The National Science Centre will support the Medical Research Agency (MRA) in their calls for basic research projects in medical and health sciences. An agreement to this effect was signed in Krakow, on 4 September 2024 by the directors of the two agencies.
The Medical Research Agency (MRA) is a state agency responsible for the development of scientific research in the field of medical and health sciences. The MRA funds research and development in medical and health sciences as well as interdisciplinary projects selected in the calls for proposals, in particular clinical, observation and epidemiological studies and research experiments. The agency has been in business for 5 years.
Since its formation, the National Science Centre has awarded nearly 30 thousand grants for a total of nearly PLN 16 billion. The NCN funds research in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Life Sciences and Physical Sciences and Engineering.
In its next calls for basic research projects, the Medical Research Agency will use the expertise of the National Science Centre. Pursuant to the agreement of 4 September, NCN officers will support the MRA by advising on the calls and running training courses on proposal evaluation procedure, and will recommend candidates for external reviewers to evaluate proposals.
“As a representative of a group of researchers combining basic and clinical research, I believe that the agreement is very important for the development of biomedical sciences. I hope our cooperation will support researchers combining practical and theoretical approaches,” says Prof. Anetta Undas, President of the NCN Council.
The first results of cooperation will be revealed in the call for translational research in December 2024. “The NCN supports quality research. This experience will ensure unique support for the MRA. We can only hope that the December call will enable the best research teams to translate their discoveries from bench to bedside,” says Prof. Wojciech Fendler, President of the Medical Research Agency.
“There is only one science,” declares Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwiak, NCN Director, adding that “the agreement may be a prelude to closer cooperation between the two institutions.” “Both agencies support researchers. The NCN supports researchers in all research fields and the MRA, clinical doctors. We hope that the agreement will result in the calls on translational medicine which is of interest to both agencies,” says the NCN Director.