President’s Fund of Ukraine funds visits of foreign professors to Ukrainian universities: up to UAH 300,000 per visit, apply by 31 March 2027

The President of Ukraine’s Fund for the Support of Education, Science and Sports has announced a call for applications under the Academic Visits of Foreign Professors and Researchers initiative. The programme is supported financially by the British Council and the Activitis Education platform. It aims to foster internationalisation, enhance STEM education, and build sustainable academic partnerships between Ukrainian institutions and global academic centers.

The grant provides financial coverage of up to UAH 300,000 per academic visit. The funds are designated to cover the visiting scholar’s fee, medical insurance, travel, accommodation, and the processing of a Ukrainian work permit. If the total expenses exceed the grant ceiling, the hosting institution must cover the difference through co-financing.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from 16 October 2026 until 31 March 2027, or until the allocated budget for the corresponding lot is exhausted. The actual visits must take place between 1 December 2026 and 30 June 2027.

What is funded

The grant covers the direct operational costs associated with hosting a foreign academic in Ukraine, capped at UAH 300,000 per visit. Eligible budget lines include the honorarium or salary of the researcher, comprehensive health insurance valid for their stay in Ukraine, round-trip travel tickets, accommodation expenses, and statutory work permit registration fees.

The funding supports teaching and research engagements according to an agreed plan submitted by the host institution. This includes delivering university lectures, leading seminars, providing academic consultations, organizing open public events, and conducting joint research.

The initiative is organized into two distinct lots. Lot 1 represents the second cycle of the UK-UA Visiting Professors Programme, dedicated specifically to visits by academics from UK higher education and research institutions. Lot 2 covers international academic visits from global institutions worldwide, excluding the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants are Ukrainian higher education institutions (universities, academies, institutes) of any ownership form holding an active educational license, as well as Ukrainian scientific and research institutions. Applications must be officially submitted by the head of the institution on its behalf.

Each institution is strictly limited to submitting only one application within this competitive call. Applications and all accompanying documentation must be prepared and submitted electronically in the Ukrainian language.

Conditions and requirements

The invited scholar must have teaching or research experience at a higher education institution ranked within the top 250 of the QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education (THE), or Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) over the last 10 years, or represent a globally leading research institution. For Lot 1, the academic must come from a top-250 UK university or a leading UK research organization. Institutions cannot invite academics who have engaged in activities in the Russian Federation or temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine since 2014.

The activity must align with the strategic areas of the Fund, with an emphasis on STEM fields, healthcare, biotechnology, strategic and digital technologies, artificial intelligence, energy, green recovery, agrotechnology, high-tech manufacturing, innovative economics, or social sciences and humanities. A physical in-person visit to the hosting institution in Ukraine is mandatory, although activities may follow an offline or blended format. For Lot 1, activities are limited strictly to Ukrainian regions assessed as safe to visit by the UK Government at the time of application.

Practical tip. Secure co-financing commitments before submitting your documentation, as the call rules clearly state that institutional co-funding offers a competitive advantage during the evaluation process. Additionally, because submissions are reviewed weekly on a first-come, first-served basis until funds run out, submitting your budget and visiting scholar confirmation early significantly increases your chances of securing an award.

Selection process and reporting

The selection process operates continuously as applications are received. An expert commission convenes at least once a week starting in November 2026 to review packages and decide whether an application is recommended for funding or rejected. Grants are distributed in chronological order of submission until the respective lot budget is depleted.

Once approved, the Fund signs an official grant agreement with the host institution, incorporating the application, approved cost estimate, and reporting formats. Following the completion of the planned visit, the host institution is required to submit comprehensive substantive and financial reports to account for the allocated funds.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: presidentfund.gov.ua.