their lives. Even so, he said, “Our people are fantastic.” For example, because of frequent attacks, “sometimes it takes two hours to get to our cities, to open the doors of our institutes. But people do it.” 

“Planning this program, we aimed to consider, among other things, the dual affiliation of all team members and the possibility of conducting research in Ukraine,” said Marek Konarzewski, president of the Polish Academy of Sciences. “I am convinced that the work of these outstanding scientists will contribute to the development and reconstruction of science in Ukraine.”  

“I have every confidence that Ukrainian science is going to emerge healthier and stronger because of the connections that they have made with their neighbors, and with the international community,” said McNutt. “These programs we've already started, they're going to continue. This is going to be a long-term connection of the scientific community internationally with Ukraine.” 

• Supporting Ukraine’s Scientists, Health Care Workers, and Engineers