The President of Ukraine has signed the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine ‘On Scientific and Scientific-Technical Activity’ regarding Research Infrastructure and Support for Young Scientists” (No. 10218).

The law was developed by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in cooperation with the working groups of the National Council of Ukraine for the Development of Science and Technology. The document aims to update the rules governing the functioning of research infrastructure, support young scientists, and align Ukrainian legislation with European Union approaches.

“We are consistently implementing a modern model for organizing science. We are introducing clear rules for the operation of research infrastructure, expanding support for young scientists, and opening access to research data. This will improve the quality of research and strengthen Ukraine’s position in the European Research Area,” emphasized the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Oksen Lisovyi.

During the preparation of the document, proposals from the scientific community, universities, academies, councils of young scientists, as well as recommendations from the European Commission within the framework of negotiations under Chapter 25 “Science and Research,” were taken into account.

The document introduces a number of systemic changes.

For the first time, key concepts are defined at the legislative level, including: “open science,” “open access,” “optimized research data (FAIR data),” “National Electronic Scientific Information System,” “postdoctoral researcher,” and “FAIR principles.” The definition of “research infrastructure” has also been improved.

A comprehensive framework for the functioning of research infrastructure is introduced, defining the specifics of local, distributed, and virtual (digital) infrastructures.

A separate block of changes concerns the development of human potential in science. The law introduces competitive selection mechanisms for postdoctoral researchers, expands grant support opportunities provided by the National Research Foundation of Ukraine for training programs at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels, as well as internships and residencies, and clarifies the role and powers of councils of young scientists.

The law also defines a new role for the principal investigator of a scientific (scientific-technical) project and their responsibilities in implementing research.

It expands researchers’ access to research infrastructure and scientific data, while strengthening requirements for the quality and reliability of research results.

Approaches to forming state orders for scientific and technical developments have been updated, and the objectives of state policy in the field of science have been expanded through the introduction of open science principles.

The next stage involves the practical implementation of the law’s provisions and the launch of the envisaged instruments to support research and researchers.

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