Following a pilot scheme (for more details see ACA Newsletter - Education Europe, June 2023), the European Commission has introduced a new initiative to support researchers at risk: the “Supporting at-risk researchers with fellowships in Europe” (SAFE) project. With a budget of EUR 12 million, this three-year project will grant two-year fellowships to 60 international researchers who face risks in their home countries, helping them continue their academic work in safe environments across the EU.  

The SAFE project will  develop and test procedures to assess the risks faced by these researchers and match them with suitable host institutions. The matchmaking process to link researchers with host organisations will begin in mid-October 2024. Eligible applicants include doctoral and postdoctoral researchers with or without refugee status. Host institutions in the EU will handle the application process, which opens on 18 November 2024, with fellowships set to begin in spring 2025.  

SAFE is backed by a robust partnership of organisations experienced in supporting researchers at risk, including ACA member, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD),as well as Campus France, PAUSE/Collège de France and the Mediterranean Universities Union. Eight supporting partners will also assist the core consortium, including ACA members, the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research (DZS), the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI), the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) and the Dutch Organisation for Internationalisation in Education (NUFFIC).  

More details on the scheme can be found here.