SONATINA is a funding scheme addressed to researchers at the onset of their career offering them full-time employment in Polish research institutions and funding to carry out research projects, as well as the opportunity of a 3-6-month visiting fellowship outside of Poland

 

SONATINA 9 – closed on March 17th, 2025 

SONATINA 8 – closed on March 15th, 2024 

SONATINA 7 – closed on March 15th, 2023 

SONATINA 6 – closed on March 15th, 2021 

SONATINA 5 – closed on March 15th, 2021

SONATINA 4 – closed on March 16th, 2020

SONATINA 3 – closed on March 15th, 2019

SONATINA 2 – closed on March 15th, 2018 (in Polish only)

SONATINA 1 – closed on March 15th, 2017 (in Polish only)

Principal Investigator: a researchers who have had their PhD degree conferred within 3 years prior to the submission of proposals or will have their PhD conferred by 30 June of the year referred to in the call documents

Project duration: 24 or 36 months

Implementation:

  • employment at a research institution pursuant to a full-time employment contract or change of the research institution for the duration of the research project  
  • fellowship at a foreign research institution for a period of 3 to 6 months

Funding:

Researchers may apply for funding of costs relevant necessary and directly connected to the proposed research, including:

  • Personnel, a.i. full-time employment of Principal Investigator in Polish research institution
  • Consumables
  • Foreign fellowship of the principal investigator at a selected research institution:
    • flat-rate funds of PLN 12,000 per month, multiplied by the percentage correction rate set for a given country, to cover the principal investigator’s living expenses at the research institution hosting the foreign fellowship, and
    • flat-rate funds of PLN 1,000 to PLN 10,000 to cover the travel expenses to and from the research institution hosting the foreign fellowship.
  • Outsourcing
  • Other: publication costs, collective investigators, devices and software, etc.
  • Indirect costs: up to 20%

Research equipment is not eligible for funding under this scheme.

Evaluation criteria:

  • proposals from within NCN Panels, involving basic research
  • scientific qualifications of the principal investigator (the principal investigator’s research achievements, evaluation of the results of research projects conducted by the principal investigator funded from the budget for science)
  • scientific quality and the innovative nature of the research project
  • impact of the research on the development of the research discipline,
  • the innovative nature of the research project and its impact on the advancement of the research field,
  • appropriate choice and the quality of the fellowship host institution outside of Poland
  • justification of the planned costs,
  • assessment of project feasibility

Evaluation procedure: merit-based evaluation by peer review panels and external reviewers in two stages; applicants qualified to the second stage of evaluation will be invited for an interview carried out in Polish or in English

Application: written partly in Polish and partly in English

Call timeline

Contact:

informacja@ncn.gov.pl