Notre Dame is launching three new collaborative grants with the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) that expand the active partnership between the two schools, according to a University press release.
The main goal of the new grants are to “offer academic and educational continuity … in a place where people are undergoing so much national and personal trauma,” director of faculty engagement at Notre Dame International Geraldine Meehan said.
Meehan said the instability and vulnerability in Ukraine resulting from Russia’s invasion has carried over to academia. The grants are an attempt to offer stability within a period of unpredictability in Ukraine and coincide with University President Fr. John Jenkins’ overall commitment to displaying solidarity with Ukraine.
The first two grants provide compensation to help UCU and Notre Dame faculty members in their research. These grants range from $10,000 to $25,000 of assistance towards a joint research project, Meehan said.
The relationship between UCU and Notre Dame was first forged by professor A. James McAdams at the Nanovic Institute, she said.
“The Nanovic Institute have been a very hospitable host to UCU over many, many years, so that when the war broke out and the invasion [by] Russia happened, there was already an established relationship,” Meehan said.
These new grants follow a partnership expansion between the two universities announced back in March, which offers up to $2 million in 2022-2023 to help encourage UCU students to study at Notre Dame and to sponsor faculty fellows at UCU. These news grants focus on academia in Ukraine, rather than just on campus at Notre Dame.
“We’re hoping by this support that faculty will be able to either continue research that they have already established with a partner at the other institution, or they’ll be able to start a new line of research based on, unfortunately, the social and personal traumatic changes that are occurring in Ukraine at the moment,” Meehan said.
The first two grants focus on four key themes: war and resilience, religious dimension, moral and legal considerations and integral human development and sustainable reconstruction.
Faculty are encouraged to explore the themes further, Meehan said. The third grant offers faculty at UCU access to Notre Dame’s extensive online library in order to help with research.
“Faculty would apply and identify what the specific project is and what materials they need for it,” Meehan explained. “Maybe they’re writing on an article, maybe they’re doing a thesis, maybe they’re going to present their findings at a conference. If they have a specific goal
and additional materials, they will be available at our library.”
Correction: Meehan is the director of faculty engagement at Notre Dame International
Contact Gracie Eppler at geppler@nd.edu