We help young talents. You can help too!
Talented young scientists need our support at the beginning of their journey to continue their research. Make an impact on their futures and the groundbreaking discoveries that shape the world around us.
Since 1991, we have been supporting scientists, funding top-level research, shaping the quality of science in Poland, and fostering its development. We are a non-governmental organization with an apolitical character.
What do we do?
We fund groundbreaking research conducted in scientific institutions.
We support the next stages of the careers of outstanding researchers, regardless of their field of science.
We provide a good start in science for the youngest researchers.
We support early achievement of scientific independence by young researchers and the establishment of their own research teams.
We enable the creation of new job opportunities for students, PhD candidates, and young doctors.
We work towards bridging the gap between science and business.
We encourage Polish and international researchers to work in Poland.
We promote the internationalization of science in Poland.
Our values
Scientific Excellence
- Decisions on awarding support are based on the quality of research work.
- Grants, awards, and scholarships are awarded through a competitive process.
- We use the peer review method to evaluate funding applications (the scientific achievements of competition participants are assessed based on substantive criteria by other scholars with recognized achievements—comparable to or better than the person being evaluated—in the relevant field).
- We create conditions that foster groundbreaking discoveries and outstanding achievements in various fields of knowledge.
Reliability and Integrity
- We conduct competitions based on procedures available to their participants—both in the process of selecting recipients of our support, disbursing granted funds, and their accounting.
- We require our beneficiaries to conduct research diligently, document and report their results.
- We provide detailed information to the public about our activities.
- We ensure adherence to good professional ethics practices for researchers conducting studies in Poland. We consistently and actively implement the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.
Social Responsibility
- We speak out on issues relevant to science and science policy.
- We initiate important topics, support the exchange of expertise, and inspire science-based discussion.
- We disseminate proven knowledge on socially relevant scientific achievements, issues, and challenges.
- We ensure that the scientific research covered by our support has the greatest possible impact on improving the quality of life and functioning of society.
- We support the transfer of innovative projects to economic and social practice and the commercialization of discoveries and inventions.
- We build public trust in science.
- We ensure that the projects we support financially are environmentally responsible and implemented following the principles of sustainable development.
Development
- We are a learning organization.
- We strive to develop and apply the best possible standards.
- We continuously evaluate our programmes and learn from them.
- We make sure that the scientists and scholars we support can make the most of their individual abilities and research passions.
- We support researchers in applying best practices in recruitment, mentoring junior investigators and researchers, and research management.
Collaboration
- We develop national and international collaboration networks.
- We offer scientific units funding for interdisciplinary research conducted by a network of cooperating research teams.
- We support employment in Polish scientific units of outstanding scholars from around the world and educated in other social cultures. We believe that internationalization and diversity foster out-of-the-box thinking and scientific breakthroughs.
- In strategic cooperation with renowned research centers from other countries, we support the creation of international research agendas, the future centers of excellence, in Poland.
Transparency
- Operational transparency is our priority.
- We provide reliable information about all funding sources.
- We announce our competition procedures in advance, including information on the methods and criteria for selecting projects.
- Every year, we publish an annual report on our activities that includes a summarized financial report and a summary list of reviewers/experts evaluating projects in the Foundation’s competitions.
- Reputable auditing firms annually audit our financial statements.
Openness and diversity
- We implement the principles of equal opportunities and non-discrimination, including accessibility for people with disabilities and equal opportunities for women and men.
- We oppose all forms of discrimination.
- We foster a diverse scientific community.
- We make efforts to support all fields of science.
- In evaluating projects, we respect the specifics of individual scientific disciplines and the diversity of professional experience of our applicants.
- Our competitions are based on the “bottom-up” principle, in which researchers propose projects according to their interests, competencies, and research preferences.
Science helps, help science
Science changes reality and gives hope. Join us in our efforts to strengthen scientists in their work that serves all of society. Give the world a better future!
We support scientists from Ukraine. Join us!
Thanks to our assistance, researchers from Ukraine, in collaboration with scholars from Poland, can study socially significant issues and processes related to the war in Ukraine. Be a part of enabling the realization of these valuable projects.