The SAFE “Supporting At-risk researchers with Fellowships in Europe” project officially started last month and will provide up to 60 fully funded fellowships for PhD/doctoral and postdoctoral at risk researchers of any non-EU nationality to work at a research institution in the EU for a period of up to 24 months.

As a pilot fellowship scheme funded by the European Union (EU), the project aims to help at-risk researchers escape the threat they face and continue their research in safety in an EU Member State.

The call for applications will be launched on 18 November 2024. Applications have to be submitted by the potential host organisations in the EU, and not by the individual researchers themselves. The same host institution can send one application only. 

While there will be potential host organisations already in contact or actively working with individual researchers at risk, some organisations wishing to host researchers at risk may not yet have identified suitable candidates. To respond to this need, SAFE offers a matchmaking service providing support for researchers at risk on the one hand, by connecting them with a host institution in the EU and for potential host institutions on the other hand, by assisting them in finding a researcher that fits their hosting offer. 

The matchmaking is not needed for those who already have established connections.  In this case, the host institution and the researcher can prepare the fellowship application directly.

For more information on matchmaking and expressions of interest in matchmaking, please visit www.saferesearchers.eu/matchmaking. For any further information on the matchmaking service, please do not hesitate to contact us at info.safe@uni-med.net    

The European Union is supporting the project with €12m in 3 years. The SAFE project is implemented by a consortium of partner organisations: the DAAD (coordinator, Germany), Campus France, the PAUSE programme (hosted by the Collège de France) and UNIMED (Italy).

The project is also supported by several associate partners: Alexander-von-Humboldt-Stiftung (Germany), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), DZS (Czech Republic), European University Association (Belgium), EDUFI (Finland), NAWA (Poland), Nuffic (Netherlands), Sofia University (Bulgaria).

Learn more on SAFE: https://saferesearchers.eu/