Ukraine

Support measures in Estonia

1. ETAg Funding Instrument for Including Ukrainian War Refugees in Starting Grant, Team, and Proof-of-Concept Projects

ETAG has support measure for the Ukrainian researchers who have fled to Estonia. ETAg provide funding for Estonian universities to hire Ukranian researcher(s) to the their grant project team (ETAG’s starting, team or developmental grant). The researcher must start their work in the team in 2022 and ETAG covers the costs for up to 6 months.

Conditions: it is possible to apply for funding for including the funded researcher in an ongoing starting grant, team, or proof-of-concept project as a member of the (senior) research staff if

• the researcher is a Ukrainian citizen who is a beneficiary of temporary or international protection;
• the researcher meets the requirements of the member of the (senior) research staff of a starting grant, team, or proof-of-concept project.
• The institution shall enter into an employment contract with the funded researcher for the funding period and with the workload of at least 0.5.
• It is neither possible to simultaneously apply for nor allocate funding for involving the same funded researcher.
• Several funded researchers can participate in the same project.
• The amount allocated for the member of the senior research staff is €3,000 per month and the amount allocated for the other member of the research staff is €2,000 per month. No overhead costs will be added.

The funding period can be up to six months, but cannot exceed the end date of the project. The funding period has to begin in 2022.

• More information can be found here.
• Application form

2. ETAg fund Ukrainian researchers’ short-time study visits to Estonian universities (up to 3 months)

These visits allow Ukrainian researchers to get acquainted with the research done at Estonian universities and help them improve their professional skills. Aim to foster the cooperation between Ukrainian and Estonian researchers in general.

A Ukrainian researcher can be accepted as a trainee:

• who have experience in carrying out basic or applied research or experimental development;
• who is the beneficiary of temporary or international protection or who is staying in Estonia on any other legal basis without the possibility to return to Ukraine;
• who did not have an employment relationship with an Estonian university or other research and development institution during the three months before 24.02.2022.
•  A doctoral student at an Estonian university cannot be accepted as a trainee.

The support is distributed to universities on the basis of a unit price of € 3,000 per month. The unit price includes the trainee's salary fund, calculated that the trainee participates in the activities 40 hours a week (full-time equivalent), and the beneficiary's overheads. The beneficiary has the right to use up to 5% of the unit price for overheads. The support period per trainee is up to three months, the funding period has to begin in 2022.

• More information (in Estonian) is available here
• Application form

More information is available here

Support measures outside Estonia

• Horizon for Ukraine
• The European Research Council (ERC) job offers in ERC-funded Research teams
• Science for Ukraine
• All European Academies (ALLEA)
• EURAXESS - Science4refugees

Contact
Kersti Vähi
Research Administration Office
Chief Officer of Research and Development Projects
tel 620 3632
kersti.vahi@taltech.ee

Applications for studies at Tallinn University of Technology for the 2022 academic year have ended.

You can find more information about next year's admission on the website or by writing to study@taltech.ee.

If you are a war refugee with Ukrainian citizenship, who wants to continue his/her education at Tallinn University of Technology as a visiting student, studying at TalTech for 1–2 semesters, please write to incoming@taltech.ee.

You can find more information about studying as a visiting student here.

• Tallinn University of Technology refunded the tuition fee for the spring semester to foreign students with Ukrainian citizenship.
• The faculties offer their Ukrainian students support for living in Estonia.

• Regarding the need for psychological assistance, please contact the university´s psychologists counselor@taltech.ee. The national centre for crisis information is available on 1247 (website kriis.ee.en).

• The university is expanding the opportunities of supporting the mental health of employees. Additional information can be requested from the Human Resources Office by e-mail personal@taltech.ee.
• The staff is called upon to notice colleagues and students in need of mental support. If necessary, the Human Resources Office and the Office of Academic Affairs should be consulted at personal@taltech.ee.
• All heads (whether they are in charge of structural units, study programmes or research groups) are called upon to keep an eye on the mental wellbeing of the members of the university – it is important that everyone in need receive support and assistance. Regarding the need for psychological assistance, please contact the university´s psychologists counselor@taltech.ee. The national centre for crisis information is available on 1247 (website kriis.ee.en).
• Lecturers are particularly asked to pay attention to the needs of students due to the current situation, to forward the needs to the units dealing with these issues or to give students the relevant contacts. If necessary, the Office of Academic Affairs should be consulted at personal@taltech.ee.

