NRFU-SE Webinar Series: Balancing Bottom-up and Top-down Research Funding

On 19 September 2025, the National Research Foundation of Ukraine (NRFU) and Science Europe held the first webinar in their joint series “Building Capacity in the Ukrainian Research and Innovation Ecosystem.”

The session examined how research funding systems can balance bottom-up calls that foster investigator-driven excellence with top-down programmes that address strategic and national priorities. Both approaches were recognised as essential to a coherent and sustainable research system.

Key conclusions included:

• The need for stable and predictable funding policies to ensure long-term planning and impact.

• The importance of flexibility and researcher freedom within funding frameworks.

• Support for early-career researchers as a priority for building capacity and retaining talent.

• Transparent and efficient evaluation processes that maintain trust and accountability.

• Strengthened international collaboration to enhance excellence and exchange of best practices.

• Continued attention to research culture and integrity as foundations of excellence.

The webinar series reaffirms the shared commitment of Science Europe and the National Research Foundation of Ukraine to strengthening research systems that are both responsive to strategic priorities and supportive of researchers' creativity and autonomy.