Launch of the second competition in the FIRST TEAM, HOMING and POWROTY/REINTEGRATION programmes

"As of today, applications can be submitted for the second competition in the FIRST TEAM, HOMING and POWROTY/REINTEGRATION programmes of the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP). Funds worth almost PLN 24.5 million will be awarded to young doctors from Poland and abroad for the implementation of innovative research projects. Applications may be submitted by 17 October 2016. The FIRST TEAM programme offers funds to young researchers who want to found their first team. The funding may amount to as much as PLN 2 million and may be awarded for three years with a possibility of extension by one year. The projects may be implemented in research units, companies or science and industry consortia in Poland. The funds earmarked for the second competition amount to PLN 14 million. The HOMING programme is addressed to people who want to return to Poland to do research work. Under the programme, grants of up to PLN 800 thousand will be awarded for postdoctoral internship projects. The financing may be awarded for two years, without the possibility of extension. The projects may be implemented in research units or companies. FNP has earmarked a total amount of PLN 8 million for the second competition. Researchers who interrupted R&D work at an early stage of their professional careers due to employment in another sector of economy or for parental reasons may apply for a grant of up to ca. PLN 800 thousand in the POWROTY/REINTEGRATION programme. The projects may be implemented in research units or companies. The funds offered under the second competition total PLN 2.4 million. Funding under all the three programmes will be available for young doctors (who have had a doctoral degree for not longer than 5 years) regardless of their nationality. The subject matter of projects, which have to be implemented in cooperation with a scientific partner (domestic or foreign), may involve internationally groundbreaking R&D work with high significance for the economy and society, especially from the National Smart Specialisation list. The funding can be used e.g. for remunerations (a project manager may apply for a monthly remuneration of PLN 17,500 ? 20,000 gross, a young doctor may receive up to PLN 15,000 gross per month, a PhD student up to PLN 8,000 gross, and a student up to PLN 4,000 gross) or scholarships (from PLN 1,500 to 4,500 gross), as well as for contract work (subcontracting), training and internships as part of staff development and for covering a number of other costs related to R&D work. Support is also available for companies operating in Poland. They can receive up to 80% contribution to the project costs based on state aid rules. Subsequent competitions will be organised until the end of 2019, on average twice a year. Detailed information, including contact data of the coordinators, are available on the pages devoted to individual programmes: FIRST TEAM, HOMING and POWROTY/REINTERGRATION We invite you to attend an information meeting about the above programmes, which will be held on 15 September 2016 in the FNP premises at ul. I. Krasickiego 20/22 in Warsaw. The meeting will also be broadcast online. Detailed programme of the event and registration will be published soon on our website.