#ScienceForUkraine Micro Travel Grant Programme
#ScienceForUkraine steps in when we see that something crucial is lacking in support available for Ukrainian scientists. Currently, as much as possible, it is essential to strengthen the presence of Ukrainian scientists in the international scientific arena.
To enhance the opportunities for Ukrainian scientists to participate in academic trips abroad, in 2024 we are launching launch the #ScienceForUkraine Micro Travel Grant Programme. This program will provide up to 500 euros per grant, helping to cover travel, accommodation, and participation fees for scientists affiliated with Ukrainian universities. Would you also like to support Ukrainian scholars in fostering their international collaboration? Contribute to our fundraising campaign via bank transfer! Every contribution to this program is highly needed and appreciated!
Micro Travel Grant Call (MTG)
MTGs are intended to support eligible Ukrainian scientists in participating in international conferences, covering costs up to EUR 500.
➡️ Application Form for #ScienceForUkraine Micro Travel Grants
Awardees of MTG2024
▪️ March 2024: Svitlana Gryn, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
▪️ April 2024: Iuliia Gernego, Kyiv National Economics University
▪️ May 2024: Pavlo Yeremieiev, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
▪️ June 2024: Mariia Lobanova, Odesa Archaeological Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
▪️ July 2024: Mariia Voitovych, I. Krypiakevych Institute of Ukrainian Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
▪️ August 2024: Dmytro Kosovan, National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery named after M.M. Amosov National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
▪️ September 2024: Tetiana Harashchenko, Lukyanova Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
▪️ October 2024: –
▪️ November 2024: Nataliia Letunovska, Sumy State University
▪️ December 2024: to be announced soon
Rules and Procedures
➡️ Read in PDF
Content:
- Goals and scope of Micro Travel Grants (MTG)
- Eligibility of applicants and applications
- From application to reimbursement
▪️ Summary of steps
▪️ How to apply
▪️ Validation, selection, and confirmation of applications
▪️ Participation in events/activities – Acknowledgment requirement
▪️ Reimbursement procedures and rules
▪️ What happens if applicants cannot use the awarded MTG? - Frequently asked questions
1. Goals and scope of MTGs
The Micro Travel Grants of Science For Ukraine intend to foster the integration of eligible Ukrainian scientists into the international/Western science system through on-site or online participation in conferences. The grants cover eligible costs up to EUR 500.
2. Eligibility of applicants and applications
To be entitled to apply and get an MTG, applicants must:
▪️ Be actively involved in research;
▪️ Be affiliated with an eligible Ukrainian organization (Ukrainian universities, research institutes at the NAS of Ukraine, scientific archives, museums, and libraries) in the form of a paid or an unpaid appointment;
▪️ Be the first author of a research work that has been invited for presentation at an international conference, symposium, or workshop in the form of an oral presentation or a poster;
▪️ Use the MTGs for their own benefit and not for someone else’s (e.g., teammates, students, etc.);
▪️ Apply for activities having a clear relevance for the career development of applicants;
▪️ Apply for activities taking place at least 30 days between the planned activity and the submission deadline of the MTG call;
▪️ Have a bank account in a country that is not affected by restrictive measures imposed by the European Union affecting the transfer of money;
▪️ Be able to initially cover the intended event's costs from personal resources and then submit these costs for reimbursement.
Furthermore, there are four additional rules:
▪️ People holding paid academic positions outside of Ukraine are not eligible.
▪️ Current MSCA or MSCA4Ukraine fellows having an MSCA with a specific budget line for events and meetings are only eligible in exceptional cases, for which a reasonable justification needs to be provided.
▪️ A person can only be awarded one MTG within a period of twelve months, counting from the date of submission of the first application for a subsequently approved MTG.
▪️ Grants cannot be attributed retrospectively, and therefore applicants cannot apply for an MTG to attend an event that already took place.
Not covered by MTGs are:
▪️ research/teaching visits
▪️ events or meetings organized by the applicant’s employer (or potential employer);
▪️ meetings organized by the project or consortiums the applicant works for (or intends to work for);
▪️ events funded by the European Commission;
▪️ events already providing dedicated travel grants for researchers from Ukraine.
3. From application to reimbursement
➡️ Summary of steps:
| Application Timeline | Schedule |
|---|---|
| Submission of MTG applications | At least 30 days between the planned activity and the submission deadline of the MTG call. |
| Validation and evaluation of applications | Will take place during the first 3 weeks of each month. Only applications received until the last day of the precedent month are evaluated each month. |
| Communication of results to applicants | Applicants are informed by email about the results of their applications by the end of the month that follows the application. |
| Awardees’ confirmation of the acceptance of MTGs | Awardees must confirm the acceptance of the MTG within 14 days. |
| Earmarking of funds and publication of results | Only upon reception of the awardee’s confirmation, the amount of the MTG is earmarked. The list of awardees and the events attended may be made public on the Science for Ukraine website and its annual reports. |
➡️ How to apply:
To apply for receiving an MTG, interested applicants must:
▪️ Fill up the online application form;
▪️ Submit the application applying for activities taking place at least 30 days between the planned activity and the submission deadline of the MTG call.
Important note: The application per se does not give applicants the right to receive any or part of the funds requested. Applicants who depend on the financial support of the MTG to attend an event/activity are strongly advised not to make any expenditures related to that event/activity before being informed of the results of their applications. Science for Ukraine is not responsible for (and hence will not reimburse for) any expenses incurred by applicants before the joint concurrence of the following:
(a) the evaluation process has been finalized,
(b) Science for Ukraine has communicated the results to applicants, and
(c) the awarded applicants have confirmed the acceptance of the MTGs. Likewise, Science for Ukraine will not reimburse members for any travel, accommodation, or fees costs incurred if the event/activity is not attended (whatever the reasons).
