According to Ivan Myroniuk, this year’s procedure differed significantly from previous ones: the Ministry of Education and Science completely revised the criteria and evaluation system for the first time. “This year, the Ministry of Education and Science completely updated the criteria and evaluation system, which had not been used before. It is a rather complex system, not entirely familiar to us, but more in line with global and European practices,” the vice rector emphasized.

He explained that the evaluation took into account both formal indicators reflecting the level of research activity and achievements, as well as criteria regarding the impact of research results. The evaluation involved Ukrainian and foreign experts, as well as digital verification of data in relevant state systems, particularly the Unified State Electronic Database on Education (USEDE). Participation in the evaluation allowed institutions to apply not across all research fields, but only in those where the institution has the best results.

Three fields of evaluation and a high result

UzhNU applied in those fields it considers sufficiently strong and competitive. According to the results of the evaluation, UzhNU successfully passed the assessment in three scientific fields and received the corresponding categories: “Two major groups of indicators were taken into account—quantitative and qualitative (impact). They have a complex structure and evaluation formula, but they were the ones that determined the results of the accreditation. The conclusion is simple: our natural sciences and mathematics field and our biomedical field (which received Category B) have a significant impact through their scientific achievements. This was assessed by a group of national experts from across the country, as well as a significant number of foreign experts,” noted the vice rector.

• Category A — for the natural sciences and mathematics field;
• Category B — for the biomedical field;
• Category C — for the social sciences field.

At the same time, he added that an additional certification session is currently underway, during which UzhNU has also submitted documents for the engineering and technology field.

Over 30 million hryvnias in base funding in 2026

One of the most significant outcomes of the accreditation was the introduction of a new mechanism for supporting science in Ukraine—base funding for research work at higher education institutions and scientific organizations.

“Based on the results of the accreditation, the Ukrainian government and the Verkhovna Rada adopted the relevant decisions, and starting in 2026, base funding for research work at higher education institutions and scientific institutions will be introduced. This refers to core support: not project-based funding, but funds for the development of relevant fields at the university,” emphasized Ivan Myroniuk.

In 2026, UzhNU will receive funding in two fields that achieved the highest results in the evaluation—natural sciences and mathematics, and biomedicine.

According to calculations included in the 2026 state budget, the university will receive: Thus, the total amount of basic funding will exceed 30 million hryvnias.

• over 16 million hryvnias — for the natural sciences and mathematics field;
• approximately 14 million hryvnias — for the biomedical field.

How the funds will be used

As Ivan Myroniuk emphasized, these funds will be transferred automatically—without the need for separate agreements—to a specially created account and may be used exclusively for specific areas of development.

The distribution of funding is clearly regulated: According to the vice rector, the largest share of funds will be directed specifically toward supporting researchers. At the same time, the distribution of additional payments will be carried out not by the university, but by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine—according to a special formula that takes into account each department’s contribution to the results of the accreditation.

• 65%—for additional payments and financial support for scientific and teaching staff;
• 20% — for the development of research infrastructure;
• 15% — for the development of capacity to support research activities.

“Staff members of the departments that made the greatest contribution will receive the maximum bonuses—up to 5,700 hryvnias per month in 2026. For other departments, the amounts may be lower depending on their contribution. The university has no influence over this distribution—it is carried out centrally,” noted Ivan Myroniuk.

Investment in Equipment and the Development of Research Infrastructure

A separate important area of fund allocation will be the development of research infrastructure, for which 20% of funding is earmarked.

As the vice rector explained, for this, the university must prepare a five-year development plan, coordinate it with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and implement it annually. At the same time, the funds cannot be used piecemeal: they must be directed toward the purchase of expensive, shared equipment for researchers that will strengthen the university’s research capacity.

“Now we have the resources to purchase truly important and necessary equipment. We will also be able to develop our capacity to attract new sources of funding, particularly international grants, thanks to support for the administration of the research system,” emphasized Ivan Myroniuk.

According to him, another area for using the funds is the development of support for scientific activities, specifically support for young scientists and the opportunity to implement initiative-based research topics. The amount of base funding is determined not only by the results of the evaluation but also depends on a number of additional indicators.

Among them: These results are quite significant, especially when compared to other higher education institutions in the western region of Ukraine—at UzhNU, they are substantially higher.

• the university’s scale;
• the volume of external funds attracted, including international grants;
• the number of young researchers on staff;
• the number of publications in journals indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, primarily in the first quartile.

A New Stage in the Development of University Science

In conclusion, the Vice Rector for Research at UzhNU emphasized that the introduction of base funding is an important step for the entire system of higher education and science in Ukraine.

“We used to undergo accreditation as well, but not under this system, and back then there was no base funding—that was a major problem. Now, in Ukraine, base funding for science exceeds 3 billion hryvnias. Such funds were not allocated before. This is a very important step and real support for science. The main thing is to use this opportunity correctly,” concluded Ivan Myroniuk.

According to him, for UzhNU, this is not only financial support but also a real opportunity to strengthen the university’s scientific potential, support researchers, modernize infrastructure, and enhance the capacity to attract new grant and project resources.