How NWO helps colleagues and researchers from Ukraine and Russia
In February, all scientific institutions in the Netherlands denounced the acts of war against Ukraine.
At that moment, and in the subsequent weeks, several sanctions and relief measures were announced as well. It has taken a while for all of the activities to take shape. Although the situation with respect to the war in Ukraine remains dynamic, we can now provide more insight into how NWO can help affected colleagues from Ukraine and Russia. Measures are also being prepared for researchers who have fled. We are working with many organisations from the scientific world for that project.
Measures for colleagues from NWO
In recent weeks, we have itemised the problems our colleagues from Ukraine and Russia are experiencing due to the outbreak of the war.
On 8 March 2022, the NWO Executive Board released 1 million euros for emergency relief, including assistance for these colleagues. It seems that in the short term, this money is not immediately necessary for financial help to the roughly 30 colleagues who have a Ukrainian or Russian background. At present, their problems mainly concern personal suffering, such as worries about family, friends, colleagues and the home country, and a loss of concentration. In the slightly longer term, problems are foreseen with respect to things such as contracts, visas and support in the case of evacuation, and financial transactions.
Initiatives for colleagues outside of NWO
In a joint statement on 4 March 2022, Dutch academic knowledge institutions announced measures in response to the acts of war. In the following weeks, at the initiative of the Young Academy of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, further thought was given to measures to supplement the sanctions, aimed at helping researchers who have fled.An announcement about what this aid package will look like is expected on 14 April.
NWO is also involved in this initiative and, where possible, will provide a (temporary) landing place in the Dutch academic world so that researchers who have fled can continue their research. If it is possible to help these researchers via NWO, NWO-I or NWO-D, then the 1 million euros for emergency relief made available by NWO can also be used for that.
Furthermore, within NWO-D and at the Institutes, several spontaneous initiatives to provide help have already arisen, such as the collection of goods at NWO Domain SSH and the sponsoring of a second-hand ambulance by colleagues from ASTRON and JIVE-ERIC for their colleagues from the research collaboration in Ukraine. NWO very much appreciates such spontaneous efforts. We have also received an occasional request for help to fund relief efforts initiated by employees. In principle, it is possible to request a co-funding contribution for this (on a fifty-fifty basis) up to a maximum of 50,000 euros for all initiatives together.