Pursuant to the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated January 26, 2026 No. 81/2026, the National Research Foundation of Ukraine announces the annual competitive selection of research and development projects for awarding Presidential Grants of Ukraine to young scientists.

Title of the Calls

• Call for Presidential Grants of Ukraine to support research and development projects of young Doctors of Sciences (up to and including 40 years old).
  
• Call for Presidential Grants of Ukraine to support research and development projects of young doctoral candidates (up to and including 35 years old).
  
• Call for Presidential Grants of Ukraine to support research and development projects of young Doctors of Philosophy / Candidates of Sciences (up to and including 35 years old).
  

Purpose of the Calls

The purpose of the Calls is to select projects for grant support aimed at carrying out research and development activities, addressing pressing challenges faced by young scientists, ensuring their active participation in the implementation of state policy in the field of scientific and scientific-technical activities, and preserving and developing intellectual potential.

Objective of the Calls

The objective of the Calls is to stimulate relevant and significant research and development activities of young scientists in priority areas of science and technology development in Ukraine.

Grants may be awarded both for planned research and development projects and for projects that are already underway.

Thematic Areas

Project topics must correspond to one of the priority areas of science and technology development (in accordance with Article 3 of the Law of Ukraine “On Priority Areas of Science and Technology Development”):

1. National security and defense;
   
2. Fundamental research on the most important issues of scientific and technological, socio-economic, socio-political, and human development to ensure Ukraine’s global competitiveness and sustainable development of society and the state;
   
3. Information and communication technologies;
   
4. Energy and energy efficiency;
   
5. Rational use of natural resources;
   
6. Life sciences, new technologies for the prevention and treatment of the most widespread diseases;
   
7. New substances and materials.
   

Grant Awarding

Grants are awarded based on the results of a competitive selection of research and development projects, taking into account their relevance to the needs of the national economy, society, and national security and defense. This includes obtaining new scientific results at the international level, developing new technologies, and promoting innovation in the real sector of the economy and the defense sector.

Application Timeline

• Start of application submission: January 31, 2026, 00:01 (Kyiv time)
  
• Deadline for application submission: March 1, 2026, 23:59 (Kyiv time)
  
• Scientific and scientific-technical expertise and announcement of results: by July 15, 2026 (tentative)
  

Acknowledgements

On behalf of the entire scientific community, the National Research Foundation of Ukraine expresses its sincere gratitude to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Office of the President of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine for their comprehensive support of the joint initiative of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the National Research Foundation of Ukraine to update the procedures and conditions for awarding the annual Presidential Grants of Ukraine to young scientists and Doctors of Sciences.

In developing the relevant proposals, the Scientific Council of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine proceeded from the need to align the amounts of grant support with current socio-economic conditions. It was taken into account that since 2002 the financial parameters of the annual Presidential Grants of Ukraine had remained unchanged, which limited their motivational and stimulating potential.

Grant Amounts

In accordance with the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated January 26, 2026 No. 81/2026, the following new grant amounts are предусмотрені:

• Doctors of Sciences (up to and including 40 years old): 7 grants of UAH 500,000 each;
  
• Doctoral candidates (up to and including 35 years old): 20 grants of UAH 400,000 each;
  
• Doctors of Philosophy / Candidates of Sciences (up to and including 35 years old): 50 grants of UAH 300,000 each.
  

These decisions are aimed at restoring the effectiveness of this instrument of state support for science, creating appropriate conditions to enhance the competitiveness of national research, and preserving and developing Ukraine’s scientific potential, particularly among young scientists.