We are now taking in proposals under MAESTRO addressed to well-established and outstanding researchers, and under SONATA BIS for research projects aiming to create a new research team. The overall budget of the two calls is 195,000,000 zlotys.
The calls are addressed to researchers aiming to conduct research projects at research institutions across Poland. The two calls are open to basic research proposals covering any subject from 26 NCN panels in three research domains: Humanities, Social Sciences and Art Sciences (HS), Physical Sciences and Engineering (ST) and Life Sciences. NCN grants may be used to cover the cost of research and remuneration.
Grants for Well-Established and Outstanding Researchers
Ogłoszenie konkursów Maestro 17 i Sonata Bis 15
MAESTRO is the most prestigious call of the National Science Centre addressed to researchers aiming to conduct pioneering research, including interdisciplinary research, which is significant for the development of science, goes beyond the current state-of-the-art and may result in scientific discoveries.
The call with the budget of 25,000,000 zlotys is open to PhD holders who have had at least five papers published in renowned Polish or international academic press/ journals within the last 10 years, have acted as the principal investigator in at least two research projects funded under national or international calls for proposals, and meet other criteria concerning awarded prizes, participation in conferences, membership of committees and associations.
MAESTRO projects may be carried out over a period of 36, 48 or 60 months. There is no cap on funding per project, however project budgets are evaluated by the Expert Team and must be well justified. Apart from the principal investigator, research teams must involve participation of post-docs (up to 12 years post PhD) or PhD students, for the total period of at least 72 months in the research team is obligatory, who mut be selected in open calls. Research teams may also include senior researchers, supporting specialists persons occupying specialist supporting positions (e.g. lab manager, senior technician, statistical analyst) and students.
Principal investigators who have managed a MAESTRO project in the past may submit a funding proposal to the current edition of the call if they are European Research Council (ERC) grant winners or have submitted a grant proposal to the ERC over the past five years which has been evaluated at least in stage I of the call.
SONATA BIS for Research Teams
SONATA BIS supports formation of new research teams to conduct basic research. Principal investigators must be researchers with a PhD degree conferred between 01 January 2013 and 31 December 2020 (which can be extended by evidenced career breaks).
SONATA BIS projects must be performed over a period of 36, 48 or 60 months. Apart from the principal investigator, research teams may include post-docs, supporting specialists, students, PhD students and other co-investigators. Engagement of PhD holders for 36 months is required. The terms of the call do not specify the required number of research team members or total budget. The principal investigators are free to alight the budget with project requirements.
Apart from the principal investigator, new research teams created under SONATA BIS must not include researchers holding an academic title, title of professor, habilitation degree or equivalent degree or former collaborators involved in a project funded in a call. One can be the principal investigator of a SONATA BIS project only once.
SONATA BIS 15 has a budget of 170,000,000 zlotys.
Evaluation of Proposals
Proposals submitted to MAESTRO 17 and SONATA BIS 15 undergo an eligibility check by the NCN coordinators, followed by a merit-based evaluation performed in two stages by the inter-panel Expert Teams (HS, ST, NZ) selected by the NCN Council.
At Stage I of the merit-based evaluation, individual reviews are drafted by two members of the Expert Team that are discussed at the first panel meeting. At the end of Stage II, the Expert Team agrees on a final score for each proposal and compiles a list of proposals recommended for Stage II of evaluation.
At Stage II, at least two reviews are drafted by external reviewers, and the principal investigator is interviewed by the Expert Team at the NCN offices in Krakow. At the second panel meeting, the Expert Team agrees upon the final score for each proposal and compiles the final ranking lists of proposals recommended for funding.
Submission Dates and Results
Proposals are submitted electronically, via the OSF submission system. Proposal forms will be available on 18 June onwards and can be submitted until 16 September, 2:00 (CEST). The call results will be published by March 2026.
In the MAESTRO calls completed to date, 297 projects have been funded for a total of over 830,000,000 zlotys. The call winners have addressed a wide range of topics, including dynamics of processes around compact star, orchids’ mycorrhizas and role of mindfulness practice in reducing intergroup aggression. More MAESTRO projects can be found here.
Under SONATA BIS, over 1,800,000,000 zlotys have been spent on projects performed by 981 researchers, whose projects involved the role of premature transcription termination in human gene expression regulation, national habitus formation and the process of civilization in Poland after 1989, nanoparticles to enhance SOFC performance, etc. More SONATA BIS projects can be found here.