List otwarty do Prezesa Rady Ministrów w sprawie Narodowego Centrum Nauki i nakładów finansowych na badania naukowe w 2025 roku
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EN version. Open Letter to the Prime Minister regarding the National Science Centre and Funding for Scientific Research in 2025.
2024-09-30 09:45:56Dear All,
In this petition, we are sharing an Open Letter that will be sent to the Prime Minister’s Office and to Prime Minister Donald Tusk in October. We encourage everyone who recognizes the importance of scientific research in Poland to read the letter and show their support.
This letter addresses the real threat of significant restrictions on basic research in Poland.
When you sign, please let us know in the “Comment” section whether you represent the academia (e.g., academic title/position/affiliation such as “PhD candidate, XYZ University”) or another sector (e.g., “medicine”, “public administration”, “education”, “industry”, etc.). We also kindly ask you to share this appeal with your colleagues, businesses, institutions, schools, local governments, and family members.
Open Letter to the Prime Minister regarding the National Science Centre and Funding for Scientific Research in 2025
Dear Prime Minister,
We are deeply concerned about the 2025 draft budget, which will cause a major setback for scientific research in Poland. The proposed freeze of funding for the National Science Centre (NCN) at the 2024 level will severely impact basic research, the very backbone of applied research and socio-economic development. A strong nation is built on knowledge and the rule of law and that is the kind of country that we wish to live in, and we strive to help shape.
The NCN is the main source of funding for basic research in Poland. For many of us, it is the only opportunity to conduct scientific research in Poland. Inspired by the European Research Council (ERC), the NCN guarantees independent, transparent and high-quality project evaluation. It also prepares scientists to apply for European and international funding. Thanks to the NCN, many of us can undertake groundbreaking projects that boost Poland’s reputation and make us more competitive globally. NCN grants offer young scientists the chance to build their first research teams in Poland. These funds also encourage students and PhD candidates to get involved in research projects, contributing to their training and helping them develop valuable skills for both academic and industry careers. Without basic research, we cannot advance industrial research or drive development forward.
On September 5th, the NCN Council passed a resolution calling for an increase in research funding. We fully support this stance and urge that to be considered as work on the 2025 budget bill continues.
An increase in public funding is crucial for keeping the key NCN grant programs running. Currently, there are already restrictions on who can apply for grants. Due to the low success rates — a critically small percentage of successful applicants compared to the total number of applicants — we can only apply for grants sporadically, and only a limited few are able to do so. This situation cannot persist or worsen. Without access to public research funds, many strong research teams will cease to exist, and numerous Polish scientists will either leave the country or abandon their scientific careers altogether. We are also concerned about the potential suspension of the POLONEZ program, which has helped many researchers educated abroad to return to Polish science.
Freezing of the funding for the NCN will have long-term consequences: we risk losing skilled scientists, reducing international collaboration, and decreasing our scientific potential as a country. Such actions will close off career opportunities for young, talented Polish researchers and diminish Poland’s presence on the global stage. A weakened science sector will no longer be able to support vital areas such as medicine, industry, defense, public administration, or education. Science in Poland has long been marginalized and suffers from chronic underfunding. Further cuts to research funding will lead to a crisis that will be hard to recover from. We believe that science is a crucial national interest for Poland. It drives progress and acts as a springboard for innovation; our society simply needs it. Researchers in Poland have already made and want to keep making a meaningful impact on the development of science worldwide. Science cannot just be something we import from abroad.
We urge you and the Polish government to revise the 2025 budget proposal and to increase funding for scientific research, particularly by boosting the subsidy for the NCN.
The NCN is essential for the future of science in Poland.
Piotr Alexandrowicz, Agnieszka Chacińska, Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska, Adam Gendźwiłł, Michał Gdula, Maria Górna, Jacek Jaworski, Maciej Juzaszek, Kinga Kamieniarz-Gdula, Karolina Kremens, Piotr Łukasik, Joanna Karolina Malinowska, Magdalena Masłoń, Gracjan Michlewski, Rafał Mostowy, Aleksandra Obrępalska-Stęplowska, Monika Piwecka, Maciej Serda, Agata Starosta, Michał Szymański, Bartosz Szyszko, Piotr Ziółkowski