1. About the platform
What is Ukrainian Science Diaspora?
A platform that connects Ukrainian scientists abroad and inside Ukraine. Here you can find colleagues by scientific field, join a diaspora partner organisation, receive or offer mentorship, sign or start a petition, and browse grants and collaboration opportunities.
Who is behind the platform?
Team: Yevheniia Polishchuk, Ihor Lyman, Uliana Zbizhkhopska, Dmytro Buslov.
Is this a government project or a civic initiative?
Until August 2026 this was a civic initiative. Since August 2026 it operates as the registered NGO "Ukrainian Science Diaspora". The platform is hosted on the state domain nauka.gov.ua in cooperation with the Council of Young Scientists at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, but the team and development are civic.
How is the platform funded?
Combined — grant-funded and self-funded where funding exists at all. Registration and all functionality are free of charge.
How can I join the team?
Email the team — the contact address is in the Contacts section.
How do I reach the team if my question isn't here?
Via our Telegram bot — send it a direct message and it will forward the question to the team.
2. Registration & profile
Who can register?
Ukrainian scientists working abroad (the scientific diaspora), as well as those still in Ukraine. During signup you pick "Abroad" or "In Ukraine" and the form adapts. Any registered scholar can start a research hub on the platform.
Is registration free?
Yes. Registration is free. Some career-development services may become paid in the future, but the current platform remains free.
I'm in Ukraine — can I register?
Yes. Pick "In Ukraine" at signup — the form asks for an oblast. Your precise work location will not be shown publicly: the map only pins you at the centroid of your city. See the Privacy section for details.
What is ORCID and is it required?
ORCID iD is a unique researcher identifier (0000-0000-0000-0000) issued for free at orcid.org. We require it — you cannot register without one. It anchors your academic identity, lets the moderator verify you quickly, and is needed for the "ORCID-verified" badge under petition signatures.
Why doesn't my profile show on the map right after registration?
Every new profile is manually moderated — this protects the community from fake accounts. Your profile becomes visible after a team member reviews and approves it.
How long does moderation take?
Up to one week.
How do I edit my profile?
From your account at /en/profile/update/. Every field except email is self-serve. To change the email, contact the team via the contact form or the Telegram bot.
How do I delete my account?
Contact the team — write to the Telegram bot or the contact email. Data is purged within 30 days per the Privacy Policy.
I forgot my password — what now?
On the login page click "Forgot password?" — an email with a reset link will follow.
3. Mentorship
What is the mentorship programme?
The programme pairs early-career Ukrainian scientists with experienced mentors from the diaspora. Mentors share their experience of scientific work abroad, give career advice, review manuscripts, help prepare for conferences and similar tasks.
Who can be a mentor?
A scholar who 1) belongs to the Ukrainian scientific diaspora, 2) has at least one year of experience in foreign scientific institutions, 3) can spend 2 hours per week over 3 months, 4) is willing to introduce the mentee to their network, 5) knows the traditions and regulations of the host country's scientific sphere. Sign up as a mentor at /en/mentor-signup/.
Who can be a mentee?
An early-career scholar (as defined by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine), located in Ukraine, affiliated with a Ukrainian university or research institution, and able to complete a three-month mentorship programme with tangible results.
Is there a fee for mentorship?
No. Mentorship is entirely free — mentors volunteer from the Ukrainian scientific diaspora community.
4. Diaspora partner organisations
What is a diaspora partner organisation?
Regional or specialised (biotech, economics, etc.) communities of Ukrainian scholars in a specific country or region — e.g. the Ukrainian Scientific Diaspora in Austria. Each partner organisation has its own contacts, representatives, events and page on our site.
There's no partner organisation in my country — how do I start one?
Partner organisations are set up independently — we welcome both formal and informal associations. Ukrainian Science Diaspora provides advisory support. Reach out via the site contacts or the Telegram bot with a cooperation proposal.
Can I belong to several partner organisations at once?
Yes.
How do I contact partner-organisation representatives?
Each organisation's page includes a contacts block — email and social-media links where available.
5. Digital tools
What are the platform's petitions?
A tool for the community to raise issues important to Ukrainian science: appeals to state bodies, education-policy initiatives, colleague support, disinformation pushback and similar. Public petition pages show only the total signature count and how many are ORCID-verified — names and emails are never published. We do not set a minimum threshold: we announce a collection window, and whatever is collected is forwarded to the addressee with a final letter.
What is the "Science Diplomacy" tool?
A directory of Ukrainian science-diplomacy initiatives. Registered scholars submit their projects through a short form, classify them along the four European Commission dimensions (Science in Diplomacy, Diplomacy for Science, Science for Diplomacy, Diplomacy in Science) and record impact. Approved projects appear in the public catalogue. The purpose is to identify, connect and promote these initiatives, and eventually to open a path to recognition and micro-grants.
How do I apply for a grant I found in the list?
Each grant page has an "Apply" button that leads to the funder's own website, where submission happens. We are an aggregator only and do not accept applications ourselves.
What is the digital map of scholars?
An interactive map with profiles of registered scholars. Each pin is a scientist; you can filter by field, gender, location (Abroad / In Ukraine) and more. Full profiles with ORCID, email and CV are only visible to authenticated users. Scholars based in Ukraine are shown at city centroid only — a deliberate wartime privacy safeguard.
6. Privacy & data security
Are my details public or only visible to logged-in users?
Anonymous visitors see only your first name, region, science area and a profile link. Email, ORCID, biography details and precise address are limited to logged-in users. The rule is "information for peers, not for random visitors".
I'm in Ukraine — will my precise address be visible?
No. For scholars in Ukraine we deliberately show neither the precise address nor precise coordinates — you appear at the city centroid on the map. This is a deliberate wartime + GDPR decision, hard-coded as a defense-in-depth safeguard.
May I use other registered users' data in my publication or research?
No — not without separate written consent from the affected persons and our team. Copying, publishing or distributing other users' personal data in articles, dissertations, datasets or social-media posts is prohibited, even if you can see it as a logged-in user. Violations result in account suspension and personal legal liability under GDPR. See section 4 of the Privacy Policy for the full text.
How do I hide my profile temporarily?
Contact the team via the Telegram bot or contact form. The profile is removed from the map and directory without deleting the account.
Do you share my data with third parties?
No, we do not share personal data. Cookies — yes (basic functionality, analytics). The registered-user visibility (peer-to-peer profile access) is a platform feature, not a third-party transfer. The full list of technical processors (OpenAI, LocationIQ etc.) is in the Privacy Policy, section 7.
Where can I read the full Privacy Policy?
7. Brand
What is Ukrainian Science Diaspora as a brand?
It is neither a contact network nor a conventional NGO. It is a scientific infrastructure of connection, credibility and contribution — a mechanism through which the global presence of Ukrainian scholars becomes a systemic intellectual resource for Ukraine. Tagline — "Where Ukrainian Science Connects Globally".
What is the platform's mission?
To unite Ukrainian scholars from different migration waves into a global cooperation system that supports Ukraine's reconstruction, the growth of Ukrainian science, international integration and the country's intellectual presence in the world.
What does the brand promise participants?
Three components — global connectedness, professional visibility, impact on Ukraine's future.
What sets us apart from other initiatives?
We do not just connect scholars — we build the mechanism through which global Ukrainian science becomes visible, interconnected and practically influential. A transition from a network platform to a scientific operating system for global Ukrainian knowledge.