PLN 100 million to be granted for research in new FNP programme

"A total of up to PLN 100 million is to be spent by the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) on cooperation between research units in its new grant programme TEAM-NET financed from the funds of the Smart Growth Operational Programme. The call for applications within the programme will be open from 1 to 31 October 2018. The main objective of the programme is to encourage Polish research units and researchers working in them to establish closer scientific cooperation. TEAM-NET is a continuation of the programmes being implemented by the Foundation under Measure 4.4 ?Increasing the human potential in the R&D sector,? but will now adopt a different formula due to FNP?s adopting the role of the Implementing Authority in the said measure. The TEAM-NET programme will provide funds not for just one but for a network of cooperating research teams, which, with resources of up to PLN 21 million, will be able to implement large-scale interdisciplinary R&D projects. Funding under the TEAM-NET programme will be available for applicants representing 3 to 6 research units. In the case of applications filed by a group of 3-5 units, at least one of them must have an ?A? (or ?A+?) category, and when a group consists of 6 units, at least two of them must have one of the said categories. Cooperation between units from various regions in the country will be given preference. In order to receive a grant, the applicant (i.e. a legal entity representing research units listed in the application, or a consortium of such entities along with a Project Leader) will need to prepare a joint interdisciplinary research project covering at least two research disciplines. The subject matter of the project should also comply with the list of National Smart Specialisations and cover R&D work, so that the project?s outcomes can be used in economic practice. The project's implementation will be supervised by a Management Team, together with the Scientific and Economic Panel (KNG) performing management and advisory functions. The research project will be implemented by 3 to 6 teams based in research units represented by the applicant in a period of 3 to 4 years. The teams will be managed by outstanding scientists from Poland and abroad, selected in the competition procedure supervised by KNG. The work will be performed by junior researchers selected through open competitions: students, PhD students, and junior postdoctoral researchers. Each team may receive funding of up to PLN 3.5 million. The teams will be able to spend funds, i.a., on the remuneration of team leaders and members, scholarships, and the costs of implementing interdisciplinary research programmes. The call for applications within the TEAM-NET programme will be open from 1 to 31 October 2018. The competition?s budget will be PLN 100 million. More information on the programme is available on the PROGRAMME'S WEBSITE. Detailed information on the conditions of the competition will be provided in the competition's regulations, which will be available on our website in the second half of August. Representatives of research units and researchers interested in the TEAM-NET programme are invited to the information meeting to be held in the Foundation's headquarters on 26 September 2018. Registration for the meeting will open in early September. The meeting will be broadcast online.   For more information on the programme, please contact:

• Tomasz Poprawka, PhD, Deputy Director of the Programme Division, tel. 22 845 95 42
• Beata Frączak, PhD, Head of Programme Coordination Section, tel. 22 845 95 43
• Dariusz Łukaszewski, PhD Eng., Coordinator of the Projects Commercialisation Section, tel. 22 311 84 25