In this episode of our podcast, we explore research, social impact and career paths. Agata Starosta, Aneta Pieczka and Maciej Stolarski are our guests today!

In November 2025, the LEAP-SE network consortium will announce a call for international research projects aimed at developing cooperation between researchers from Europe and Africa in the area of energy transition.

This year, the NCN awards for early-career researchers, who have made a significant contribution to research development, go to Łucja Kowalewska, Maciej Stolarski and Bartosz Szyszko. The Award ceremony was held on 15 October, at the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, in Kraków.

The NCN Award is the most prestigious distinction for early-career researchers in Poland. The winners will be announced on 15 October 2025, 6:30 pm during the Award ceremony which will be broadcasted online.

“The public debate lacks what could be called intergender empathy. Equality is not about talking about women against men; it is about including different perspectives. This approach should be mutually beneficial,” says Professor Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka in a conversation with Anna Korzekwa-Józefowicz held as part of the #rozmowaNCN series.

Between 19 and 21 November, the first National Congress “Science for Business” will be held in Warsaw. The event will bring together the scientific community, business and public administration. We will discuss mechanisms for technology transfer, innovation implementation and building a knowledge-based economy.

The NCN Council emphasises the urgent need to increase NCN funding by 400 million PLN in 2026. Without this increase, the grant system cannot continue to grow, opportunities for early-career researchers will be curtailed and the overall innovativeness of Polish research will decline. This statement refers to the draft state budget released on August 28.

Professor Marcin Zajenkowski from the University of Warsaw has been awarded an Ig Nobel Prize in psychology for his research on the impact of feedback about intelligence levels on temporary feelings of narcissism. His research has been supported by the NCN for many years.

For more than a decade, the NCN Award has honoured researchers who, at the outset of their careers, have achieved significant accomplishments in basic research. The winners of this year’s edition will be announced on 15 October.

We are launching the thirtieth edition of the OPUS call for national and international research projects, as well as the twenty-first edition of the SONATA call for researchers holding a PhD degree. The total funding available amounts to 720 million PLN.