Minister of Science and Higher Education Barbara Kudrycka commented at a press conference on the report "Science in Poland", published on the website of the Ministry of Science. It contains information on the financing of Polish science and scientific research potential.

One of the report topics are grants that Polish scientists receive from the European Research Council (ERC). From the data presented in the report it is clear that the so-called success rate in "Starting Grants" awarded by the ERC to young researchers in the European Union is close to 11 percent. Success rate of young Polish scientists is only 2.7 percent.

The situation is even worse in the case of "Advanced Grants" awarded to senior scientists to pursue more advanced studies. Here, the EU average success rate is more than 14 percent, and Polish success rate in this category - 1.5 percent.

"It is possible that in some way we are victims of our own success, because allocating more funding to grants awarded by the National Science Centre we have created the situation that researchers receive grants from us" - commented Minister of Science and Higher Education Prof. Barbara Kudrycka.

She also pointed out that the success rate of Polish scientists applying for ERC grants is similar or slightly higher compared to other new EU member states. Polish scientists who live and work abroad in foreign scientific institutions have a much higher rate of success. It is about 9 percent.

Minister emphasised that that although the applications submitted by Polish scientists are good, it is hard to compete with foreign scientists. "We can not duplicate or transform already developed theories, we should come up with our own theories. Our scientists need to apply with much bolder, interdisciplinary ideas" - said the minister.

She stressed, however, that Polish scientists preparing grant applications for the National Science Centre and the National Research and Development Centre have already received training, which can help them prepare interesting and original projects for the ERC.

She noted that scientists should apply for the ERC grants as they are often twice as high as those awarded in Poland. "I believe that slowly we will achieve the situation where Polish scientists are active in the international arena" - noted Kudrycka.

She announced that the ministry, together with for the National Science Centre and the National Research and Development Centre, want to activate our best scientists and increase the number of ERC grants that flow to Poland. "We try to have as many our scientists as possible working as reviewers in the ERC. We are contemplating procedural arrangements that would allow to send projects high rated in Poland to the ERC" - explained the minister.

The presented report shows that in 2011, the largest grant recipients were PAS research institutes, and in 2012 more grants went to universities. "It is clear that research and teaching staff employed at universities become scientifically more active" - emphasised the minister of science.

According to Kudrycka, the range of research grants awarded by the Ministry for the National Science Centre and the National Research and Development Centre has decreased in recent years. The Ministry currently focuses on the financing of science primarily through the National Programme for the Development of Humanities.

The report is based on data from the systems: POL-on (higher education information system), OSF (logging and processing system for applications for funding of science) and SIMIK (System for Monitoring and Financial Control of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund), as well as data from the Central Statistical Office, National Contact Point for Research Programmes of the European Union and of the local databases of the Ministry of Science and the National Research and Development Centre.

The report can be found on the Ministry of Science website.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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