On January 20, 2026, the RIFF Information Day was held in a hybrid format — offline in Kharkiv and online. The RIFF project (Research Infrastructure for the Future of Ukraine) is dedicated to issues related to research infrastructure in Ukraine, including the development of a strategy and a roadmap for the advancement of the country’s research infrastructure.

The event gathered a wide audience of representatives from research institutions, universities, and research infrastructures. In total, more than 150 participants took part, including 30 who were physically present in Kharkiv, while the others joined online.

The participants were welcomed by Mykola Azarienkov, Acting Director General of the National Science Center “Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology” of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NSC KIPT), and Anton Panteleimonov, Vice-Rector for Academic and Pedagogical Affairs of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. They emphasized the importance of developing and preserving Ukraine’s research infrastructure under wartime conditions and in the context of active integration into the European Research Area.

The event was moderated by Sergii Pugach, Head of the Technology Transfer Sector at NSC KIPT, Coordinator of the National Contact Point for Euratom in Ukraine in the field of nuclear fission, and a member of the RIFF project team from NSC KIPT.

The first presentation was delivered by Illias Shcherbakov (Ukraine), Senior Researcher at the State Scientific Institution “Institute for Single Crystals” of the North-Eastern Scientific Centre of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. His talk, entitled “Resilience in Times of Trials: Research Infrastructure as the Basis for Development”, focused on the state of science in eastern regions of Ukraine before the full-scale invasion, the consequences of shelling and missile attacks for scientific institutions, including NSC KIPT, and the current functioning of key institutes and research centers under wartime conditions. Special attention was also paid to ongoing European projects and international collaborations involving Ukrainian research institutions.

Adéla Safaríková (Czech Republic), a representative of the Research Infrastructure Unit at Masaryk University and Administrative Manager of the RIFF project, presented information about the RIFF project, its main goals and objectives, and announced upcoming events, educational activities, and training programs. She also outlined the key research infrastructure domains involved in the project and the opportunities available for Ukrainian research institutions.

Ricardo Migueis (Portugal), Head of the INESC Office in Brussels and a partner of the RIFF project, delivered a presentation entitled “Experience in Developing Research Infrastructure Roadmaps in the EU: Examples from the Czech Republic, Portugal, Norway, Poland, and ESFRI”. He emphasized the importance of creating a national research infrastructure roadmap, explained the principles for evaluating research infrastructures, and outlined the requirements for research teams and institutions wishing to participate in relevant initiatives.

Michal Urbánek (Czech Republic), Head of the CEITEC Nano Centre, presented his center as an example of a research infrastructure, describing its main research areas, available equipment, and advantages as a modern interdisciplinary scientific platform.

Olha Polotska (Ukraine), Executive Director of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, delivered a presentation entitled “Support for Research Infrastructure in Ukraine by the NRFU”. She informed participants about the competition “Infrastructure for Advanced Research”, which took place from December 31, 2023, to June 27, 2024, its results, and its main goal — to develop and strengthen scientific infrastructure in Ukraine.

Lyudmyla Tautiyeva (Belgium), Analyst at the EFIS Centre and partner of the RIFF project, presented a talk entitled “RI Definition and Opportunities for RIs under RIFF”. She provided a detailed explanation of the concept of research infrastructure in both the Ukrainian and European contexts, as well as the types of research infrastructures defined in Ukrainian legislation. Special attention was given to the RIFF project, its advantages, and the practical aspects of participation, including the RIFF competition to be announced in March. The speaker demonstrated the RIFF application form and explained step by step what information should be provided and how each section should be properly completed. Part of the event was devoted to discussing the content of the application form, its questions, and the expected responses from the Ukrainian scientific community. The application form can be accessed via the link provided in Liudmyla’s presentation and can also be found among the presentations listed below.

In addition to the presentations, participants had the opportunity to ask questions and engage in lively discussions. After the official part of the event, participants who were present in Kharkiv stayed for informal networking, exchange of contacts, and discussion of current cooperation issues.

The RIFF Information Day became an important platform for dialogue between Ukrainian and European partners, contributed to raising awareness of research infrastructures, and informed the Ukrainian scientific community about the RIFF initiative aimed at developing and integrating Ukraine’s research infrastructure into the European Research Area.

Conference Resources

Presentations:

Event video

Self-assessment form for participation in the competition is available via the link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tw0GIsW8fJ5NQtIRCMxeinlnFyVjI1KxQZ2CC6mLSsM/edit?usp=sharing