Around a hundred scientists from Ukraine will now be able to work on projects and at universities and research institutes in Switzerland. In total, the SNSF has made 9 million francs available for them.
As soon as the war in Ukraine started in February, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) decided to support researchers from Ukraine, making a total of 9 million Swiss francs available for this purpose from its regular budget. The vast majority of scientists hosted in Switzerland are women.
In total, about 60 people are being hosted at around 20 Swiss institutions thanks to a collaboration with Scholars at Risk Switzerland, and will be able to continue their academic work for one year. The positions will cost 6 million Swiss francs. Another 3 million francs was spent primarily on supporting around 40 researchers from Ukraine in projects already funded by the SNSF.
High demand exhausted the dedicated budget within a few weeks. However, it remains possible to employ researchers from Ukraine in SNSF projects under the already approved grants. The SNSF has initiated discussions with the research institutions and the federal government. The goal is to tackle the current emergency and to allow scientists to continue their work in the coming months or even make preparations for rebuilding the science sector in Ukraine after the war. The SNSF is also in contact with its Ukrainian counterpart, the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, to clarify needs and possible solutions.
The SNSF continues to condemn Russia’s aggression in Ukraine in the strongest terms. The war is having a devastating impact on both people and infrastructure in the country. This blatant aggression is also an attack on freedom, democracy and self-determination, the very values upon which scientific independence and cooperation among researchers are founded.