“I like to call basic research the fuel for all other types of research: industrial, translational, clinical,” said Sabina Górska, a microbiologist at the Polish Academy of Sciences, in Karpacz. “If Cooper and Miller had not studied the thymus, they would not have discovered T lymphocytes. Consequently, there would be no development of CAR-T therapy, which is revolutionising blood cancer treatment today. Basic research is an investment in the future, the effects of which we see after many years.”

Panel Discussion: Science in Action During this year's Economic Forum in Karpacz the National Science Centre organised its own discussion panels for the first time. On 2 September, the debate “Science in Action. From Basic Research to Practical Solutions” took place with the participation of scientists who have founded companies and develop technologies based on research results: Prof. Piotr Garstecki from the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), President of Scope Fluidics; Dr. hab. Sabina Górska, Professor at the Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prof. Jacek Jemielity, Chemist at the University of Warsaw, founder of ExploRNA and Dr hab. inż. Alicja Kazek-Kęsik, Professor at the Silesian University of Technology and NCN Council member. The discussion was led by Anna Korzekwa-Józefowicz.

The discussion focused on the role of basic research in creating innovation, on the skills and working methods developed in academia that prove effective in business, and on the conditions Poland should establish to compete more effectively in the global innovation ecosystem.

Our Own Forges of Invention

Piotr Garstecki explained why the competitiveness of the economy depends on the level of research. “Business is a race to better meet the customer’s needs. In this race, with a given level of knowledge, we reach a certain plateau – it becomes difficult to go further and gain an advantage. That’s when we need better technological solutions. And to have them, we need to conduct science at a level that is truly innovative. We live in a globalised world. The patent system is a global system. If someone in China, India, the United States or Germany invents and patents something, it doesn’t matter that we come up with the same thing five years later in Kielce or Warsaw. We’ll have to buy that technology from them. Ergo, to have a competitive long-term economy, we need our own forges of invention.”

He also spoke about the need to concentrate resources, comparing the Polish scientific system to the Boston ecosystem. “There, ten times fewer researchers work than in Poland. They use roughly the same amount of funding as all of Polish research, yet they produce four times more high-quality publications. And when it comes to technology companies, Boston alone has dozens of times more than the whole of Poland. It’s like the Amazon jungle, where unique specimens grow that can’t be found anywhere else. And in Poland? We scatter seeds all over the country, funding ten thousand small greenhouses where no tree can fit. What we need, however, is ‘density’. If we want to have a bit of the Amazon jungle, we can’t spread vines across all of Poland,” he emphasised.

“We can afford the vision of building the Central Communication Port, while at the same time financing bus lines or local rail connections, but we can’t afford to create strong research centres. And yet it is precisely the concentration of resources – this “density” – that is critical for conducting research at the highest level,” he added.

Jacek Jemielity questioned the division between basic and applied science. “The most important thing is that it’s good research – research that truly competes with the best research centres in the world. In my field – mRNA chemistry – the line between these two types of research is fluid. I don't know where one ends and the other begins. We try to publish our results in the best possible journals, but first we patent them if they have commercial potential, and then we either license them or implement them ourselves. However, if we want to see real change in Poland, we must increase funding for the first stage – the moment when the idea for a practical application is only just beginning to take shape,” he emphasised. “To reap a rich harvest, we must first sow something – choosing the best possible seeds that can grow into something exceptional on a global scale.”

Anna Korzekwa-Józefowicz, Jacek Jemielity, Alicja Kazek-Kęsik, Piotr Garstecki, Sabina Górska Alicja Kazek-Kęsik also highlighted the importance of funding research at this early stage. “If we enable projects at the lowest TRL levels, 1–2, some of them may turn out to be truly groundbreaking. It is worth supporting bold ideas, even if there is a risk they might not succeed – what matters is that they can be properly evaluated. It is crucial that innovation is not blocked from the very start,” she emphasised. As examples of solutions that grew out of basic research, she cited a method developed by a team at Jagiellonian University for identifying pathogens using mathematical models (combining computer science with microbiology) and T-shirts created at the Silesian University of Technology for monitoring heart activity, which use carbon nanotubes – providing a convenient alternative to traditional Holter monitors.

Researchers in business

The discussion participants also addressed the question of which skills – beyond strictly technical knowledge – gained in academia give researchers an advantage in business.

