Four research teams involving scientists from Poland have been awarded NCN funding to carry out projects in the field of materials science and materials engineering. The call was organised by the international M-ERA.NET network.
In this edition of the call, a total of 28 projects involving 135 teams will receive funding. Four grants totalling over PLN 4.2 million will be financed by the National Science Centre. The planned start of research is between April and September 2026.
In the first of the projects, SmartSens: Advanced Materials for Sustainable Nucleic Acid Biosensing, the Polish team leader is dr inż. Magdalena Ewa Olak-Kucharczyk from the Łukasiewicz Research Network – Lodz Institute of Technology. The project focuses on the development of innovative screen-printed biosensors that will enable the detection of genetic mutations associated with breast cancer in circulating tumour DNA present in the blood, which may support diagnostics within the framework of so-called liquid biopsy. The research will cover new, more environmentally friendly materials, including biopolymer-based microfluidics, stimuli-responsive cellulose materials for DNA purification, copper nanowire screen-printing pastes, and thin-film materials for label-free DNA detection. The aim of the project is to advance these technologies from an early readiness level (TRL 2) to a demonstration level (TRL 4), while simultaneously assessing their environmental impact across the full product life cycle, in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and the circular economy. Over PLN 600,000 has been awarded for the Polish part of the research.
In the ReOil: Repurposing, Reuse and Recycling of Used Lubricant and Waste Oils project, the Polish team will be led by prof. dr hab. Wojciech Maciej Kujawski from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. The aim of the research is to develop a new, more environmentally friendly method of recycling used lubricating oils, which are widely used in industry but often end up in the environment or are incinerated after use. Scientists from Norway, Poland, and the Czech Republic are working on the use of advanced polymer membranes acting as highly precise filters, which will allow contaminants and degradation products to be separated from the oil, making it possible to recover a pure oil base for the renewed production of lubricants. If the technology proves effective, used oil will no longer be treated as waste but will become a valuable raw material, reducing CO₂ emissions, limiting environmental pollution, and supporting the development of the circular economy. Nearly PLN 900,000 has been awarded for the Polish part of the research.
Machine Learning Platform for Personalized Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Therapy Using Drug-Loaded Polymeric Nanoparticles is the next of the awarded projects. Dr inż. Marcin Krzysztof Heljak from Warsaw University of Technology serves as the Polish team leader and coordinator of the international consortium. The aim of the research is to develop a modern method of treating retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, which are among the leading causes of vision loss. The scientists are working on a controlled-release system for the drug bevacizumab from biodegradable polymeric microparticles, which, following injection into the eye, would gradually release the drug, reducing the need for frequent and uncomfortable injections. Through the modification of particles using plasma and the use of artificial intelligence to optimise the process, more precise and personalised treatment will be possible, and the developed laboratory model of the eye will allow new solutions to be tested without the need for extensive animal studies. Nearly PLN 1.5 million has been awarded for the Polish part of the research.
Dr inż. Anna Danuta Dettlaff from Gdańsk University of Technology is the Polish team leader and coordinator of the international consortium in the CARBONEX-S: Sustainable Nanocellulose-Carbon Hybrid Electrodes for Advanced Flexible Supercapacitors project. The project aims to develop a new generation of environmentally friendly electrochemical capacitors – devices for the very rapid storage and delivery of energy that can stabilise electricity production from wind and solar sources. The scientists are working on replacing traditional materials that are difficult to recycle with environmentally friendly solutions such as boron-doped carbon nanostructures, cellulose nanofibrils, and activated carbon derived from agricultural waste. The project will also produce flexible, metal-free current collectors and safe aqueous electrolytes, making it possible to create efficient yet more sustainable energy storage systems useful in, among others, wearable electronics, electric vehicles, and renewable energy grids. Nearly PLN 1.3 million has been awarded for the Polish part of the research.
Grants in the M-ERA.NET Call 2025 were open to international consortia consisting of at least three research teams from different countries participating in the call: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Spain, Israel, Canada, South Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Germany, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, Hungary, and Italy.