• If your research team, department or unit has short- or long-term positions that could be suitable for Ukrainian war refugees, please inform the Human Resources Office thereof at konkurss@taltech.ee. All the job offers will be published on the university’s website in English: taltech.ee/en/open-positions. Please let us know at the same address if you have been contacted directly with queries regarding job opportunities.

• As a result of the discussion of Universities Estonia, it was decided that cooperation with Russian and Belarusian universities and research institutions will be suspended and no new initiatives will be launched.
• The rector encourages everyone to stand united and support the members of our university regardless of their nationality.

The fund, whereto everyone can donate, is created with the aim of supporting both international students who are Ukrainian citizens and already studying at Tallinn University of Technology and those whose studies have been interrupted due to the Russian military attack and who want to continue their studies in TalTech’s study programmes.

You can support the students by donating to the Development Fund of Tallinn University of Technology. The university also calls on its alumni to help students from Ukraine.

“Every student deserves the opportunity to study,” said Tiit Land, Rector of Tallinn University of Technology. “Our goal is to allow young people from Ukraine to start or continue their studies here in the autumn semester. For this they need a monthly scholarship to cover their daily living costs.”

To help young people from Ukraine, you can make a single or regular donation to the SA TALLINNA TEHNIKAÜLIKOOLI ARENGUFOND, which has donation accounts both in the

• SEB Bank (bank account number EE471010052027905003) and
• in Swedbank (bank account number EE572200221011286139).

In the details line, please write “Ukrainian students” and your personal identification code. Private persons can get an income tax incentive and legal persons can get an income tax exemption for donations made through the foundation Development Fund of Tallinn University of Technology.    

You can conveniently contribute to the fond via payment link.

Additional information: Head of TalTech Development Foundation Elinor Toming, arengufond@taltech.ee.

Donations are voluntary and non-refundable.

At such an unusual time, it is normal for us to feel anxious. It is also normal to ask for support from your relatives or specialists if necessary.

The university´s psychologists can be reached by email: counselor@taltech.ee. 

Help can be also found on the following websites:

• Mental health counselling (in Estonian, English and Russian) - www.palunabi.ee/en/mental-health
• Lifeline (in Estonian and Russian) - eluliin.ee/en
• General information about mental health (in English, Estonian and Russian) - peaasi.ee/en

All TalTech vacancies are published on our English website here.

At Tallinn University of Technology you can obtain a PhD degree as an Early Stage Researcher. An Early Stage Researcher is employed by the university, working in the structural unit of their Supervisor, and is guaranteed a salary for the entire nominal duration of the doctoral programme (4 years). Visit the TalTech PhD admissions page for information about applying for an Early Stage Researcher position and a list of positions open for applications.

Support from the Estonian Academy of Sciences

The Estonian Academy of Sciences expresses its deep regret and alarm for the ongoing military invasion of Ukraine by Russia. We acknowledge the suffering and grief of all people whose lives are gravely impacted by this war. In order to express our full solidarity and support to the Ukrainian researchers and academics who have been forced to flee to Estonia, the Estonian Academy of Sciences would like to offer them a chance to be part of the Estonian academic community, meet local researchers, and explore opportunities for potential collaboration. 

In case of interest or further questions, please contact Ms Ülle Raud at ylle.raud@akadeemia.ee.

Here are some ways to support Ukraine:

• For Ukraine
• Red Cross
• Estonian Refugee Council
• I Love to Help
• Support the Ukranian army

We care about Ukraine, we care about everyone

War in Ukraine is a fact. Our thoughts are with the victims of this war: those who are being attacked, those whose land is being invaded, but also those who are being forced to attack and invade.

There is no war in Estonia. We are doing everything we can to ensure that war never gets here again. We have friends in the European Union, NATO and also other organisations.

My wish and request is: be calm, be friendly. In Estonia, everyone is valued, valued also as a representative of one’s nationality and worldview. Cultures enrich each other, they are not each other’s enemies. Nations are not each other’s enemies, people are not each other’s opponents. All the horrors that the world has been forced to endure throughout history are born only in the minds of the rulers, in the ruling circles. 

No matter how personally the war concerns us, I ask all of us to continue to work at the University of Technology in peace. The more we support each other, the more we stick together, the stronger the university, and the more effective is the research carried out here. Effective research resulting from collective effort helps to contribute to a better world.

Undoubtedly, there are those among us who are having a harder time. Next week, I will convene a meeting of the heads of the schools, departments and support units in order to discuss how we can support those who need help and advice. 

If anyone feels he/she needs help or advice, please write to personal@taltech.ee. The concern of each of us is also the concern of Tallinn University of Technology.

Have fortitude and hope!

Rector Tiit Land

February 28, 2022