Foundation for Polish Science

The Foundation for Polish Science (FNP), formed in 1991, is an independent, self-financing, non-profit, non-governmental organisation, with a mission of supporting science in Poland. It is the largest source of science funding in Poland outside the state budget.

Mission

Supporting only the best so that they can become even better.

Geographic Focus

Poland

Programme Areas

The foundation runs its own programmes and scholarships as well as several on behalf of the European Commission:

• The FNP Prize
• The Copernicus Award
• Grants and Scholarships
• Facilitating Technology Transfer
• Publishing projects and conferences
• Other initiatives
• Programmes financed from the European Funds

The FNP Prize
Since 1992, the Foundation for Polish Science has awarded individual prizes to scientists each year for particular achievements and discoveries which have made a significant contribution to spiritual life and progress of civilization in our country and provided Poland with a place in world science. The prize may be awarded for individual achievements which have been attained or confirmed within a period of four years preceding the date of submission of candidacy.

The Copernicus Award
The purpose of the award is to give a distinction to the individuals most active in Polish-German scientific cooperation who have made exceptional research achievements as a result of that cooperation and who have attained significant successes in promoting young research personnel.

Grants and Scholarships
The foundation runs the following grant and scholarship programmes:
• MISTRZ Programme: academic grants for professors
• International PhD Projects Programme (MPD): for projects implemented during doctoral studies within the international cooperation of scientific institutions
• START Programme: stipends for young researchers
• PARENT-BRIDGE Programme: grants for parents enabling them to return to research work and supporting pregnant women conducting research
• HOMING Plus Programme: grants for young scholars encouraging them to conduct research in Poland
• TEAM Programme: projects carried out by students, PhD students and postdocs in the best research teams in Poland
• KOLUMB Programme: postdoc outgoing fellowships
• IDEAS FOR POLAND Programme: for winners of the “ERC Starting Grants” competition who intend to pursue scientific research in Poland
• Conference Grants: grants for participation in international symposia, conferences and congresses for young researchers, whose selection procedure is run by the Warsaw Scientific Society
• Alexander von Humboldt Polish Honorary Research Fellowships: fellowships for German scholars
• Research Fellowships for Scholars from CEE Countries: fellowships for foreign scholars, mainly from Central and East European countries, willing to conduct research at Polish scientific institutions
• KWERENDA Programme: grants for Archive Search Abroad

Facilitating Technology Transfer
Operates the VENTURES Programme, supporting innovative projects realised by young researchers.

Publishing projects and conferences
Operates the MONOGRAPHS Programme, supporting monographs in the areas of the humanities and the social sciences. The foundation also hosts debates on science and operates a publications programme through which various multi-volume works edited by research institutes documenting Poland’s historical, cultural and technological heritage are published.

Other initiatives
Operates the EXTERIUS Programme, providing financial support for exceptional initiatives of significant importance for science in Poland.

Programmes financed from the European Funds
Runs a number of programmes operated within the Innovative Economy Operational Programme 2007-2013.