Polish researchers might soon be able to cooperate with research teams from Spain and have their cooperation funded. The National Science Centre has started preparations for new calls for proposals in collaboration with Agencia Estatal de Investigación.
Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwiak and Prof. José Manuel Fernández de Labastida sign the MoU
AEI is a Spanish state agency that funds research in all scientific disciplines. NCN and AEI have been discussing for months the possibility of enhancing scientific collaboration between Poland and Spain and have consequently come up with the idea of launching launch joint calls for proposals. The two agencies share a common mission to support basic research and a belief that international research projects are an important catalyst for the development of research and lasting relationships between research centres from both countries.
The discussions on the launch of a joint call for Polish-Spanish research projects are a response to a growing interest in international collaboration among researchers from the two countries and a need to create new opportunities to carry out ambitious research projects.
At the beginning of July, NCN and AEI signed the Memorandum of Understanding laying down the common purposes and framework of cooperation. The MoU was signed by the Director of the National Science Centre Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwiak and Director of Agencia Estatal de Investigación Prof. José Manuel Fernández de Labastida.
Representatives of the NCN and AEI
The representatives of the two agencies met in Madrid to develop the basis for future cooperation between the agencies. Over two days, they discussed the guidelines for the future joint bilateral calls for proposals allowing researchers from Poland and Spain to apply for funding of their joint research projects. They also discussed the organisational processes and proposal evaluation procedures in detail, to make sure that the future calls are as effective and appealing as possible for the scientific community in both countries.
The MoU represents an important step towards strengthening research collaboration between Polish and Spanish research teams. The partnership of NCN and AEI aims to foster knowledge exchange as well as formation of international research teams and implementation of ambitious research projects addressing the critical challenges of current science.