PEARLS OF SCIENCE – NEW PROGRAMME OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND HIGHER EDUCATION

The programme focuses on supporting higher education institutions in creating conditions for the development of outstanding BA graduates and students who have completed the 3^rd or 4^th year of continuous MA studies by enabling them to conduct scientific research or artistic activity under the supervision of a scientific or artistic mentor.

1. The precondition to participate in the programme is to present a project:
   1. whose implementation period does not exceed 48 months;
   2. in which the applicant indicates:
      1. a person responsible for the project implementation, hereinafter referred to as the “project manager”,
      2. a scientific or artistic supervisor of the project manager;
   3. which does not involve activities:
      1. financed from other state budget funds,
      2. performed before the date of concluding the agreement under the programme;
   4. whose implementation cost does not exceed:
      1. PLN 240,000 for projects in sciences, natural sciences, engineering and technical sciences, medical and health sciences or in agricultural sciences,
      2. PLN 200,000 for projects in human sciences, social sciences, theological sciences or arts;
   5. where the costs of:
      1. purchasing scientific and research instrumentation, IT infrastructure or equipment, devices or instrumentation for conducting artistic activity do not exceed PLN 50,000, whereas funding of that purchase from the funds awarded under the porgramme is possible solely if the applicant does not have or cannot use the necessary instrumentation or infrastructure,
      2. remuneration for project managers does not exceed PLN 3,000 per month,
      3. indirect costs do not exceed 10% of the direct costs.
2. For projects involving the conducting of scientific research:
   1. related to the necessity of conducting medical experiments in humans, to participate in the call it is besides required to obtain the approval of the competent bioethics committee,
   2. related to the necessity of conducting experiments in animals,  to participate in the call it is besides required to obtain the approval of the competent local ethics committee for experiments in animals,
   3. on plant, animal and fungi species under protection  or on the areas under protection, to participate in the call it is besides required to obtain the approval required pursuant to nature conservation laws,
   4. on genetically modified organisms or with the use of such organisms, to participate in the call it is besides required to obtain the approval required pursuant to the legislation on microorganisms and genetically modified organisms – prior to beginning the project implementation.

First call for applications under the programme takes place from 4 January 2022 from 8.00 a.m. to 18 February 2022 until 4.00 p.m..

Link to the Ministry’s (MEiN) announcement on launching the Programme: https://www.gov.pl/web/edukacja-i-nauka/perly-nauki

Persons interested in submitting an application for funding under this programme are kindly asked to make a notice to the Project Support Department to awn@wum.edu.pl until 7 February 2022.