Young Ukrainian chemist conducting research in nanomaterials is awarded 100K €

Illia Huralskyi, a young chemist studying at Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv, was awarded 100K € for his research in nanomaterials. The award was granted by Horizon 2020, an EU program that supports research and innovation in the sciences.

Ukraine became a member of the program only recently. “This is a great gift for the field of science in Ukraine,” said the young scholar. Special report by Iryna Stelmakh (radiosvoboda.org). 

An agreement signed on March 20 by the European Commisson and the Ministry of Education and Science in Ukraine has given the science community in Ukraine new opportunities. A generous gift was awarded by Horizon 2020 – membership is not free and Ukraine was accorded a 95% discount.

Galyna Usatenko, Head of Horizon 2020 national contact point in National Taras Shevchenko University: “Science should benefit all of society from clean energy to transportation and roads, health care, nutrition, and protected borders. Innovation improves the lives of the people who live in European society…In the grant application it is important to present projects the correct way. Language and terminology are important.”

The budget for Horizon 2020 is 70 billion €. Grants are awarded to those who understand the application procedure, the trends in scientific innovation, and how innovation is marketed.

Several young Ukrainian scientists have already benefited from the program. In a modest laboratory at Taras Shevchenko University, Illia Huralskyi, a junior researcher in the Department of Chemistry conducts research in nanomaterials: “My project includes developing nanomaterials that synthesize common transmission. These are new creations that can be applied in information delivery technology, chemical sensors, etc.”

Hoping to advance his ideas Illia applied to the Horizon 2020 Program and within half a year he received a response from a German professor, Wolfgart Troemen. Horizon 2020 awarded Illia 100K €

Illia Huralskyi: “We had several projects in mind but he was a partner we wanted to work with so we showed him our project and he agreed to work with us. We were very pleased and the result is that I will be going to work in his laboratory.”

Now Illia Huralskyi is going to continue his research at the laboratory of his German patron. He will be in Germany two years. Illia is convinced that Ukraine’s collaboration with Horizon 2020 will revolutionize the study of science in Ukraine. Aside from getting new ideas, Ukrainian scientists will benefit from the expertise the Europeans have in marketing scientific innovation.

EMPR, O. R. contributed to this publication