The PAUSE program launches a donation appeal
Only a few days after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the French hosting program for scientists and artists in exile (PAUSE), in close collaboration with the French Ministries of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Culture and Foreign Affairs, has deployed a strong response in support of members of the scientific and artistic communities whose lives and those of their relatives are threatened by the war in Ukraine.
Thanks to an unprecedented financial effort from these ministries and the program’s partners, PAUSE has been able to launch two solidarity funds, one for researchers, the other for artists and cultural professionals, to enable them to take shelter in France, while maintaining a research or creative activity within higher education and research institutions or cultural institutions throughout the country, and to prepare themselves to rebuild their country when the time comes. These exceptional emergency funds aim to finance their reception for a period of 3 months.
At the end of the 3 months, depending on the evolution of the situation and the projects of the beneficiaries, they will have the possibility to stabilize their situation within the classic framework of the PAUSE program.
In addition, in order to strengthen the capacity to host Ukrainian scientists, PAUSE and the French National Research Agency (ANR) have established a partnership. In the event that a scientist selected in the framework of the PAUSE-Solidarity Ukraine fund could be hosted in the framework of a research project already supported by the ANR, the latter will provide, without further evaluation, additional funding allowing the hosting of the researcher for a period of six months after the PAUSE-Solidarity with Ukraine fund.
Since the launch of PAUSE-Solidarity with Ukraine funds, more than 200 requests for support have been received, testifying to the strong mobilization of the French scientific and cultural communities. Nearly 70 beneficiaries, the vast majority of whom are women accompanied by their families, have already received support from the program, more than half of whom have arrived in France. Every day there are new arrivals and new applications.
In parallel, PAUSE program received 115 applications for its second call for 2022, including 85 from people directly impacted by the war in Ukraine. This unprecedented number of applications (nearly €3,500,000 requested from PAUSE for this call only) exceeds the program's annual budget.
Given the funding currently available, the number of applications already received and those expected by the end of 2022, PAUSE program must raise nearly 7 million euros to be able to support researchers and artists in danger who, more than ever, need to be able to count on our mobilization and our hospitality in this period of high international political tension and violence in Europe and beyond.
The PAUSE program calls for the support of all civil society actors to respond to the urgency and magnitude of the needs.
Donations can be made via our subscription fund at the Fondation de France: https://dons.fondationdefrance.org/PAUSE
We count on each and every one of you to relay this call for donations as widely as possible within your networks.
Download the call for donations in PDF format.