The Ukrainian scientific sphere is preparing for a major transformation. The Ministry of Education and Science (MES) has approved updated rules for competitive funding, which will change the landscape of research support as early as 2026. The reform aims to ensure that state funds function not as a formal procedure, but as a real tool for developing strong teams and achieving concrete results.

Deputy Minister of Education and Science Denis Kurbatov emphasized that the new regulations strengthen the link between project quality, the viability of the institution, and state priorities. Special attention will be paid to supporting young scientists and teams continuing their work in border regions.

Who can apply for grants

From January 1, 2027, access to competitive funding will be strictly tied to the quality of the institution itself. The right to receive funds will be granted only to higher education institutions and scientific institutes that have successfully passed state accreditation (Groups A, B, or C) in the relevant field.

A key filter will be the point system. Projects scoring less than 50 points as a result of the expert review will not be eligible for funding. At the same time, the evaluation will take into account not only scientific ambitions but also the actual results of the institution's activities.

Three areas of support and assistance to border regions

Project selection in 2026 will take place across three separate tracks:

  • Fundamental and applied research: traditional scientific developments on general thematic directions.
  • Support for border zones: a separate competition for institutions from Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Odesa, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions. This is a support measure for teams working under conditions of increased risk.
  • Priority developments: projects formed based on requests from state customers. For such initiatives, funding may be increased by 50% as they address specific needs of the country.

A separate competition will be held for young scientists, where the heads and performers must be representatives of the young scientific staff.

New requirements for teams and ethics

The MES has also introduced clear regulations for the composition of scientific groups. The project leader must be an employee of the institution at their main place of work and must have been in Ukraine for at least six months during the last year. The team cannot be inflated: the core composition is limited to six people, including the leader. The share of representatives of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and other external institutions in the team cannot exceed 30%.

For the first time, the rules stipulate strict norms for the use of artificial intelligence. Using AI as a content generator for the project will be considered a violation of academic integrity. If AI was used as an auxiliary tool, this must be clearly stated in the documents. Any attempts to fabricate data, plagiarism, or the use of "predatory" publication practices will be punished by refusal of funding.

The duration of project implementation will be up to 24 months. An additional advantage in selection will be the presence of co-financing from other sources, which confirms the seriousness of the authors' intentions and the partners' interest.