Fourth Anniversary of the War in Ukraine: RCL Continues Support for Ukrainian Researchers and Joint Projects
Today, on 24 February, we mark the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine. Since the very beginning of the war, the Research Council of Lithuania (RCL) has consistently supported Ukrainian researchers, research institutions, and international cooperation. In 2025, support is being continued through three programmes – ranging from the employment of researchers at Lithuanian institutions to the funding of joint research projects. In total, more than EUR 1.9 million has been allocated in 2025 to support Ukrainian researchers.
41 Researchers from Ukraine Employed
RCL provides funding to Lithuanian higher education and research institutions employing researchers from Ukraine. In 2025, under this measure, 41 Ukrainian researchers were employed at Lithuanian institutions, with more than EUR 861 thousand allocated to compensate their salaries. The average amount of support per researcher was nearly EUR 21 thousand.
In 2025, the largest numbers of Ukrainian researchers were employed at Vytautas Magnus University (8) and Klaipėda University (7). Vilnius University and the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences each employed 6 researchers, while Mykolas Romeris University employed 4. Over the period 2022–2025, a total of 243 applications for the employment of Ukrainian researchers at Lithuanian universities, research centres, and institutes have been funded under this measure.
More information about the programme is available here.
Lithuania–Ukraine Bilateral Cooperation Programme
In 2025, a call for proposals was launched under the Lithuania–Ukraine Bilateral Cooperation Programme to fund projects for 2026–2027. A total of 78 proposals that passed the administrative eligibility check were submitted to the call, and 15 joint projects by Lithuanian and Ukrainian researchers were selected for funding, with a combined budget of EUR 1.5 million.
At the same time, in 2025 the programme continued funding ongoing projects – EUR 746 thousand was allocated to 15 projects currently under implementation. During the period 2022–2026, a total of 42 projects have been funded under the Lithuania–Ukraine Programme (27 completed and 15 ongoing).
The programme provides opportunities for Lithuanian and Ukrainian researchers to carry out joint research, strengthens bilateral cooperation, and ensures long-term academic ties between research institutions in both countries.
More information about the programme is available here.
US–Ukraine–Baltic States and Poland Initiative IMPRESS-U
In 2025, one new project funding agreement was signed, with EUR 100 thousand allocated; the project started in November 2025. In total, nearly EUR 350 thousand was allocated in 2025 for the implementation of all eight projects under this programme.
The programme aims to strengthen the resilience of Ukraine’s science and education system, promote advanced research and innovation in science and engineering, and integrate Ukrainian researchers into the international research community.
More information about the programme is available here.
The full call plan is available here.