The NCN Generation comprises researchers and scholars making a significant contribution to the advancement of science. Episode 4 features Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska, who studies the resettlement cultures that emerged after 1945 in post-resettlement areas in Poland and the former Czechoslovakia.

In the latest episode of the NCN podcast, Prof. Margaret Ohia-Nowak and dr inż. Tomasz Szumełda discuss the results of a survey on the use of AI in proposal writing, as well as research into bias in Polish language models—a project led by Margaret Ohia-Nowak and funded by the NCN. Hosted by Anna Korzekwa-Józefowicz.

We asked researchers about the use of generative AI in the grant system. The results show that most accept its use in proposal writing, but oppose its involvement in evaluation.

In the third episode of the #NCNGeneration series, we speak with Prof. Małgorzata Kot from the Centre of New Technologies at the University of Warsaw. The archaeologist studies the interface between Neanderthals, Denisovans and modern humans — and what their encounters meant for human culture and early migrations.

On 6–7 May, the 12th edition of NCN Days will take place in Katowice. In this special year, marking the 15th anniversary of the National Science Centre, attendees are welcome to celebrate together and to reflect on the impact of NCN’s role in the research funding system on the quality of research carried out at Polish institutions.

The European Research Council has published a document on the reasons why the widening countries have performed less successfully in ERC calls and on measures to address this imbalance. The key recommendation was to increase investment in basic research.

“High-quality research is a matter of national interest. We need to simplify the procedures, integrate institutions into a coherent system, and bridge the gap between research and global innovations.” Six research institutions have made recommendations for the state authorities on research funding and commercialisation in Poland.

In the second episode of the #NCNGeneration series, Prof. Michał Tomza explains how ultracold molecules and ‘perfect vacuum’ help seek answers to one of the greatest questions in physics: why the universe contains more matter than antimatter.

Researchers from Poland, in cooperation with partners from Croatia and Slovenia, will investigate how the HPV virus affects protein trafficking in cells, whilst a Polish research team, in cooperation with partners from Germany, will conduct comparative research on winged altarpieces.