Trent University continues to stand in support of an independent Ukraine and urges a return to peace and democracy.  

The Trent community is extending its work to provide support and resources for students, faculty and staff affected by the egregious violence as well as scholars at risk and those who have ties to family, friends and colleagues in both Ukraine and Russia.

Supports for Students

To date, more than $50,000 (including a $10,000 matching grant from the Office of the President) has been raised through the Trent Fund to assist with tuition fees, books and food for those students facing financial difficulty as a result of the ongoing conflict.

Students attending Trent are also accessing supports available through the Province of Ontario, including the Ontario-Ukraine Solidarity Scholarship.

In addition to supports for current students, the University is prioritizing applications from students in Ukraine and working closely with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada as well as colleagues across the province and the country to find ways to help members of our campus community in Ukraine. 

Supports for Scholars and Researchers

Working collaboratively with partners across the higher education sector, Trent continues to support the safety and academic freedom of scholars and researchers, in Ukraine including:

Scholars at Risk Program

An international network of institutions and individuals whose mission it is to protect scholars and promote academic freedom. This collective offers safety for scholars by arranging temporary academic positions at member universities and colleges, monitoring of attacks on higher education communities global, and leadership in deploying tools and strategies in promoting academic freedom.

Federal Tri-Agency Special Response Fund for Trainees

Through Trent’s Office of Research & Innovation, scholars are able to access a temporary fund for active and eligible grant-holders from three federal agencies (Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council). This fund can supplement one-year relief and assistance to trainees (i.e. individuals eligible for Master’s, doctoral or postdoctoral support) whose research in Ukraine has been interrupted by the conflict. Additionally, this fund can enable grant-holders to retain research trainees who were expected to return to Ukraine in 2022 but are unable to do so due to the current situation.

Mitacs International Students Opportunities

The Mitacs Globalink Research Award (GRA) supports research collaborations between Canada and partner organizations in eligible countries, including Ukraine. Under the joint supervision of a home and host professor, senior undergraduate students, graduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows can receive a $6,000 research award to conduct a 12- to 24-week research project at Trent.

Quantum Funding Opportunities with International Researchers

Through the Alliance program, NSERC Alliance International Quantum grants will provide support for researchers in Canada to work with international researchers in the academic sector to establish and grow international research collaborations and projects in quantum science and technology.

Other ways to support

For those looking for other ways to support efforts for the people of Ukraine, we recommend the following reputable organizations doing good work: 

• Canadian Red Cross: Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal 
• UNICEF: Emergency Response to Conflict in Eastern Ukraine 
• United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR): Ukraine Emergency 
• Canada-Ukraine Foundation: Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal 
• Humanitarian Coalition: Emergency Assistance to the People of Ukraine