The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine invites professionals to join the team of the Agency for Applied Research. The new institution will help businesses and researchers work together to develop technologies, test prototypes and bring innovations into production. Applications must be submitted by 23 November 2026.

The Agency will serve as a point of interaction between Ukrainian businesses, universities and research institutions. Its role will be to support partners throughout the entire process: from identifying a company's technological challenge and finding a research team to putting research results into practical use and assessing their economic impact.

“A country's technological capacity depends on its ability to develop its own solutions and bring them into production. For Ukraine, this is a matter of economic resilience and the competitiveness of our businesses. Ukrainian researchers must become full-fledged partners of business. That is why we are taking on part of the risks associated with the research stage and creating conditions that make it worthwhile for companies to invest in Ukrainian innovations. The Agency for Applied Research is intended to lay the foundations for long-term partnerships between science and business, enabling our researchers' knowledge to translate into new production facilities and skilled jobs,” said Andrii Butenko, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.

By a Government decision, the Agency has been established as a structural unit of the State Scientific Institution “Ukrainian Institute of Scientific and Technical Expertise and Information” within the framework of a Government pilot project provided for by Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 1075 of 26 August 2026.

The project combines the establishment of a new institution with the first competition for applied research and development commissioned by Ukrainian businesses. It is based on clear technical specifications and co-financing: a company identifies a need and contributes funding, researchers develop a solution, and the state covers part of the research costs.

Behind each request is a specific production challenge. Addressing it requires clearly defined technical specifications, relevant scientific expertise, testing, agreements on intellectual property rights and preparation for implementation. The Agency will provide support at every stage of this process.

What the Agency's team will do

The team's work will cover the entire cycle of cooperation between science and business.

Identifying business needs and preparing technology requests. The team will analyse the technological and production needs of small, medium-sized and large businesses, help prepare technical specifications, and collect and verify requests. Based on these needs, the Agency will develop proposals for priority areas of the competition.

Finding partners and supporting researchers. The team will facilitate communication between businesses, universities and research institutions, help identify partners and prepare joint applications. Potential participants will be able to receive organisational, methodological and advisory support on the competition requirements and application procedures.

Supporting research and validating results. The Agency will support the implementation of joint applied research and research and development projects, and take part in testing prototypes and experimental models. This will help assess their compliance with customers' technical specifications and determine their potential for practical application and commercialisation.

Intellectual property and market entry. The team will provide methodological guidance on the allocation of intellectual property rights, the conclusion of licence agreements and technology transfer agreements. It will also develop and implement strategies for commercialising research results.

Supporting innovation infrastructure. The Agency will facilitate the work of technology transfer and innovation development units at universities and research institutions and coordinate their activities. Another area of responsibility will be the implementation, administration and development of an information and communication platform for interaction between science and business.

Assessing implementation and economic impact. The team will monitor how research results are used in production processes and in the activities of businesses and other legal entities, assess the effectiveness of their implementation and analyse the resulting economic impact. The Agency will also undertake other activities aimed at developing partnerships between science and the real economy, commercialising research and facilitating technology transfer.

Who we are looking for

Applications are now open for the following positions. Detailed information is available via the links in each job title:

• Head of the Agency for Applied Research.
• Deputy Head of the Agency for Applied Research.
• Senior Research Fellow (specialist in the economics of technology transfer).
• Research Fellow (intellectual property specialist).
• Junior Research Fellow (technology transfer specialist).
• Lead Engineer (digital infrastructure specialist).

The positions are full-time and office-based in Kyiv. Official employment and all guarantees предусмотрed by Ukrainian legislation will be provided.

How to apply

Please send your CV to innovations@mon.gov.ua by 23 November 2026. Make sure to specify the exact job title you are applying for in the subject line of your email.

This is an opportunity to help establish a new mechanism for cooperation between science and business — enabling researchers to find partners for their expertise and businesses to access the technologies they need to develop their production capabilities.

Background

On 22 October 2026, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine announced the first competition for applied research and development commissioned by Ukrainian businesses.

The competition has a total state funding allocation of UAH 82.7 million. The state may cover up to 65% of project costs for partnerships with small businesses, up to 60% for medium-sized businesses and up to 50% for large businesses. The remaining costs are covered by the participating company.

State universities and research institutions that have undergone state attestation may propose solutions in response to published business technical specifications or submit joint applications with companies. Projects may run for a maximum of 18 months. The deadline for submitting competition applications is 20 November 2026, at 17:00 (Kyiv time).

The preparation and launch of the competition were made possible, in particular, through expert and analytical support provided under the joint project of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the World Bank, Ukraine Improving Higher Education for Results Project (UIHERP).