Project Submission System Open for the 2027 Competitive Selection of Research and Development Projects Funded by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MESU) has launched the competitive selection of projects for fundamental research, applied research, and experimental scientific and technical development to be funded from the State Budget starting in 2027.

Project proposals must be submitted through the National Electronic Scientific Information System (NESIS). The first stage of the competition runs from 16 June to 6 August 2026, with the submission deadline set for 6 August 2026 at 13:00 (Kyiv time).

This competition is one of the key instruments supporting Ukraine's transition to a new model of research funding, in which public financial support is allocated to projects demonstrating scientific excellence, clearly defined outcomes, and the proven capacity of research teams to successfully implement them.

"Competitive funding should support not formal activity, but strong research teams and projects capable of delivering tangible results for science, the state, the economy, and society. It is important that funding is awarded to institutions that have demonstrated their capacity through the national state attestation process, while ensuring that the competition remains transparent, understandable, and quality-oriented," said Denys Kurbatov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.

Eligibility

The competition is open to:

• higher education institutions and research institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine;
• representatives of research institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine participating in interagency collaborative research projects.

Beginning in 2027, competitive funding for new research and scientific and technical projects will be available only to institutions that, following the national state attestation, have been classified into Groups A, B and/or C in the relevant scientific fields.

Requirements for Project Leaders and Team Members

Project leaders and team members must be researchers or academic staff employed by a higher education institution or research organization as their primary place of employment. During the 12 months preceding the proposal submission, they must have resided and worked in Ukraine for at least six months.

A researcher or academic staff member may serve as:

• principal investigator of only one project; and
• team member of no more than one additional project funded by the Ministry of Education and Science under the main competition or the competition for young scientists.

Project teams may include researchers, academic staff, doctoral candidates, higher education students, and other specialists whose expertise is relevant to the proposed research. The core project team, including the project leader, may consist of no more than six members.

For the competition dedicated to young scientists, all project participants must meet the legal definition of a young scientist established by the Law of Ukraine "On Scientific and Scientific-Technical Activities" as of the proposal submission date.

Research Priorities

Particular attention will be given to projects addressing national strategic priorities and demonstrating practical relevance. Priority thematic areas include:

• national security and defence;
• energy;
• medicine;
• biotechnology;
• information technologies;
• engineering;
• agricultural sciences;
• environmental sciences;
• humanities;
• social sciences; and
• other strategically important research fields.

Projects addressing special thematic priorities proposed by central executive authorities may receive up to 50% additional maximum planned funding.

Special consideration will also be given to higher education institutions and research organizations located in frontline and border regions. Eligible proposals that do not rank high enough within the general competition may be considered under a separate ranking list supported by an additional dedicated funding allocation.

Evaluation Process

Following the completion of the submission stage, the Ministry will conduct the administrative review and scientific evaluation of submitted proposals.

The second stage of the competition will take place from 7 August to 15 October 2026.

Scientific and scientific-technical evaluations are expected to be completed by 9 October 2026. By 16 November 2026, the Scientific Expert Council of the Ministry will review the evaluation results and approve the final competition outcomes.

By 30 December 2026, the Ministry plans to issue and publish the official order approving the competition results. Funding for successful projects will commence in 2027, subject to the availability of State Budget appropriations.

Key Conditions

Projects must receive at least 50 evaluation points, corresponding to the minimum acceptable quality threshold.

The maximum project duration is 24 months.

The maximum annual funding per project is:

• up to UAH 1.2 million for theoretical research;
• up to UAH 1.5 million for experimental research.

Additional preference will be given to projects that, at the time of submission, demonstrate confirmed co-funding or documented financial commitments from enterprises and organizations representing the real sector of the economy.

Priority will also be given to projects that utilize research equipment available through Shared Research Equipment Centres, thereby promoting the efficient use of existing national research infrastructure and avoiding unnecessary duplication of investments in new laboratory facilities.

Detailed participation requirements, proposal templates, and the list of required documents are specified in Order No. 934 of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, dated 15 June 2026.