Piotr Garstecki highlighted curiosity, logic, disciplined thinking and the ability to collaborate. “In research, you have to carefully observe the world, look for opportunities and risks. You can’t stop at superficial explanations – you have to seek the truth. Even if hierarchical structures still exist in academia, good research is based on the exchange of ideas. All of this is extremely valuable in business.” Sabina Górska added: “Researchers know how to write projects – and not just scientific ones. In the PAN institutes, statutory funding is barely enough to buy gloves. So, we must be able to write a strong, convincing project, manage it and optimise resources. We are creative because we work under constrained conditions. Every zloty is examined from every angle, thinking about whether a given test can be used differently. This has made us very resourceful.” Alicia Kazek-Kęsik emphasised the ability to accept criticism: “In research, we learn that criticism is not an attack, but feedback. When entering industry, a researcher must ask: what is truly needed? Sometimes it turns out that the idea is good, but not profitable, or the market is too small. One must be able to accept this information, change direction, and devote time to strictly industrial research. At the same time, we must not lose sight of basic research, because it is the engine of development.” Jacek Jemielity added that his advantage as an entrepreneur developing his own research ideas is his deep understanding of the technology his company works on.

Where do innovations disappear?

What is the biggest obstacle for a researcher-innovator? When asked this question, the panellists pointed to bureaucracy and unstable funding. Jacek Jemielity highlighted the restrictive Public Procurement Law, which prolongs research processes, as well as low salaries and employment regulations that make it difficult to hire the best specialists. Alicja Kazek-Kęsik pointed out the unrealistic expectations placed on research. “It is often assumed that every project must end with implementation. This discourages researchers from taking on ambitious and risky topics, because they fear being held accountable if there is no commercial success,” she emphasised.

Sabina Górska spoke about the difficulties of valuing technology and communicating with business. “When it comes to sales, there’s always the question: are we pricing too low or too high? Often, we don’t speak the same language as business. And when it comes to initiating start-ups, although start-up culture in Poland is developing, there is still a lack of early-stage funding. Investors expect a prototype right away, or better yet proof that something is already being sold, while at this stage scientists often have only an idea,” she explained. She pointed to the TANGO programme, previously run by the NCN and NCBR, as a model example of support. “I used it twice. Thanks to it, we were able to verify our assumptions and sell a licence for a rapid diagnostic test for infections in pregnant women. This programme made it possible to check whether discoveries had industrial potential. Today, such a programme is sorely missing,” she emphasised.

One decision by the Minister

Science as an Investment. How to Win the Future? From the left: Krzysztof Jóźwiak, Wojciech Fendler i Krzysztof Pyrć The panellists were also asked by an audience member what single decision they would recommend to the Minister of Science. Alicja Kazek-Kęsik emphasised that ‘her heart lies with basic research’. “If a long-term plan for financing basic research were created, it would allow the NCN Council to work over a longer horizon on changes to the grant programs, tailoring them to the needs of the scientific community,” she noted. Jacek Jemielity supported Piotr Garstecki’s earlier remarks about the improper distribution of available funds. “I would advise the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to fund research more boldly in a quality-oriented way. If we want to spread money thinly across everyone, we won’t generate any real effect. If financial instruments were designed to promote quality, we could expect better results,” he said. Piotr Garstecki added that it is worth fully embracing the fact that the Ministry’s name combines both science and higher education. “These are two different worlds and should be supported differently. We fund public transport, but when it comes to space travel, instead of a network of regional airports, we need one cosmodrome that can at least get us to the Moon,” he illustrated. “The most important thing is to increase funding and ensure greater stability of the system,” summarised Sabina Górska. “Let’s not change the rules every year or two. We need predictability and support for basic research.

Research as an investment

On the last day of the Economic Forum, 4 September, the panel “Science as an Investment. How to Win the Future?” was held, featuring Professor Wojciech Fendler, President of the Medical Research Agency; Krzysztof Jóźwiak, Director of the National Science Centre (NCN); and Krzysztof Pyrć, President of the Foundation for Polish Science. The discussion focused on the role of the state in funding research and how decisions made today will shape Poland’s position in the coming decades. This topic was also addressed in the first episode of the 4th season of the NCN podcast – available for the first time in video format – featuring the heads of the agency. Krzysztof Jóźwiak also took part in the panel “In Search of Scientific Excellence.” He also discussed work on the National Strategy for the Internationalisation of Science and Higher Education, organised by NAWA.

ERC Starting Grants have just been awarded to six researchers with Polish affiliations. Five of them are NCN grantees.

The ERC Starting Grants is one of the most prestigious grant programmes designed to support early-career researchers with 2-7 years of post-PhD experience, outstanding academic track record and ideas for their own ambitious research projects. This year, the European Research Council received nearly 4,000 proposals from researchers across the continent, totalling EUR 761 million. This time, the maximum grant is EUR 1.5 million.

NCN Grantees With ERC Funding 

In this edition of ERC Starting Grants, six winning applicants are affiliated with Polish research institutions, including Dr Mykhailo Batiuk (Łukasiewicz – PORT Polish Centre for Technology Development), Dr Damian Dąbrowski (Institute of Mathematics, Polish Academy of Sciences), Dr inż. Wojciech Krauze (Warsaw University of Technology), Dr Dominik Paprotny (University of Szczecin), Dr Rene Poncelet (Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences) and Dr hab. inż. Anna Siekierka, University of Wrocław Professor (University of Wrocław). Prof. Anna Siekierka and Dr inż. Wojciech Krauze are former NCN grant winners, whilst proposals submitted by Dr Damian Dąbrowski, Dr Dominik Paprotny and Dr Rene Poncelet were recommended for funding under the calls launched last year.

Congratulations to all of them!

Dealing With Used batteries 

Dr hab. inż. Anna Siekierka is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology. He focuses her scientific work on electromembrane processes used for selective separation of metal ions and energy recovery. She currently heads is a SONATA project and is a former PRELUDIUM grant winner. The ERC grant will enable her and her team to work on the ReHeal4waste project aimed to handle battery waste. A specially designed membrane will be constructed to separate valuable raw materials from the solution derived from used batteries so that they can be reused.

Improved Holographic Tomography

Dr inż. Wojciech Krauze is a member of the BioPhase Imaging Team at the Faculty of Mechatronics, Warsaw University of Technology. His research interests include quantitative phase imaging algorithms, tomographic reconstruction methods, and inverse problems. From the beginning of his research career he has been involved in optical tomography, also under an NCN-funded PRELUDIUM project. He will lead the awarded Re.HOG project aimed to enable holographic tomography to work effectively in reflection mode to allow researchers to obtain the same detailed information as in classical holographic tomography, but without the need to isolate patient samples.

Geometric Measure Theory/h3>

Dr Damian Dąbrowski from the Institute of Mathematics, Polish Academy of Sciences will focus on geometric measure theory (GMT), an area of analysis seeking to solve geometric problems using the tools of measure theory. The ERC grant was awarded for his QPROJECT aimed to prove quantitative projection results, with special focus on Vitushkin's conjecture from 1967, conjecture of Besicovitch about the radial projections of purely uncertifiable sets and visibility conjecture from fractal geometry, which is closely related to quantifying Marstrand’s classical slicing theorem. In May, Dr Dąbrowski joined the ranks of SONATA 20 grantees.

Community’s Responses to Flooding

Dr Dominik Paprotny works at the University of Szczecin and his scientific interests focus on the risk of fooding, socio-hydrology, risk management and climate changes. As part of the ERC grant, he will develop a dynamic model of community’s response to flooding. Using scenario-based projections of climate and socio-economic changes, he aims to estimate potential flood damages by 2100. In February, he received SONATA BIS 14 grant.

Experiments at the Large Hadron Collider

Dr Rene Poncelet works at the Department of Theoretical Particle Physics of the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences. As part of the ERC grant, he will carry out experiments at the Large Hadron Collider. The STAPLE project aims at creating a new, highly precise computer simulation of particle collisions. This tool will be an extremely important element of research, offering opportunities for groundbreaking discoveries and, consequently, a more complete understanding of the universe around us. Dr Poncelet has recently been awarded SONATA 20 funding. 

On behalf of the QuantERA network, the National Science Centre (NCN) is pleased to announce the fifth call for international research projects in the field of quantum technologies.

The QuantERA Call 2025 is open to transnational research consortia comprising organisations from at least three different countries listed in the Call.

Funding will be provided for projects in one of the following two topics:

• Quantum Phenomena and Resources (QPR)
• Applied Quantum Science (AQS)

In Poland, researchers may apply for funding from the National Science Centre (NCN) or the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), depending on the scope of the proposed research. NCN provides funding for basic research projects in  QPR.

Polish research teams applying for NCN funding must prepare joint proposals with their foreign partners, and national proposal for the Polish part of the project. The principal investigator of the Polish research team must be at least PhD holder.

The QuantERA Call 2025 follows a single-stage procedure, with a total budget of approximately EUR 53 million. Projects may be performed over 24 or 36 months.

Partner Search Tool

Looking for partners or opportunities to join a project? Use the Partner Search Tool available here.

Call Calendar

• 8 October 2025: General webinar for applicants
• 21 October 2025: Webinar for Polish applicants
• 5 December 2025, 17:00 CET: Joint proposal submission date
• 12 December 2025: National proposal submission date at NCN
• May 2026: Notification of accepted proposals
• June-September 2026: Expected start of funded projects

The second project submitted to Weave-UNISONO 2025 has been awarded funding. Nearly PLN 2 million was slated for research on enzymes that catalyse RNA synthesis. The project will be performed by Dr hab. Tomasz Turowski and his team from the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences.

The project titled “Molecular mechanisms underlying the biogenesis of RNA polymerases I and III” will be carried out in bilateral collaboration with German researchers headed by Prof. Christoph Engel from the University of Regensburg. Researchers representing two research groups will join their forces to study RNA polymerases I and III, so-called molecular machines involved in the production of structural and functional RNAs which are essential for the generation of ribosomes that catalyse protein synthesis.

The researchers aim to understand the staps that lead to the formation of these complex structures and to identify the proteins that support their assembly. The findings may help us understand the fundamental cellular processes and be of critical importance to medicine. Mutations in the genes encoding subunit RNA polymerases are directly linked with a variety of rare genetic diseases, including Treacher-Collins syndrome and Hypomelynating Leukodystrophy. Understanding how RNA polymerases I and III are assembled may improve the diagnostics and treatment of these diseases in the future.

The proposal was reviewed by the German Research Foundation (DFG), and the results of their review were accepted by the National Science Centre under the Weave collaboration. The second ranking list for proposals submitted to the 2025 call has just been published.

Weave-UNISONO and Lead Agency Procedure (LAP)

The Weave programme builds on the multilateral international cooperation between the research funding agencies associated in Science Europe and aims at simplifying the submission and selection procedures of research proposals in all academic disciplines involving researchers from two or three European countries.

The winning projects are selected pursuant to the Lead Agency Procedure which means that only one partner institution performs the merit-based evaluation, while the other partners must accept the evaluation results.

Under the Weave programme, partner research teams apply for parallel funding of their projects to the Lead Agency and their respective research funding institutions participating in the Weave programme. Joint projects must include a coherent research program with the added value of the international cooperation clearly defined.

The Weave-UNISONO call is carried out on an ongoing basis. Research teams intending to cooperate with partners from Austria, Czechia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, Luxemburg and Belgium-Flanders, are encouraged to read the call text and apply.

Investment in research pays off – in the most literal sense. Thanks to research, we save lives, extend their length, and improve their quality. Solutions that shape everyday life stem from basic research – from digital technologies and innovations in energy or climate protection to social and humanities research that shows how to introduce these changes fairly and effectively.

This is the subject of the first episode of season 4 of the NCN podcast, now available for the first time in a video format. Anna Korzekwa-Józefowicz talks with Prof. Wojciech Fendler, President of the Medical Research Agency, Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwiak, Director of the National Science Centre, and Prof. Krzysztof Pyrć, who in September will take on the role of President of the Foundation for Polish Science. It is a conversation about why without basic research there can be no innovation, and why investing in research determines the kind of country we will live in 10, 20 or 30 years from now.

Research changes everyday life

Professor Wojciech Fendler gives an example that best illustrates how research transforms our lives:

“If, 100 years ago, my child had developed leukaemia, they would have died within a month, and the only thing I could do would be to make sure they didn’t suffer. Today, if a child develops leukaemia, the probability of surviving and growing into a healthy adult is around 90%. That’s a higher chance of survival than an elderly person breaking their hip just stepping out of the bathtub. All of this happened over the course of 100 years – but actually faster than that. In 1947, Farber used aminopterin and methotrexate to achieve the first remissions of the disease in children in Boston. Then an entire field of chemotherapy and oncological treatment emerged. Today, many cancers have become chronic conditions with a high probability of cure. All of this is the result of basic research – a transfer of scientific ideas from the laboratory to the clinic. Without funding for such discoveries at the very beginning, this simply wouldn’t have been possible.”

Professor Krzysztof Pyrć recalls the history of HIV:

“In the early 1980s, the disease was essentially 100% fatal. No one knew why people were suddenly dying. Only thanks to prior scientific work – basic research – were we able to understand what viruses are, develop molecular biology methods to detect them and create diagnostic tests. Within ten years, a treatment was successfully developed that brought people back to life. Doctors told me that it was absolutely terrifying: all patients were dying, until suddenly the first drug appeared, and those same patients began to recover. Today we have dozens of therapies that allow people to live normal lives. Moreover, preventive drugs have appeared, acting somewhat like a vaccine – taken twice a year, they significantly reduce the risk of transmission. This is the first real chance to stop the greatest pandemic of the 20th century.”

Professor Krzysztof Jóźwiak adds an example from another field:

“It turns out that plants emit sounds in response to stress. Only recently has it been possible to decode them using artificial intelligence. It seems that very soon, technology will emerge where microphones placed in crop fields will capture plant sounds and inform farmers: it's too dry here, and a pest has appeared here. This is proof that even the most basic research can soon lead to practical solutions that change our lives.”

What is needed for research to really pay off

For such discoveries to emerge, three things are necessary: stable funding, a long-term strategy, and a system that rewards quality.

Professor Wojciech Fendler: “The strategy must be long-term and coherent. A comprehensive system – say, for funding science – should promote the same goals and behaviours across all areas. We have institutions funding research at various levels, but this pyramid rests on weak foundations. There is a lack of money. We need to direct our best talent into research to carry out the highest-quality basic research, because otherwise innovations simply will not emerge.”

Professor Krzysztof Pyrć: “The motto of the Foundation for Polish Science is: support the best so they become even better. And this is key – there will always be too little money. If we don’t focus on quality, we will dilute the system. In Poland, the linear model persists: a researcher is supposed to come up with an idea, then implement it themselves and develop a company. But that doesn't work. The most effective models are open, iterative ones – where everyone sits at the same table and collaborates, from universities to business.”

Professor Krzysztof Jóźwiak: “Very often we encounter a bottleneck when basic research ends, and the stage of first prototypes or patent protection begins. Here we have a gap. The National Science Centre has always recognised this problem – we were co-initiators of the TANGO programme, which was meant to address it. But what is needed are systemic, continuous solutions, not temporary fixes.”

Research as an investment

The guests agree: research is not a cost, but an investment with the highest rate of return.

“Without strong basic research, there will be no strong applied research that can be implemented in practice and that can lead to new drugs or technological solutions,” emphasises Prof. Fendler.

“Everything that surrounds us – from mobile phones to modern therapies – is the result of research. The world is racing forward, and we need to conduct research well, fund it wisely and communicate it clearly,” says Prof. Pyrć.

"We have researchers in Poland ready to compete with the world. What’s needed is a system that allows them to carry their ideas from basic research to solutions that impact societal development,” Jóźwiak says.

Podcast and Economic Forum in Karpacz

The episode “Research that pays off” opens the new season of the NCN podcast, available in both audio and video format. The debate will continue during the Economic Forum in Karpacz – the podcast guests will participate in the panel “Research as an Investment. How to Win the Future?”

During the Economic Forum we are also organising the panel “Research in Action: From Basic Research to Practical Solutions.” Throughout the event, you can also visit us at the Polish Science Pavilion, organised by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

The National Science Centre can use the Treasury bonds released by the PM. The interpretation provided by the Ministry of Finance and clarification of legal doubts will allow the funds to be gradually released starting in 2026.

In November 2024, the Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Treasury bonds would be issued to the National Science Centre. The Prime Minister’s intention was to allocate the proceeds from the bonds primarily for research projects carried out by early-career researchers.

On 17 December 2024, the National Science Centre received assets with a nominal value of PLN 500 million, with maturities between 2027 and 2034. However, new doubts have arisen as to whether the funds can be allocated for research without an amendment to the NCN Act. Further legal and financial analyses were required. On 20 August 2025, after received the opinion from the Ministry of Finance, it was decided that the bonds can be incorporated into the NCN’s financial planning for the coming years.

“The scientific community has high and well-justified expectations as regarding additional funding. Therefore, we are pleased the issue will soon be resolved. PLN 500 million is an investment in early-career researchers and basic research that paves the way for progress – the future of Polish science and country’s growth,” says Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwiak, NCN Director.

We are currently working on how to allocate proceeds from the bonds to finance research projects. Further details will be communicated in upcoming updates.

92 researchers will join the winners of the nineth round of MINIATURA. They will conduct research activities valued at over 3.5 million zlotys. Here are the results for proposals submitted in May.

Under MINIATURA, researchers with a PhD degree awarded over the past 12 years could apply for funding of their research activities in research institutions located all over Poland. Any subject was allowed, as long as it remained within the scope of basic research. Research activities could be carried out in the form of preliminary studies, library and archive searches or research visits. Funds of PLN 5,000 to PLN 50,000 could be requested for a period of 12 months by researchers who were not former winners of NCN calls and whose scientific achievements included at least one paper published or at least one artistic achievement or achievement in research in art. 

The call for proposals was open from the beginning of February to the end of July. The results are published on a monthly basis. The fourth round of results concerns proposals submitted in May.

We have awarded a total of 92 grants, including 71 for research activities in preliminary or pilot studies, 2 for library and archive searches, 9 for business trips and 10 for research activities involving mixed approaches. A total of 3,557,772 zlotys in funding was awarded.

Ranking Lists

Ranking Lists in PDF format

Research Subjects on Fourth Ranking List for MINIATURA 9

26 research activities received funding in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (HS) for a total of over 670 thousand zlotys. Dr Aleksandra Pudło from the Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk will carry out preliminary studies on the origins of early medieval inhabitants of Gdansk. Dr Paweł Lewandowski from the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn will conduct pilot studies on the optimal model of debt relief for individuals not running a business and Dr Natasza Doiczman-Łoboda from the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań will go on a research visit to collect and analyse experience of young adults after leaving foster care in Poland, the USA and Canada.

A group 32 winners in Physical Sciences and Engineering (NZ) includes Dr inż. Magdalena Pietrzak from the Koszalin University of Technology. She will complete preliminary studies and go on a research visit concerning transport of sediment mixture in steady flow over a mobile bed under dynamic liquefaction caused by mechanical vibrations. Owing to MINIATURA funding, Dr inż. Bartłomiej Kruk from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology will be able to develop a reference database of Polish speech recordings for the study of the quality and intelligibility of natural and synthetic voices and Dr Natalia Śmigiel-Gac from the Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials of the Polish Academy of Sciences will conduct preliminary studies on poly(esteramine) nanoparticles designed to fight against drug-resistant bacteria.

Dr Adrianna Rutkowska from the Medical University of Łódź is one of the 34 grant recipients in Life Sciences (NZ). She will evaluate the presence of SEC61G-EGFR fusion protein in glioblastoma multiforme cells which may negatively impact the success of CAR-T therapy against EGFRvIII. Other grant winners in NZ include Dr Dominik Wawrzuta from the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, who is set to study the impact of medical terminology on public perception of radiation oncology, and Dr hab. Michał Brzeziński from the Medical University of Gdańsk, who will develop and validate analytical method to detect microplastics in human intestinal tissue

The subjects of research activities from the fourth Ranking List for MINIATURA 9

Funding by discipline:

• Humanities, Social Sciences and Art Sciences (HS): 26 research activities valued at PLN 672,282
• Physical Sciences and Engineering (ST): 32 research activities valued at PLN 1,367,683
• Life Sciences (NZ): 34 research activities valued at PLN 1,517,807

Total funding: 92 research activities with a total value of PLN 3,557,772.

285 research activities have received funding under four rounds of MINIATURA 9, with a total value of 11.1 million zlotys. Two more ranking lists are still to come, for proposals submitted in June and July. Proposals are evaluated in a single procedure by experts appointed by the NCN Council.

Dr hab. Łukasz Smaga alongside his team from the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and research partners from Germany will seek new ways for powerful statistical inference. Over 500,000 zlotys will be allocated to the Polish part of the project.

The project Powerful inference for functional data in complex factorial designs is the first one recommended for funding under the 2025 Call. It will be carried out in collaboration with researchers from the TU Dortmund University headed by Prof. Dr. Markus Pauly. The project was evaluated by the German Research Foundation (DFG), and the evaluation results were approved by the National Science Centre under the Weave collaboration.

The researchers aim not only to develop methods for the analysis of functional data, focusing on statistical tests and confidence regions, but also to prepare guidelines for applying these methods to biostatistical problems. This comprehensive approach aims to bridge the gap between advanced statistical theory and real-world applications. It represents a significant step forward in the field of functional data analysis, which has recently become a significant tool in statistics. Functional data analysis is especially effective when data are densely sample, for example, in medicine, when patients wear a device that automatically measures blood pressure and heart rate at regular intervals over a 24-hour period. The resulting output is a set of trajectories of these variables, which can be modelled as functional data. The project results will be integrated with practical statistical tools in the form of efficient software that will find application in real research problems, in particular in medicine. Example applications include the analysis of biomedical and biostatistical data.

Weave-UNISONO and Lead Agency Procedure

The Weave-UNISONO call builds on the multilateral international cooperation between the research funding agencies associated in Science Europe and aims at simplifying the submission and selection procedures in all academic disciplines, involving researchers from two or three European countries.

The selection process is based on the Lead Agency Procedure (LAP), under which only one partner institution performs a merit-based evaluation and the others simply accept the result.

Under Weave, partner research teams apply in parallel to the lead agency and their respective domestic institutions participating in the call. Their joint proposal must include coherent research plans and clearly spell out the added value of international cooperation.

The Weave-UNISONO call accepts proposals on a rolling basis. Polish teams wishing to partner up with colleagues from Austria, Czechia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium-Flanders are encouraged to carefully read the call text and submit their funding proposals.

Feel free to take part in a survey on the Social Protection Systems and Essential Services. It is one of the four priority areas of the EC proposed Social Transformations and Resilience Partnership (STR). As part of the future Partnership, a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) is being developed, defining the activities of the Partnership from 2026 onwards.

Therefore, we welcome your participation in a survey to identify trends affecting the future of Social Protection Systems and Essential Services, and overlooked directions. The survey is addressed to all interested parties, in particular representatives of the research community, governing authorities, NGO sector, public institutions and think tanks.

The survey will take approximately 10-20 minutes to complete, depending on the extent of the information provided. Responses are anonymous and will only be used for the purpose of examining trends for the preparation of the SRIA.

The survey can be completed until 10 September 2025.

Link to survey

For any questions about the survey please contact: str-foresight@dlr.de  

The guest of #rozmowaNCN series is Dr Zofia Boni, a social anthropologist from the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, who studies how senior citizens experience and cope with heatwaves.

Climate change isn’t just about models and forecasts – it’s also part of people’s everyday lives. Project “Experiencing Climate Change: A Transdisciplinary Research of Urban Overheating” (EmCliC), led by the team of Dr Zofia Boni, focused on how heatwaves affect the lives of older urban residents. The research was conducted in Warsaw and Madrid – cities with different climates and histories of adapting to high temperatures.

The researchers asked seniors how they experience heatwaves, how they cope with them and how the heat affects their health. By combining social and natural science methods and using new technologies, they created a multidimensional picture of everyday life in a changing climate. The research project was complemented by the activities of the Science and Society initiative, which allowed the team to share their findings with senior citizens and community organisations and to establish closer cooperation with Warsaw City Council.

Anna Korzekwa-Józefowicz: Which district of Warsaw offers the best quality of life for seniors, considering climate change?

Zofia Boni, credit: M. Łepecki/NCN Zofia Boni: It’s actually easier for me to say which districts seniors avoid in the summer – because that clearly emerged from our research. The people we interviewed said they deliberately steer clear of the city centre. They change plans – doctor’s appointments, administrative errands, meetings with family and friends – all just to avoid being in the city centre during the heat.

So where do they seek relief, and what strategies do they use to cope with the heat?

Many people talked about local parks – depending on where they live – as places that can be genuinely pleasant. Especially if they are a bit further from the centre or even outside the city, like Kampinos Park.

Some – those who could afford it – also mentioned buying allotments, especially community gardens within the city. Or they even mentioned plots outside the city and summer trips as strategies for coping with the heatwave.

This is, in fact, a solution we observe in other European cities as well, but it is mostly available to people in privileged situations. Because not everyone can afford to buy a plot and spend the entire summer outside the city.

When temperatures rise, the media often issue warnings, mainly aimed at seniors, not to leave their homes.

Staying indoors is also an adaptive strategy, but – as our research showed – it’s not always effective. Some participants noted that spending entire days inside, even in shaded apartments, negatively affected their physical and mental well-being. There was a feeling of isolation, depression.

Moreover, although many apartments provide relief from the heat, some become very hot and even dangerous. That’s why some said they spent their days in supermarkets or shopping malls – simply because it was cooler there. However, they stressed that it was a frustrating experience. Walking around the store, unwilling or unable to spend money, was not a form of rest for our participants – it was a survival strategy.

Discussions about climate change most often focus on its impacts on future generations. Your team focused on seniors. What was the reason for choosing this particular group?

Indeed, the dominant narrative still holds the belief that the effects of climate change will only arrive in the future. And in this sense, they will affect future generations. However, our goal was to show that these changes are not a distant prospect but something happening right now and experienced daily – as in the case of the heatwaves we studied. And the consequences are felt most strongly by those particularly vulnerable to heat stress, including seniors. Using a variety of methods, we therefore looked at how older adults cope with heat, how they perceive it, how they respond and how they adapt.

What methods were used?

The project employed an interdisciplinary approach, combining climate and epidemiological modelling – used to analyse the impact of heat on older people’s health – with quantitative and qualitative social research conducted in Warsaw and Madrid.

One of the main components was the so-called “thermal survey,” i.e. a research process that included a representative group of over a thousand older residents in each city. It combined questionnaires with temperature measurements. At the same time, we carried out qualitative research using ethnographic methods, also combined with temperature measurements, as well as focus group interviews and participatory workshops. Based on the ethnographic research conducted in Madrid, we also produced a film titled “The Wave”, featuring participants in the research.

Our aim was to combine so-called objective data, such as temperature readings, with the subjective experiences and perceptions of older adults. This allowed us to create a multidimensional picture of everyday life under increasingly intense heat.

Zofia Boni, credit: M. Łepecki/NCN Intuitively, one might assume that residents of Madrid are better adapted to heat than those in Warsaw simply because they’ve had more time to get used to higher temperatures.

That was one of our hypotheses and the reason we chose to compare Warsaw, a city where residents have historically dealt more with cold, with Madrid, which is culturally more accustomed to heat. Our findings partially confirmed that intuition. Older adults living in Madrid tend to be more aware of how heat affects their bodies and health, and they’re better at recognising the moment when action is needed to avoid overheating. The differences are visible both in individual practices and in urban infrastructure.

But even if temperatures in Warsaw are objectively lower than in Madrid, Warsaw residents may find them more difficult to cope with. Our bodies, homes and entire cities are not adapted to prolonged heat. That’s why, paradoxically, dealing with 35°C in Madrid may be easier than 25°C in Warsaw.

That doesn’t mean, however, that heat isn’t a serious issue for older adults in Madrid – quite the opposite. Temperatures there are also rising, increasingly reaching 40°C in the summer. So, despite a certain level of acclimatisation, the problem is very much felt there as well.

Housing in the south is better suited to hot summers, so perhaps at least it doesn't become as much of a trap for seniors?

Construction methods have been adapted to high temperatures for decades: light-coloured facades, shutters – all designed to keep interiors at least a bit cooler. In Madrid, far more people have air conditioning than in Warsaw, but many use it very sparingly. Because of high energy costs, many people turn the air conditioning on for just 10–15 minutes to slightly cool the room – and then immediately turn it off. They simply cannot afford to use it more.

We’re talking about heatwaves, even though this summer in Warsaw hasn’t been particularly hot – a fact often used by those who question the existence of climate change. Have you also come across such attitudes among seniors during your research?

There are studies we referred to that suggest those most affected by the impacts of climate change are also more aware of its existence. Island communities are often cited here and indeed, in many cases, this awareness is high there. At the same time, however, there is often a lack of understanding that the extreme weather events we’re experiencing – such as heatwaves, wildfires, heavy rainfall and the resulting floods – are consequences of human-induced climate change.

What surprised us was the high level of awareness among our respondents. In both Warsaw and Madrid, older adults clearly understood that what they were experiencing was connected to climate change. In Warsaw, 71% of respondents in the thermal survey said that climate change affects their daily lives, and as many as 95% linked the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves to this phenomenon.

My impression is that this group – the elderly – recognised the seriousness of the situation earlier than others. This awareness stems from both their specific physiological and social vulnerability. We began this research in 2020, i.e. five years ago. Since then, a lot has changed – both in terms of rising temperatures and the way heatwaves are talked about today. The topic has clearly gained importance, and awareness of the risks associated with extreme heat has grown significantly.

Participants in our research said that even a few years ago, they anticipated that heat would become an increasing challenge for them, and they took concrete steps in response: some bought garden plots as a place to retreat, while others invested in simple things like electric fans.

Groups particularly vulnerable to heat stress, source: EmCliC We are talking about individual solutions. And how should cities prepare to make life easier for seniors?

We explored this question during participatory workshops held this year as part of the Science and Society initiative. We were interested in what, from the perspective of older adults, should change in urban adaptation policies.

Participants shared very specific ideas. They pointed out that Warsaw lacks easy access to drinking water: fountains are scarce, hard to find, and often it’s unclear whether they’re even working. Many also mentioned the lack of shade in public spaces – even in parks, benches are often fully exposed to the sun, and reaching them, especially in the heat, can be difficult. One idea they came up with was to open cooling centres – which, as it turns out, were indeed launched in Warsaw this summer. But they also emphasised that, for many seniors, getting to these locations might be impossible – either because they’re too far away or require crossing overheated intersections and waiting at unshaded bus stops.

A particularly interesting idea was the so-called “cooling day camps”; that is, organised day trips outside the city to give older adults a break from the urban heat. There was also a proposal for municipal subsidies to help customise homes to rising temperatures; for example, funding for installing awnings or shutters that improve comfort during hot days. These suggestions became a starting point for further discussions with experts and city officials.

Do city officials understand and support these proposals?

Many adaptation measures are highly individual. The responsibility for coping with the heat largely falls on individuals, and social and economic factors play a huge role here – not everyone can afford to leave the city or install and use air conditioning.

But it is clear that the city is taking measures to mitigate the effects of high temperatures. One example is the introduction of “cooling spots,” opened for the first time this year – there are nearly 150 of these across Warsaw. These are public spaces where people can escape the heat and rest. There are also more and more drinking fountains being installed. However, communication remains a challenge – although maps showing the locations of cooling spots and water fountains exist, many seniors simply don’t know these resources are available or where to find them. Beyond the solutions themselves, we need better information and outreach to ensure this knowledge reaches those who need it most.

Systemic solutions that are accessible to all are crucial. Only such widespread and public measures can truly support those most vulnerable to heat stress. Adapting to heatwaves shouldn’t be just a private matter for each individual, but a part of urban policy, collective responsibility and climate justice.

Not everyone can afford to install or heavily use air conditioning – as we saw with the seniors in Madrid.

Air-conditioning is actually an example of so-called maladaptation, i.e. measures that seem helpful but may worsen the situation in the long run. Individual air conditioning does provide relief by cooling homes and improving thermal comfort, but it also carries negative consequences. These are not only health-related, as the body becomes less accustomed to high temperatures, but also environmental. Widespread use of air conditioners in cities increases the urban heat island effect and raises city temperatures and is also associated with increased consumption of fossil fuel energy.

So, while we improve conditions locally, we may simultaneously be making things worse for others. It’s important to talk about this because it highlights how uneven climate adaptation can be. We could end up with a situation where some people live in air-conditioned homes, work in air-conditioned offices, and drive air-conditioned cars, while others, without access to such solutions, experience the increasing impacts of heatwaves. This social dimension of adaptation and issues of climate justice are crucial to keep in mind.