EMBRC-ERIC expresses its uncompromising solidarity with the people of Ukraine and condemns the Russian state’s aggression towards Ukraine.
We stand behind the European Commission’s decision to cease collaboration with Russia and Belarus, and support the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI)’s call upon Research Infrastructures and their funders to:
- ‘aid the Ukrainian research community where possible,
- suspend until further notice any ongoing and planned engagement with entities located in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus’. (source)
We are pleased to see bottom-up initiatives emerging in our national nodes/operators to support and welcome Ukrainian scientists (eg ScienceforUkraine, see more below). These initiatives show the solidarity of the European research community towards Ukrainian scientists.
As cooperation with institutions from the Russian Federation and Belarus is suspended, EMBRC would also like to express its concerns about Russian scientists around the world and support those who are voicing protest (see ‘An open letter from Russian scientists and science journalists against the war with Ukraine’).
The current statement is complementary to those of individual European research infrastructures and/or European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs) as well as that of the ERIC Forum.
Initiatives in EMBRC member States:
- In France, the PAUSE programme is open to scientists in exile (see here) + the Sorbonne University (EMBRC HQ host and one of two node operators) is offering Ukrainian researchers various forms of support (see here).
- In Norway, dedicated information pages have been created listing support channels for Ukrainian students (see here)
- In Portugal, research institutions and universities have opened positions specifically for Ukrainian scientists, which are available in the #ScienceForUkraine platform (this includes participants in the EMBRC Portugal node)
- In Spain, at PiE-UPV/EHU, the four Ukrainian lecturers have been offered support
- In Italy, the operator (Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn in Naples) has stopped any collaboration with Russian laboratories or colleagues. Ongoing projects there will be maintained temporarily using the funds already available but any prolongation or fund addition will not be admitted. Also in Italy, the Minister of University and Research, Maria Cristina Messa, activated a loan dedicated to the support of Ukrainian students, researchers and teachers displaced in Italy. SZN has committed to doing its part and has already welcomed 5 Ukrainian students / doctoral students and 3 Ukrainian researchers / teachers with scholarships funded by the institution to carry out activities at its facilities.
- Sweden: there is now a specific fund for Ukrainian researchers who leave Ukraine and come to Sweden in 2022 (see here); in addition, the Swedish Royal Academy has now published a call specifically for Ukrainian researchers (see here).
- UK: Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS) has issued a statement on Ukraine and has committed to bringing Ukrainian PhD students and other staff members to the institution