➡️ Validation, selection, and confirmation of applications:
We commit to validate and evaluate applications within 3 weeks.
For each round of MTGs, Science for Ukraine will define the number of applications that can be awarded based on the budget available for MTGs.
The validation and evaluation of applications comprise 3 steps, all taking place during the first 3 weeks of the month that follows the month when the application was submitted:
▪️ Verification of eligibility of applicants and applications;
▪️ Evaluation of applications;
▪️ Validation by the Award Committee of Science for Ukraine MTGs.
Applicants will be then informed of the results of their applications.
Applicants who were awarded with an MTG will have to confirm within the following 14 days that they accept the MTG and the amount awarded. If no confirmation is received by day 10, Science for Ukraine will send a reminder for an urgent confirmation. If the applicant still does not reply, the application will be cancelled, and the funds will be allocated to another applicant. The applicants will be contacted at the main email provided in the application form.
➡️ Participation in events/activities – Acknowledgment requirement:
Awardees of an MTG must acknowledge the support of Science for Ukraine in their communication activities related to the event (e.g., presentations, social media, etc.).
For presentations, members must use the formula “With the support of #ScienceForUkraine, through the Micro Travel Grants Call 2024.” For social media, please use the #ScienceForUkraine hashtag and tag @Sci_for_Ukraine (Twitter/X).
➡️ Reimbursement procedures and rules:
In order to be reimbursed for the expenses covered by the MTG, members must:
▪️ Fill up the reimbursement form (link will be provided to awardees);
▪️ Provide all supporting documents (see details in the table below).
Payments of expenses will be made by Science for Ukraine within 20 to 30 days from the date of reception of all documents required, and bank details. Proof of payment will be sent by e-mail to the Awardee as soon as it is made.
➡️ Eligible costs:
| Category | Supporting documents to submit |
|---|---|
| Travel costs (when applicable) | Booking confirmation / Invoice (the price must be indicated) (not required when the travel date AND the price are indicated in the travel tickets) |
| Accommodation (when applicable) | Accommodation invoice (hotel, Airbnb, etc.) |
| Registration fees for online events (when applicable) | Registration invoice or formal confirmation of payment |
➡️ Mandatory documents:
| Category | Supporting documents to submit |
|---|---|
| Confirmation of affiliation with a Ukrainian institution (for the initial application) | An official confirmation of your current position at the Ukrainian university/institute (department, position, work experience, stamp, signature). |
| Participation in event/activity (after the event) | ▪️ Certification or institutional declaration of attendance at the event (*) ▪️ A news item, not more than 500 words, and two pictures, describing the event attended and how it contributed to the grantee’s career development. The text and pictures might later be published at Science for Ukraine website and/or social media. |
(*) Self-declarations will not be accepted. Members must submit a declaration from the organizers of the event/activity.
The following reimbursement rules apply:
▪️ Reimbursement can only be paid after the end of the activity/event for which fellows got the MTG, and after verifying that they attended the activity/event. An attendance certificate needs to be provided to process the reimbursement. Fellows must submit the reimbursement form (including scanned copies of all supporting documents) up to 30 days following the end of the activity/event for which they got the MTG.
▪️ Fellows are not required to submit the original (paper) receipts/invoices by the time they submit the reimbursement form. However, fellows are obliged to keep them for a period of at least one (1) year, as Science for Ukraine may, at any occasion, ask for them for auditing purposes. If the member does not wish to keep the originals for such a period of time, they can send them to Science for Ukraine (address will be provided upon request).
▪️ The reimbursement will be calculated based on real costs, that is the sum of all eligible receipts/documents presented at the time of the reimbursement submission, and taking into consideration the maximum amount established for the MTG and agreed by the fellow. Expenses for which fellows have not submitted a supporting document, will not be reimbursed.
▪️ Fellows will not be reimbursed for any cost in the case they have not attended the event/activity for which they got the MTG, whatever the reason is, including reasons which are beyond the control of the member (such as a visa denial or event cancellation).
▪️ As fellows are not legal employees of Science for Ukraine, the organization will not pay any form of remuneration to fellows and provides no insurance cover for accidents that might happen while the fellow is traveling to and from an event. For these reasons, fellows are advised to ensure that they have adequate insurance (e.g., personal insurance, travel insurance, cover by their current employer, cover through credit card purchase of tickets, etc.) that would cover any delays, cancellations, or accidents.
▪️ Any banking fees charged for money transfers, or for currency exchanges, or for any other similar reason, shall be deducted from the sum to be paid to the fellow who receives the MTG. Science for Ukraine will not check the validity of bank details for countries outside of the EU; thus, any bank fees resulting from failed transactions will be charged to the member.
➡️ What happens if applicants cannot use the MTG awarded?
Science for Ukraine has a limited budget for MTGs, which means that only part of the applicants can benefit from this financial support. When Science for Ukraine awards an MTG, the amount of the MTG is earmarked and is part of the accounting and of the planning of future cycles of MTGs.
Hence, fellows who were awarded an MTG but for some reason cannot use it, must inform Science for Ukraine about the situation ASAP before the date of the event/activity for which they got the MTG, so that Science for Ukraine can free those funds and allocate the money to other applicants.
Awardees who fail to timely inform Science for Ukraine about the impossibility of using the MTG will no longer be allowed to apply for MTGs in the future.
In case of any questions, please address them to Science for Ukraine via the following email info@scienceforukraine.eu.
4. Frequently asked questions
1. Can an MTG be used to reimburse a registration fee for an offline event?
No, only travel costs are eligible for reimbursement for offline (in-person) events.