On 15 January, NCN hosted members of the Sejm’s Committee on Education and Science. We talked about how basic research benefits society and the economy, and about NCN’s role in that system. It was the first meeting of its kind with members of the committee in the agency’s history.
Basic research is an investment that drives innovation and delivers tangible improvements in safety and quality of life. Magnetic resonance imaging, GLP-1-based drugs and the flat screens in our smartphones all trace their origins to research conducted over many years with no prospect of immediate practical application. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR), now a standard tool in disease diagnostics, grew out of the curiosity of scientists studying bacteria in the hot springs of Yellowstone. LCD technology has its roots in nineteenth-century research on liquid crystals – chemical compounds first observed, among other sources, in substances of plant origin, including carrots. Knowledge built up over years of basic research now underpins the global consumer electronics market.
In Poland, basic research is funded by the National Science Centre. Between 2011 and 2024, NCN supported more than 31,000 projects, carried out by over 22,500 researchers across the country. “Basic research is the foundation of everything that comes later in development and innovation – of the new ideas that can be commercialised. That is why we want to explain why the basic research conducted at Polish institutions matters so much,” said Krzysztof Jóźwiak, Director of NCN, during the meeting with MPs.
Krystyna Szumilas, chair of the committee, highlighted the need for informed dialogue: “When we talk at committee meetings, political overtones dominate and less time is devoted to substantive discussion of the heart of the matter. We want to listen to the people who work with the legislation we create on a daily basis and who pursue their mission within it.”
The meeting was also attended by the following MPs: Dariusz Wieczorek, deputy chair of the committee; Dorota Olko, chair of the Standing Subcommittee on Science and Higher Education; Katarzyna Matusik-Lipiec; Sylwia Bielawska; and Zbigniew Dolata. Invited guests spoke about their research and the NCN’s role in career development: Ewa Zuba-Surma, Aleksandra Rutkowska, Urszula Stachewicz, Jacek Jemielity, Róża Szweda, Anna Matysiak and Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska – scientists from a range of fields with extensive international experience, representing the broad community of NCN grantees.
A model that works
Krzysztof Jóźwiak gave a presentation on the agency’s work. The Director recalled that, from the outset, the Centre was built as an institution grounded in international standards and a clear division of roles. “We did not reinvent the wheel. NCN created an open, competitive and transparent grant system based on sound, internationally recognised models and procedures. For us, the gold standard has always been the European Research Council,” he said. As he stressed, the consistent separation of the responsibilities of the NCN Council, the expert teams and the office has been crucial, allowing the agency to avoid outside pressure and preserve the independence of merit-based evaluation for 15 years. “Everyone has their own clearly defined tasks. The work of the expert teams is not adjusted in any way, either by the office or by the Council.”
One of the greatest challenges today remains the scale of competition for funding. “NCN allocates a scarce resource. Ideally, the top 25–30 per cent of proposals would receive funding. At the moment, the figure is in the mid-teens – we still lack the funds to support all the projects that deserve it,” Krzysztof Jóźwiak noted. He also drew attention to the egalitarian nature of the system: half of all applicants are women and half are men, and their success rates are very similar. “In Europe, we are quite exceptional in this respect.” He recalled that, by law, at least 20 per cent of the Centre’s budget should go to early-stage researchers; in practice, the figure is 34 per cent of the annual subsidy, and in terms of project numbers, early-stage researchers account for nearly 60 per cent of all funded undertakings.
The NCN Director also spoke about the significance of basic research beyond science itself. “Basic research means original work conducted with no immediate application in mind, yet it is precisely where technological breakthroughs come from,” he stressed. “Quality-driven evaluation mechanisms mean a better chance of breakthrough discoveries. And more discoveries mean a better chance of home-grown innovation in Poland.” By way of illustration, he cited, among other examples, the development of artificial intelligence. “Developed over many years as basic research in computer science and mathematics, artificial intelligence – once integrated with other disciplines – enabled wide-ranging applications and gave rise to entirely new technology sectors.”
The theme of national security and resilience also came through strongly in his address. The Director pointed to the examples of Israel, South Korea and Taiwan – frontline countries that invest several per cent of their GDP in research and development. “These are countries that understand that investing in science boosts their defence and technological capabilities,” he said, underlining the role of basic research in training skilled professionals, building resilience to disinformation, and strengthening cybersecurity and science diplomacy.
Results that matter to the country
In the open discussion, Justyna Chodkowska-Miszczuk, a member of the NCN Council, pointed to the role of the social sciences in governing the state: “In a frontline country grappling with depopulation and an energy crisis, the results of research in the humanities and social sciences provide evidence-based knowledge. They help us identify research niches that matter to the public sector.”
MP Sylwia Bielawska highlighted the value of direct contact with researchers. “Until now, we have known you from reports, briefings and budget proposals. Seeing scientists in person, people with such enormous passion, is a truly important experience,” she said. She also stressed the need for better public communication: “Very often, members of the public are simply unaware that this research can have such important applications. And that connection needs to be made clear to them.”
Returning talent, retaining potential
Time and again, parliamentarians and researchers spoke of the Centre’s importance in keeping talent in science and encouraging researchers who have spent many years abroad to return to Poland. “NCN gives them a real opportunity to grow in science without having to move into business,” said MP Dorota Olko. “It is impressive that people with extensive international experience choose to work in Poland and go on to achieve further successes here,” she added.
At the same time, the researchers pointed out that the examples presented at the meeting do not convey the full scale of the system’s needs. “More researchers could be coming back to Poland, but that potential is not being fully tapped,” said Anna Matysiak. “If we want young scientists to work in Poland, adequate funding for NCN is key.”
Changing the face of Polish science
The stability of the agency’s funding was one of the most resonant themes of the discussion. “NCN has truly changed the face of Polish science, but if we want to keep up this momentum, it comes down to funding, funding and funding again,” said Łukasz Michalczyk of the NCN Council. He warned that without increased spending on basic research, Poland will struggle to avoid stalling at an intermediate level of development, rather than producing its own discoveries of global significance.
Dariusz Wieczorek, deputy chair of the Committee on Education and Science, spoke of the need for strategic planning: “We need to talk about a vision for the programmes and the system for the next 10 years. I have no doubt that NCN is oxygen.”
MP Zbigniew Dolata stressed that the funding problem is systemic and long-term in nature. “Science cannot be done at zero cost. This should be a cross-party agreement,” he said, admitting that “no government has yet made a breakthrough in this area”, and that setting a target level of spending on science – for instance, as a percentage of GDP – remains a key challenge.
Among the barriers to their work, the researchers also singled out public procurement law. “It is like entering a Formula 1 race without wheels,” said Professor Jacek Jemielity, stressing that drawn-out purchasing procedures effectively paralyse research. Attention was also drawn to visa rules that hamper the development of international cooperation.
Summing up the meeting, participants clearly affirmed the role of the National Science Centre as an institution capable of partnering with the state in shaping science policy. “Researchers are ready to be partners in all kinds of endeavours: promoting science and taking part in discussions about science policy,” concluded NCN Director Krzysztof Jóźwiak.
“You provide us with arguments, and for that I thank you most sincerely. They influence subsequent decisions on both funding and the way various institutions operate,” said Krystyna Szumilas, stressing that “the NCN system works well”.
Profiles of the researchers who attended the meeting, and the impact NCN has had on their careers, can be found in our piece Seven Stories.