Relief fund for university communities in crisis
The University of Montreal has established a relief fund to support students, teachers and researchers whose countries of origin have been struck by conflict or natural disaster.
Details
Your financial support will help the people we host meet their basic needs while the University makes resources available to enable them to become part of our community. The first requests for hosting and aid that we have received suggest that the need is great and likely to be prolonged and repeated.
Many humanitarian causes call out for our support. This fund, launched in the wake of our community’s efforts in February 2022 to support universities affected by the war in Ukraine, will back our efforts to respond to humanitarian crises everywhere.
The money will be used to help cover:
- Subsistence needs (food, lodging, transportation, medical care, etc.)
- Urgent relocation expenses (clothes, bedding, etc.)
Whom will the Fund support?
Students (current or accepted), visiting researchers, postdoctoral fellows and professors / researchers from countries where there is a humanitarian crisis.
Eligibility and selection criteria
The eligibility and selection criteria have been established by a Fund Distribution Committee which currently has members from four university offices (Office of the Vice-Rector of Student and Academic Affairs; Office of the Vice-Rector of Community and International Partnerships; Office of the Vice-Rector of Research, Discovery, Creation and Innovation; Office of the Vice-Rector of Human Resources and Faculty Affairs).
Student Services will select the students, based on the criteria established by the Committee.
The allocation of funds for postdoctoral fellows, students hosted as visiting researchers, and visiting professors and researchers will be determined by the Fund Distribution Committee.
“For the first time, the University of Montreal is setting up a fund to support academics seeking refuge here. It will enable us to help people who are affected by humanitarian crises, including armed conflicts and natural disasters, which can occur anywhere, and who must relocate because of conditions in their home countries. This humanitarian aid fund is part of our long-term commitment to helping members of the university community from all backgrounds.”
Valérie Amiraux, Vice-Rector of Community and International Partnerships
To offer or request assistance
All offers for assistance from members of the University of Montreal community should be sent to the Office of the Vice-Rector of Community and International Partnerships.
Other forms of support
Scholars at Risk: An international network of more than 500 institutions of higher education in 40 countries dedicated to protecting researchers who are at risk in their countries of origin. Contact the Office of the Vice-Rector of Community and International Partnerships for information about Scholars at Risk and the services it offers.
The Palestinian Students & Scholars at Risk (PSSAR) is an association based in Canada and operated by academics on a voluntary basis. PSSAR facilitates connections between postgraduate students based in the Palestinian territories, with priority given to those based in Gaza, and Canadian professors and researchers in order to assist them into joining Canadian universities and to provide research opportunities.
Aid specifically for Ukraine
Science for Ukraine: A website set up by a group of volunteers from academic institutions to collect and disseminate offers to host Ukrainian academics, primarily graduate students and researchers.