“Science Europe wishes to express its protest against any politicisation of research funding and reiterate its unwavering support for the NCN”, reads a statement issued by the association of 41 institutions from 30 countries.
Science Europe published its statement in response to the upcoming changes in the status of the NCN, which had been announced by the Ministry of Education and Science and are supposed to apply in the autumn.
“In the run-up to the parliamentary elections in Poland on 15 October, Science Europe wishes to express its protest against any politicisation of research funding and reiterate its unwavering support for the National Science Centre. As a respected member of Science Europe, the NCN is of key importance to the Polish and European research and innovation ecosystem. It plays a crucial role in funding high-quality basic research among researchers at all career levels and promotes scientific excellence in the country”, the statement continues.
Science Europe is an association that sets the course of development for the entire European ecosystem of research and innovation. It brings together mostly state-funded institutions that enjoy full political independence and act as leaders in their respective domestic research systems. The member institutions together spend a total of 22.4 billion euro on research funding every year.
“In addition, Science Europe strongly opposes any action that may politicise research funding or encroach on research freedom and autonomy, which are the core values of our association, as well as of the entire European landscape of research and innovation”, the statement emphasises.
The statement was issued on 6 October and its full text can be found on the official website of Science Europe.
International cooperation is very important for Polish science and has been a cornerstone of the NCN’s mission since its founding. The NCN is a trusted partner of many foreign research-supporting institutions and an active member of Science Europe since 2012. Within this organisation, it has joined hands with many other European grant agencies to launch Weave, a programme based on the Lead Agency Procedure (LAP). NCN employees sit on working groups devoted to issues such as open science, international cooperation, the European Research Area (ERA), Horizon Europe, research culture, green and digital transformation and communication.
The following have already spoken out against the upcoming changes in the status of the NCN: