The Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) announced the winners of the third FOR UKRAINE programme competition for representatives of the social sciences and humanities. The three winning pairs of scientists from Ukraine and Poland will receive support in the amount of PLN 268,800 for each pair for the implementation of their projects.

Initiated by the FNP in March 2022, the FOR UKRAINE programme aims to support scholars from Ukraine through their implementation of joint scientific projects with scholars from Poland on issues of social importance to both countries. In the third competition won the following pairs of scientists:

• Prof. dr hab. Monika Florczak-Wątor (Jagiellonian University in Krakow) and Dr Kristina Trykhlib (Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, Kharkiv), project title: “Rule of Law and Independent Judiciary: Major Challenges for Ukraine and Poland in the Context of European Union Integration.” Ukraine and Poland are currently facing similar challenges regarding the need to conduct immediate and thorough judicial reforms of analogous institutions, including the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the Judiciary Council. The implementation of these reforms and the restoration of the rule of law in the judicial area is a sine qua non for both countries in terms of their belonging to the community of free and democratic members of the European Union. However, significant political reforms must be preceded by thorough scientific discussions. This project aims to initiate such discussions by actively engaging with Ukrainian and Polish scientific communities and also practitioners (particularly judges), representatives of NGOs, policymakers and law students (as representatives of the younger generation). The project will develop a conceptual framework for the establishment of the rule of law and an independent judiciary in Ukraine and Poland and will formulate a set of practical recommendations for the authorities of both countries.
• Prof. dr hab. Joanna Getka (University of Warsaw) and Prof. Halyna Naienko (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv), project title: “”Welcome to Polszcza!” Analysis of the integration of young Poles and Ukrainians after 24/02/2022 for encouraging the adaptation of Ukrainian students in Poland.” Researchers will analyze the effects of cultural interaction between young Ukrainians and their Polish peers as the outcome of the intensification of contacts caused by forced emigration from Ukraine. The diagnosis formulated on the basis of a questionnaire survey on Polish and Ukrainian students will evaluate knowledge about each other now and in the past, assess cultural differences from their perspective, identify the biggest challenges and needs. The results of the project will be applied in trainings for employees of higher education institutions in Poland and Ukraine and presented in a handbook for Ukrainians and Poles on overcoming cultural differences. The project, leading to Polish-Ukrainian dialogue and successful integration is of strategic importance for both Poland and Ukraine as an effective tool for fighting Russian cultural war against Ukraine and Poland.
• Dr hab. Piotr Stanek, prof. ucz. (Krakow University of Economics) and Associate Professor Maksym Obrizan (Kyiv School of Economics), project title: “Determinants of labour-market performance and well-being of high-skilled Ukrainian refugees in Poland.” The aim of the research project is to assess the labor-market performance as well as the general well-being and migration strategies of high-skilled Ukrainian migrants. This group is particularly prone to occupational downgrading, detrimental to their personal well-being and the economic performance of the host economy. Researchers plan to assemble a panel of around 200 high-skilled Ukrainian refugees, who fled their homeland after Russian military aggression on Ukraine. These individuals will be monitored during the period of one year (and possibly beyond). The participants will be offered training (including Polish language and IT skills), which will be staggered in time. Thus, a randomized experiment will allow for causal inference on the effects of the training via a difference in difference method.

“My sincere congratulations to the winners of the FOR UKRAINE programme. The challenges addressed by the projects are extremely important. A great value of the programme is also the development and strengthening of Polish-Ukrainian scientific cooperation. On the one hand, we are aware of the limitations that result from the war in Ukraine, but on the other hand, we express our admiration and appreciation for the involvement of scientists despite these adversities,” says Prof. Maciej Żylicz, President of the FNP. “The great interest of researchers in each of the three competitions makes me all the more strongly invite you to participate in the fundraising for the continuation of the FOR UKRAINE programme. You can support the initiative through the website pomocukrainie.fnp.org.pl,” he adds.

The third competition in the FOR UKRAINE programme, which ran from February to July this year, received 82 applications, 76 of which met the formal conditions and were forwarded for evaluation. Following a two-stage merit evaluation, the international jury selected the three pairs of winners described above. Their scientific projects won funding for 12 months in the amount of PLN 268,800 for each project. The budgets include both salaries and research-related costs.

 

Support Scientists from Ukraine

To continue their scientific work, researchers from Ukraine need support. The Foundation for Polish Science has launched the website https://pomocukrainie.fnp.org.pl/ and is raising funds to hire additional researchers from Ukraine for scientific projects conducted in one of the FNP programmes. The money raised will be used exclusively to engage people from Ukraine in conducting scientific research of significant importance to Ukraine, Poland, and the entire region.

The Polish-Ukrainian programme conducted by the FNP also provides opportunities to create institutional and business partnerships with the Foundation for Polish Science to improve the situation of Ukrainian researchers or their implementation of scientific projects.

Polish-Ukrainian Scientific Projects

The FOR UKRAINE programme was launched in March 2022 by the FNP as a form of support for Ukrainian researchers in the face of war in their country. Moreover, the programme represents an opportunity to develop research of momentous social importance for both Ukraine, Poland, and the region as a whole.

The programme is addressed to scientists and scholars with a doctoral degree, who regardless of their nationality on the date of aggression against Ukraine (February 24, 2022) were working at institutions conducting scientific research in Ukraine (including in temporarily occupied territories) and who together with a scientific partner employed in Poland, will propose a research project in the social sciences or humanities.

In total, the Foundation for Polish Science has awarded 9 grants in 3 calls for proposals.

Information on the timing of the next call for proposals will be announced in 2024.

The geography of Ukrainian applicants turns out to be broad, covering all regions of the country, including those temporarily occupied by Russia. Polish and Ukrainian applicants represent public and private universities, institutions, and non-governmental institutions that conduct large-scale research.