Grant/Contract Program

Scientists and Engineers in Exile or Displaced (SEED) program

Through thought leadership and tailored programs, the Scientists and Engineers in Exile or Displaced (SEED) program provides comprehensive support that addresses the unique challenges faced by displaced and exiled scientists and engineers.

SEED leverages global networks and resources of the U.S. scientific community to provide independent, trustworthy advice and leadership to help scientists and engineers in exile. The program’s critical work operationalizes support for scientists and engineers displaced by crises to remain connected to their profession and contribute to global scientific advancement with their diverse perspectives and expertise.

Not accepting applications

About Review process Resources

Key dates

We are no longer accepting applications at this time.

February - March 2023: Assessment and Review of Applications
April 2023: Interviews with Candidate PIs
May 2023: Funding Decisions Announced

Award details

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) through its Scientists and Engineers in Exile or Displaced (SEED) program1 is collaborating with the Polish Academy of Sciences2 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.

Funding Offered:

The maximum funding limit for a project under this program 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 projects can be funded for up to three (3) years, provided that annual progress reports are accepted by PAS and NAS.

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.

1 The NAS SEED Ukraine program has been generously supported by: Alfred Sloan Foundation, American Chemical Society, American Physical Society, Carnegie Corporation of New York, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, James S. McDonnell Foundation, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Research Corporation for Science Advancement, Shanahan Family Foundation, Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation, Simons Foundation, The Breakthrough Prize Foundation, Walder Foundation

2 The PAS’ activities supporting Ukrainian scholars have been generously supported by: Elsevier, the National Cheng Kung University Foundation (NCKU), The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, Professor Kristof Coussement, International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA), International Union of Crystallography (IUCr), International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) and ON BOARD Public Relations Sp. z o.o.

Application

The grant program is open to competitive Ukrainian scientists, researchers and engineers who intend to strengthen and rebuild Ukrainian science.

Minimum requirements for the PI:
- 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 or scientific units of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) as of 24 February 2022
- fluency in English
Applicants are requested to submit:
- 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
Please access relevant application materials directly from the PAS website.

The completed application package, duly signed by the director of the PAS unit, must be sent to seed@nas.edu 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 additional questions please contact: ukraina@pan.pl.

Selection process

(i) The PI candidate fills in the application form (Appendix 1) 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 us at ukraina@pan.pl.

(ii) 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.

(iii) 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

Research teams must be led by a Principal Investigator (PI). If the PI is not based in Poland at the time of application, they must be willing to relocate to Poland for the duration of the project. Other research team members may include undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate, research scientists, assistant researchers, research administrators, and similar profiles. All research team members must have a meaningful function, be justified and accounted for in the proposal. Research team members could be based in Ukraine, Poland, or elsewhere.

Research Disciplines

The program 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

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Scientists and Engineers in Exile or Displaced (SEED) program

Key dates

Award details

Application

Application Process

Eligibility

How to apply

Selection process

Selection criteria