On June 7, Khmelnytskyi University of Management and Law named after Leonid Yuzkov hosted a training and information event for representatives of higher education institutions, research institutions, small and medium-sized businesses, NGOs and anyone interested in opportunities from the National Research Foundation of Ukraine and the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation “Horizon Europe”. The NRFU specialists, including the staff of the Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine, introduced the audience to the Foundation's grant opportunities and support instruments under the Horizon Europe Program. The event was joined by Liudmyla Remishevska, Head of the International Relations Office of Khmelnytskyi National University, and Anastasiia Zarzhytska, IRO.
The event started with speech of Oleh Omelchuk, Rector of the Leonid Yuzkov Khmelnytskyi University of Management and Law. He welcomed the participants and spoke about the university's participation in EU grant programs. Volodymyr Honcharuk, First Deputy Chairman of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Council, and Andrii Voitseshchuk, Director of the Department of Specialized Training and Dog Training of the State Customs Service of Ukraine, also delivered welcoming remarks. The speakers emphasized the importance of Ukraine's integration into the global research space, especially in a time of great difficulty for the country.
The welcome panel was concluded by Ihor Taranov, Head of the Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine at the NRFU, who greeted the participants on behalf of the leadership of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine. He emphasized the synergy between local authorities, educational institutions and research institutions, which strengthens and promotes the development and improvement of domestic science, research and innovation. He also wished everyone to create successful applications for participation in the Horizon Europe Framework Program, as it opens up great opportunities for participants. In addition, the Head of the Office began the first working part of the event with a presentation of the Funding and Tenders Portal platform. Ihor Taranov gave a general overview of the Funding and Tenders Portal, highlighting certain aspects of project proposal preparation.
The chief specialists of the “Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine” of the NRFU presented opportunities for Ukrainian researchers in the context of specific program components. In particular, Yulia Reminska, who is responsible for this area of the Program, spoke about the peculiarities of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). Maksym Kolisnyk presented the grant opportunities of the Horizon Europe Program for Ukrainian business to the participants of the event. In addition, the financial issues of participation in the Horizon Europe Program, which are most often raised by potential applicants during consultations or in their requests, were presented in detail by Nadiya Naumova
The second part of the event was practical. Thus, Natalia Didenko, Deputy Head of the Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine, NRFU, gave a practical tour of the Funding and Tenders Portal, showing step-by-step how to use the platform. Nadiia Naumova and Maksym Kolisnyk conducted a master class on analyzing a particular call for proposals to show how to start and what to consider when preparing a project application for participation in the Program's competitions to make it successful.
The event was summarized by Tetiana Berehova, Head of the NRFU's Grant Support Department, Andrii Matkivskyi, Head of the NRFU's Grant Projects Control Department, and Roman Palii, Head of the NRFU's Legal Support Department, who spoke about the opportunities offered by the National Research Foundation of Ukraine for domestic scientists and researchers. In particular, they presented the general aspects of organizing and conducting NRFU competitions, providing organizational and technical support for grant support for competition projects and monitoring their implementation, and the legal aspects of receiving grant support from the fund.
The question-and-answer session was very intense, as both universities participate in the projects of the Horizon Europe Program. Those present in the hall and the audience who joined online asked many questions and received comprehensive answers from the experts. Finally, networking on practical issues of grant management took place
We are sincerely grateful to the team of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine and the staff of the Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine for the dialogue and practical skills acquired.
