On Monday, 11 September, 49 ERC grant winners published an open letter with an appeal “to maintain the current, independent, expert-based model of the NCN”. The next day, 49 winners of the FNP followed suit. And on 15 September, yet another appeal in defence of the NCN was made to the {resident and the prime minister in an open letter by 95 FNP fellows.
They emphasised that the NCN has given many researchers an opportunity to “conduct ground-breaking research that contributed to the advancement of Polish science and strengthened our position in the world”. “Most of us have been able to do research thanks to the funding from the National Science Centre, which has helped us achieve international success. Modelled on the European Research Council, the NCN has now become the most important basic research-funding agency in Poland. Its political independence, transparency and high quality standards have made it one of the crucial instruments for supporting science in our country”, they wrote.
More information from Nauka w Polsce.
Previous appeals in defence of the NCN and its independence: