At the beginning of March 2026, the M-ERA.NET network will launch its next call for international research projects. The call focuses on research and innovation in materials technology, aimed at supporting the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Development Goals.

This year’s edition will cover the following thematic areas:

• Clean energy technologies;
• Circular economy;
• Digital technology integration.

For more information, please visit the official M-ERA.NET program website.

Note: This announcement is for informational purposes only. Detailed terms and conditions will be specified in the official call for proposals.

We are pleased to announce that the Czech agency GAČR will conduct a call for proposals under the Weave programme between 9 February and 31 March 2026, with the Czech agency acting as the lead agency.

Under the Weave-UNISONO call, if a joint proposal is submitted to GAČR, an NCN proposal must be submitted electronically via the OSF submission system as soon as possible following the submission of the joint proposal to the GAČR, by 7 April 2026, 23:59 p.m. at the latest.

PLEASE NOTE: Once the work on the NCN proposal has started in the OSF submission system, the Polish research team has 45 calendar days to complete the proposal and submit it to the NCN. After that, the proposal can no longer be edited, in which case a Polish research team that has not sent its proposal to the NCN must prepare a new proposal and complete it in the OSF submission system.

On 16 January 2026, the National Science Centre in Kraków hosted a strategic meeting of the EOSC Poland Network. Representatives of more than twenty institutions from across the country gathered at the headquarters of the NCN — the coordinator of the national partnership and the EOSC node — to discuss the development of the European Open Science Cloud to date and Poland’s role in the initiative. The main topics were progress in building the EOSC Federation, its transition to the operational phase, and development prospects for the coming years.

The meeting was opened by Marcin Liana, NCN Deputy Director, who emphasised the importance of cooperation within the research community in developing open science and digital infrastructure. “We are meeting at a crucial moment in the development of the European Open Science Cloud. EOSC has moved beyond a project-based initiative and is becoming a lasting component of the European research and innovation ecosystem, firmly embedded in key EU strategies and policy directions. Its role is increasingly emphasised both in the context of research and technological infrastructure development and in discussions on AI in science and large-scale use of research data,” he noted, adding that the federated model of EOSC is particularly important, as it enables national and institutional resources to be combined into a coherent, interoperable whole. “In this context, cooperation with research infrastructures, e-infrastructures, data infrastructures, as well as competence centres — both national and European — plays a key role,” Marcin Liana stressed. “They can significantly strengthen the potential of open science, increase the visibility of Polish resources, and facilitate their reuse.”

The EOSC Federation enters the operational phase

In the next part of the meeting, Aneta Pazik-Aybar, Head of the Open Science Team at the National Science Centre and Coordinator of the EOSC Poland national node, took the floor. She explained the fundamentals of the EOSC Federation, the current stage of its development, and clarified the position of the Polish node. The Federation is currently transitioning from the build-up phase to the operational phase. In 2025, several organisations were involved in the work, and the signing ceremony of the Letter of Intent during the Symposium in Brussels formalised cooperation mechanisms. On 16 January, the director of the National Science Centre, Prof. Dr hab. Krzysztof Jóźwiak, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the Polish EOSC node.

Aneta Pazik-Aybar also presented the benefits of EOSC Poland, a project intended to provide support for the integration of national research data infrastructure. “To date, many resources have not been interoperable or compliant with standards; there has been no federated AAI, and smaller research teams have lacked access to technical support,” she said. “EOSC Poland responds to these needs by integrating Polish institutions with the European cloud, promoting FAIR standards, offering unified access to services, and supporting multi- and interdisciplinary research.” Concluding her speech, she outlined a plan for 2026, which anticipates intensive development of the Federation — transition to operational mode, inviting additional institutions to join the nodes, introduction of monitoring and cybersecurity standards, development of participation rules, and work on a governance and funding model after 2027. The first quarter of 2026 also saw a meeting called Winter School EOSC 2026, with this year’s format supporting the expansion of the Federation.

EOSC EU Node – the first European EOSC node

Dr inż. Norbert Meyer, Head of the Data Processing Technologies Division at the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Centre, presented the EOSC EU Node: the European Commission's first European EOSC node, which initiated the creation of the European federation — an access point to open science services. Participants were able to see, in practice, how data resources, computing tools, and analytical environments work. Numerous questions from the audience demonstrated growing interest in the practical aspects of integration with EOSC.

Norbert Meyer emphasised that EOSC involves not only open research data, but also data relating to the economy, administration, and society. “The European Commission's policy concerns openness and equal access to results, publications, and experimental data from EU-funded R&D activities,” he said. “This opens up access to repositories, providing opportunities for big data analytics supported by AI and machine learning algorithms, together with LLM models. A new level of access to data enables the extraction of information and the acquisition of knowledge. At the same time, we are seeing new areas opening up in science and the economy thanks to open data sources supported by AI.”

A support platform for Polish researchers

In the next presentation, Roksana Wilk, Head of the Data Processing Laboratory at the Academic Computer Centre CYFRONET AGH, spoke about the eosc.pl platform, which supports Polish researchers in accessing EOSC resources.

“EOSC.pl significantly strengthens the implementation of standards and interoperability, without which open science remains a mere promise,” she noted. “The platform facilitates publishing, organising, and finding research resources, as well as their reuse in research projects. A well-designed national node allows Poland to participate coherently and reliably in the EOSC Federation, genuinely speeding up and improving the quality of scientific collaboration across Europe.”

Gateways to EOSC Federation services

In the second part of the event, Dr Monika Góral-Kurbiel, representing the EOSC Gravity project funded under Horizon Europe and the NCN Open Science Team, discussed calls related to the development of the Federation. The second call for EOSC nodes will identify institutions ready to act as “gateways” to Federation services, providing access to data and tools for research communities. The call is selective in nature, with no direct funding.

Monika Góral-Kurbiel emphasised that, in parallel, preparatory and inter-project calls are being run under the Gravity project, supporting candidates in preparing documentation, pilot implementations, and training materials. Both calls provide a budget of EUR 50,000 per project.

EOSC Handbook

Finally, Natalia Galica from the NCN Open Science Team presented the EOSC Handbook — a practical guide for organisations joining the Federation, designed to facilitate understanding of operating models, services, and participation procedures.

“The EOSC Handbook is a much-needed and practical guide for institutions wishing to join the EOSC Federation,” she noted. “It clarifies the nature and operation of Nodes, along with the EOSC Federation's participation rules and mechanisms. I am delighted to be part of this initiative and to co-create solutions that genuinely advance science.”

The meeting concluded with a summary and a discussion about the next steps. Informal discussions continued for a long time, focusing on directions for further cooperation, new opportunities, and Poland’s role in building the European research data infrastructure. The dynamic and energetic atmosphere showed that for many institutions the event marked the start of new initiatives and joint projects.

The fourth edition of the EEA and Norway Grants focuses on fundamental research that helps to improve understanding of key social and environmental challenges. As the programme operator, NCN will support projects that combine different research fields and produce results that can be used in the development of public policy.

Signing of agreements for the first five programmes funded under the fourth edition of the EEA and Norway Grants: Secretary of State at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy Jan Szyszko, Chair of the Financial Mechanisms Committee Kristin Hansen, and Dr Marcin Liana, Deputy Director of the National Science Centre, photo: MFiPR The programme agreements initiating the fourth edition for the years 2021–2028 were signed on 4 February 2026 at the Museum of Polish History in Warsaw. The budget for the “Basic Research” programme exceeds EUR 71 million, and project funding will be available until the end of April 2031.

In this edition, we have planned two research calls and two supporting calls, addressed to research teams implementing projects in collaboration with partners from Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The calls are GRIEG BIS (with a budget of EUR 50 million) and the interdisciplinary LANGSPIL (with a budget of EUR 12 million). Both will be launched in 2026 and will include three-year projects implemented on a bilateral or multilateral basis. Projects submitted to the calls will need to align with at least one of the three donor priorities specified in the Blue Book: green transition, democracy and the rule of law, and social transformations and resilience. Also this year, the first of the supporting calls will be launched — Coordination & Capacity Kick-off — aimed at supporting team formation and developing research concepts for international interdisciplinary projects. The second supporting call — Coordination & Capacity Follow-up — is planned for 2028 and will support the valorisation of knowledge generated in projects funded under the programme. We will also strengthen polar research through the predefined project SPARK, which will involve scientists from Poland, Iceland and Norway.

Going Beyond Boundaries

Presentation of the Basic Research Programme In the years 2017–2024, during the previous edition of the EEA and Norway Grants, NCN managed a budget of EUR 54 million. The resources were allocated to, among other areas: research on early risk assessment of cancer and non-invasive methods for diagnosing the circulatory system; projects on activism and alternative forms of citizenship, data privacy and the politics of law; as well as research on the effects of climate change, and the social and psychological responses to the climate crisis. The results of peatland research conducted in Poland and Norway are now forming the basis for further planning of protection measures for these ecosystems and the restoration of peatland areas.

This is precisely the kind of impact NCN aims for in the new funding cycle. “Not commercialisation or patents, but situations in which research results are genuinely used in developing regulations, educational programmes or public policy,” emphasises Joanna Węgrzycka from the NCN Team for the EEA and Norway Grants. The fourth edition places particular emphasis on transdisciplinarity, meaning going beyond academic boundaries. The key competition here will be LANGSPIL, which assumes collaboration between researchers and non-academic partners, such as local authorities and civil society organisations. “We want researchers to step out of their disciplines and work with partners from other fields and beyond academia who are genuinely interested in solving a given challenge,” adds Joanna Węgrzycka.

The increased budget in this edition of the EEA and Norway Grants is a result of NCN’s effective management in previous years. We utilised nearly 100 % of the available funds, which translated into a larger allocation for the current cycle. “We delivered not only all the planned calls, but also additional activities: a scholarship programme for early-career researchers from Ukraine, the predefined polar project CRIOS, and two bilateral initiatives — HarSval in polar research and Science & Society in the Social Sciences and Humanities,” lists Dr Marzena Oliwkiewicz-Miklasińska, Head of the EEA and Norway Grants Team at NCN.

Signing of programme agreements for the 4th edition of the EEA and Norway Grants, photo credit: MFiPR

One year after Poland joined the EOSC Federation, cooperation between EOSC nodes has entered a new stage of development. On behalf of the Polish EOSC Node, the Director of the National Science Centre, Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwiak signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that formalises Poland’s participation in building the European Open Science ecosystem. The MoU underscores the country’s role in shaping a coherent, digital research environment across Europe.

Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwiak signing Memorandum of Understanding of EOSC Federation The Polish EOSC Node, which is coordinated by the National Science Centre, comprises the Academic Computer Centre CYFRONET of the AGH University of Science and Technology, the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling at the University of Warsaw, and the Gdańsk University of Technology.

The document, first signed by the President of the EOSC Association, Klaus Tochtermann, during the EOSC Symposium in Brussels in November 2025, sets out the framework for the operation and collaboration of national, thematic, and e-infrastructure nodes, forming a coherent ecosystem of data, digital tools, and research services in Europe.

For Poland, signing the MoU represents both a distinction and a responsibility. The Polish EOSC National Node (EOSC-PL), as one of the first nodes within the EOSC Federation, co-creates the foundations of the European community of research data and services. This increases the visibility and accessibility of Polish research resources across Europe, while at the same time serving as a point of access for Polish researchers to European open science resources.

As emphasised by Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwiak, Director of the National Science Centre, “The signing of the Memorandum marks a genuine opening of a new stage in European cooperation. Through the EOSC Federation, Polish researchers will be full participants in the European research ecosystem.”

The signing of the MoU aligns with EU strategic initiatives, including the development of the European Research Area (ERA) and the European Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Science, and confirms the importance of open science resources and inter-institutional cooperation in Europe.

National Science Centre co-creates the Polish node of the European Open Science Cloud

On 15 January 2026, the National Science Centre signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalising the establishment of the Polish National Node of the European Open Science Cloud — EOSC Poland. On behalf of the NCN, the MoU was signed by Krzysztof Jóźwiak, Director of the National Science Centre.

The MoU reinforces cooperation between the National Science Centre, the Academic Computer Centre CYFRONET AGH, the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling at the University of Warsaw, and the Gdańsk University of Technology.

“For researchers, it is essential to feel confident that they can share data securely,” emphasised Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwiak, Director of the National Science Centre. “EOSC provides a framework in which openness does not imply a loss of control, but rather conscious and responsible research data management.”

The MoU provides for joint action to integrate national research resources with the European EOSC infrastructure.

Open science in practice

The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) is an initiative designed to create an open, digital research environment for researchers across Europe. It facilitates secure access to repositories and research data, cloud services, and advanced analytical tools in accordance with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles.

National, thematic, and e-infrastructure nodes play a central role in this ecosystem, collectively forming the EOSC Federation. The task of EOSC Poland is to create a framework that ensures the seamless integration of Polish research resources with the European Open Science Cloud, enhances their accessibility and interoperability, and facilitates their reuse by researchers in Poland and internationally.

Read more about Poland's role in the European EOSC Federation and the role and tasks of the EOSC National Node

NCN in the EOSC

Since 2021, by decision of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the NCN has coordinated the development of EOSC in Poland and served as a delegate to the EOSC Steering Board.

The EOSC Federation operates under the co-programmed European Partnership, established under an agreement between the European Commission and the EOSC Association from 2021.

Since 2021, the NCN has also coordinated the work of the EOSC PL Network, which brings together 30 institutions involved in the development of open science in Poland. The National Science Centre actively contributes to EOSC Federation working groups and to the development of its organisational and technical structures.

EOSC Poland works to provide Polish researchers with a digital ecosystem for innovative research, offering seamless access to pan-European scientific resources, including high-quality research data, modern analytical platforms, repositories, and services that foster open and interdisciplinary collaboration. Ultimately, researchers are the primary beneficiaries of these efforts.

The EOSC Federation has been developed within the EOSC co-programmed partnership, implemented jointly by the European Commission and the EOSC Association since 2021.

Polish scientists from the University of Gdansk and Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, together with their partners from Slovenia, will develop an innovative biomaterial to enhance bone healing as part of the Weave-UNISONO collaboration. 

Bone fractures are a major health risk in today’s ageing society, mainly among patients with osteoporosis and other bone density disorders. BONEFILL is a project aimed at developing bioactive, injectable bone fillers that closely replicate the natural composition of bone, enabling faster regeneration of particularly small bone defects without the use of antibiotics, which may reduce the development of drug resistance. Hydroxyapatite-based components enriched with metal ions and peptides will be embedded in biodegradable polymer matrix and additionally hardened using irradiation to ensure adequate strength and controlled release of active substances. The project envisages the development of two types of fillers designed for minimally invasive applications: a composite hydrogel for non-surgical applications and an in-situ formed elastomer.

The project will be carried out by an international consortium of Polish and Slovenian scientists working at four leading institutions: the University of Gdansk and Wroclaw University of Technology in Poland, and the Jozef Stefan Institute and Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The combination of their knowledge and experience will enable the successful development of an innovative, easy-to-use, cost-effective and efficient biomaterial that will improve bone healing, reduce the number of surgeries and enhance the quality of life for many people. The Polish research team headed by Dr hab. Aneta Szymańska from the University of Gdansk will have the budget of nearly PLN 2,000,000. The Slovenian research team will be headed by Prof. Marija Vukomanovič from the Jozef Stefan Institute. The proposal was evaluated by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS), and the National Science Centre approved the evaluation results under the Weave collaboration. 

Weave-UNISONO and Lead Agency Procedure 

Weave-UNISONO is a result of multilateral 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 winning applicants are selected pursuant to the Lead Agency Procedure according to which one partner institution performs a complete merit-based evaluation of proposals, the results of which are subsequently approved by the other partners.

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

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

The European Commission, led by DG AGRI, is preparing a new EU Agricultural Research and Innovation (R&I) Strategic Approach, planned for mid-2026. This Strategic Approach aims to secure the long-term competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of the EU’s agri-food sector, forestry and rural areas, and contribute to the objectives of the Vision for Agriculture and Food and other Commission initiatives.

We invite you to take part in a short questionnaire designed to gather feedback from key stakeholders across the agricultural, forestry, and rural sectors. These includes researchers, innovators, farmers, foresters, rural communities, cooperatives and associations, advisors, businesses and private-sector actors, policy makers, NGOs and other relevant organisations.

Sharing your reflections will contribute to designing a Strategic Approach that revamps the EU innovation journey from research to market, identifies priority R&I thematic areas and bolsters the uptake of new knowledge and innovation by farmers, foresters and rural actors for the competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of the sectors.

The launch of the LUKE Joint Call for international research projects in cooperation with researchers from Ukraine has beenm rescheduled for 27 February 2026.

The call aims to support research projects implemented through international cooperation, with Ukraine as a key partner. The call will be jointly announced by 15 research funding agencies participating in the LUKE – Linking Ukraine to the European Research Area programme. It will enable joint implementation of research projects by researchers from: Ukraine, Poland, Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Republic of Moldova, Romania and Türkiye.

Applications may be submitted by international consortia composed of at least three entities from different countries, including at least one partner from Ukraine.

Within the LUKE Joint Call, the National Science Centre (NCN) will fund basic research projects carried out by Polish research institutions, in accordance with NCN regulations.

The thematic scope of the call will cover four areas:

• Energy – sustainable and renewable energy and energy security
• Cybersecurity – cyber resilience of critical infrastructures and adaptive cybersecurity systems
• Medical and health research – telemedicine and biomedical research, including:
  • adoption of telemedicine solutions for remote healthcare,
  • innovative research on cellular signalling pathways for biomedical applications
• Social sciences and humanities – social reconciliation, sustainable social development and restoration of human capital

Detailed topic descriptions.

Indicative timetable (updated 30 January 2026)

• call publication: 27 February 2026
• proposal submission deadline: 15 May 2026, 11:00 CET / 12:00 EET
• project start date: January 2027 – March 2027
• project end date: December 2028 – February 2029

Further information and updates concerning the call

This pre-announcement is provided for information purposes only. Detailed conditions will be specified in the official call announcement.

Grant Agreement 101188315 – LUKE

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

This year, the National Science Centre will celebrate its 15th anniversary. As usual, we will continue our hard work to support Polish researchers. We also wish to share the impact of basic research on the social, economic and national development.

“Our priority remains stable, transparent and competitive research funding across disciplines under call for proposals,” says Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwiak, NCN Director. “The current level of grant funding does not reflect the state potential or the needs of the Polish researchers. Therefore, we will strive for increased funding to make sure that ambitious projects can be pursued in decent conditions. Starting in 2026, we plan to issue bonds,” he adds.

Our plans for the nearest future also include continued efforts to promote further internationalisation of Polish science by enhanced cooperation with Polish and foreign partners, increased involvement in activities aimed to implement NCN-funded project results and to support open science.  

Domestic and International Calls

We are planning to launch eight calls in 2026 from our domestic call portfolio. We will launch two OPUS calls addressed to all researchers, one in spring and one in autumn. The latter call will follow the Lead Agency Procedure under the Weave programme, whereby Polish research teams can cooperate with teams from Austria, Czechia, Slovenia, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg or Belgium-Flanders. We are also planning to launch PRELUDIUM, SONATINA, SONATA, SONATA BIS, and MAESTRO calls addressed to researchers at various stages of their research career. In February, we will launch the 10th edition of our flagship MINIATURA call for research activities. Call Portfolio. What can be funded? Check our previously funded projects (examples).

The beginning of a new year is a great opportunity to launch the 4th edition of the EEA and Norway Grants, with the NCN continuing to act as the operator of the “Basic Research” programme.  We will fund fundamental research, in particular in the area of Humanities, Social Sciences and Art Sciences, subject to the key priorities of the 4th edition of the EEA and Norway Grants: Green Transformation of Europe; Democracy, Rule of Law, and Human Rights; and Social Inclusion and Resilience). We will launch two major calls: GRIEG BIS and (interdisciplinary) LANGSPIL and two supporting Coordination & Capacity calls, and will pursue the SPARK programme.

In 2026, we will also strive to enhance international collaboration and work towards creating new opportunities for collaboration between Polish and foreign researchers. We are now accepting proposals to two calls: OH-TREAT and LEAP-SE Cofund Call 2026. We are also planning to launch 6 other international calls in cooperation with research-funding agencies and academic and science institutions in the framework of international programmes and partnerships. New call editions involving cooperation with M-ERA.NET, T-AP, Biodiversa+ and OHAMR, will be organised alongside new initiatives, such as LUKE (Linking Ukraine to the European Research Area), a platform for cooperation and knowledge exchange, aimed to integrate Ukrainian and European researchers to strengthen the Ukrainian R&I ecosystem, and a call organised in cooperation with the European Partnership for Resilient Cultural Heritage, which the NCN entered as a partner. The ongoing cooperation with the Max Planck Association will enable us to launch the 5th Dioscuri call, whereby two new Centres of Scientific Excellence will be established in Poland to conduct interdisciplinary research. The ongoing Weave-UNISONO call, conducted in accordance with the Lead Agency Procedure, will remain open for submissions throughout the year. We will continue coordination of the QuantERA network, and CHANSE and POLONEZ BIS programmes, as well as the European partnerships EOSC, Biodiversa+ and OHAMR at national level. Preparations for launching the STR partnership will continue. Upon formation, the partnership will fund international research projects addressing major societal challenges.

Strengthening Polish Research Potential: Collaboration Between Polish and Foreign Institutions 

Our mission includes collaboration with other state agencies and science institutions. We collaborate with the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) to enhance the technological readiness of basic research results. In order to encourage foreign researchers to conduct research in Polish research institutions, we cooperate with the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) in securing funding for research components under the Polish Returns Programme and, since 2026, a new TOP200 NAWA programme aimed at supporting transnational science cooperation. We support the Medical Research Agency (ABM) in calls for basic research projects in medical and health sciences.

In 2026, we will continue our involvement in the ERC Mentoring Initiative allowing prospective ERC applicants to use mentoring support. Due to ongoing collaboration with the Polish-American Fulbright Commission, researchers returning to Poland after completing their fellowship in the USA will be offered financial support to continue their research in Poland.

As an institution, the NCN will remain an active member of Science Europe, giving an even stronger voice to Polish researchers owing to Director Krzysztof Jóźwiak’s appointment to the Science Europe Governing Board last November.

We have supported open science for many years and have been involved in the formation of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), aimed to create an open trusted virtual multi-disciplinary international environment where researchers can store, share, process and reuse digital objects used in research. We are the National Mandated Organisation in the EOSC Association. Our 2026 activities will include the EOSC cooperation under the 10th Framework Programme and continued participation in the build-up phase of development of the EOSC Federation.

Where To Meet Us?

The 10th NCN Days will be organised in Katowice. As usual, the event will include meetings, panel discussions, workshops for applicants, workshops on administrative and financial support for NCN-funded projects, and workshops on research data management. Throughout the year, we will also offer meetings and workshops online.

What Was 2025 Like?

Panel discussion: Science in action, Economic Forum in Karpacz Panel discussion: Science in Action; Economic Forum in Karpacz. Last year, we discussed the importance of basic research for the development of innovation and of the state.  The government has considered research one of Poland’s development priorities. An extra PLN 500 million received at the end of 2024 in the form of bonds enabled us to gradually increase our call budgets, which is still not enough to meet Poland’s development needs and sufficiently reinforce the Polish scientific community. In view of the draft 2026 budget bill which keeps the NCN’s grant for research at its current level, last September, the NCN Council requested that NCN funding be increased by PLN 400 million.

Regardless of the budget issues, we managed to accomplish our mission. We launched 8 domestic calls and 7 international calls in collaboration with research funding agencies and institutions worldwide. We completed 9 domestic calls, awarding over 1.3 thousand grants for research projects and research components, and over 600 grants for research activities. We published the results of 7 international calls, funding 71 projects with Polish participation. In 2025, we awarded a total funding of over PLN 1.9 billion to researchers working in Poland. Database of Project Funded by the NCN.

2025 NCN Award Winners For the thirteenth time, the NCN Award was presented to outstanding early-career researchers. This time, the award went to Bartosz Szyszko, Łucja Kowalewska, and Maciej Stolarski. 

Over the year, in consultations with the scientific community, we modified the implementation procedure of NCN-funded projects. We no longer require that research results be published in open access, although we still strongly advocate for open access: open science is more transparent and is of greater benefit to society. The NCN Council issued the recommendations to disseminate research results, e.g., to publish in journals where papers are published by experts in the field, and to avoid publishing in the so-called predatory journals.

NCN Days in Rzeszów We advocated for further funding opportunities for Polish researchers. Apart from resuming the role of coordinator in the Basic Research programme under the 4th Edition of EEA and Norway Grants, we agreed upon the terms of the 5th call for the Dioscuri Centres of Scientific Excellence, together with the German Max Planck Association. We also joined two European partnerships: One Health Antimicrobial Resistance (OHAMR) and Resilient Cultural Heritage.

In 2025, we organised the NCN Days in Rzeszów. We were also present at numerous conferences, seminars, workshops and online courses. Until 2026, then!

In the first episode of our podcast this year, with the economists, Prof. Joanna Tyrowicz from the University of Warsaw and GAPE Research Centre and Prof. Łukasz Woźny from the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, discuss private research funding.

The podcast guests point out to a significant loophole in the Polish innovation landscape, a severe lack of private-sector investments in basic research. Public research funding in Poland is still below the country’s potential. At the same time, private-sector investments in basic research are virtually non-existent, setting us apart from the most developed countries.

Prof. Joanna Tyrowicz studies the labour market and business sector. She is a member of the Monetary Policy Council. Prof. Łukasz Woźny analyses the use of game theory in economics. His research findings were applied for consulting projects for large companies.

The discussion begins with a common question regarding the “usefulness” of the research. Our guests point out to the fact that this way of thinking fails to capture the process of generating new knowledge. Basic research evolves at the boundaries of human understanding where specific application is not yet determined. Application comes later, often with a delay.

Prof. Łukasz Woźny refers to the history of economics and physics where major advances occurred when research was free from constraints of ongoing improvement of industrial processes. A theory and understanding of a certain phenomenon are usually followed by practical application, often years later.

The next questions concerned the experience of other countries. How is basic research funded by the private sector in systems where it is a permanent feature? Prof. Joanna Tyrowicz refers to the systems of Western Europe and USA where academic chairs are sponsored by companies, and research teams and long-term basic research programmes are supported by family foundations. In these approaches, it is crucial that sponsorship and financial support do not come with any expectations regarding specific topics or quick results. Instead, support is directed to researchers and their research potential.

An important part of the discussion is whether private funding might lead the state to cut its already limited spending on science. Łukasz Woźny points to the so-called multiplier effects in countries like Japan and Korea. Every public penny invested in high-quality research can trigger additional private funding, creating a snowball effect. Observing the achievements of researchers publishing in top journals, businesses start to appreciate their prestige and see the point of supporting their work. 

Private sponsorship of science, as with the arts and sports, merely creates the conditions necessary for the development of talent and knowledge. Prof. Joanna Tyrowicz emphasises that enterprises can benefit from the scientist’s unique perspective to see certain business aspects that are not necessarily seen by consultants. Experts suggest that enterprises should take the first step by sponsoring specific academic positions for doctoral students, thereby creating new academic chairs with relatively low outlays.  

Our podcast is available on our YouTube channel, Spotify and Apple Podcast.