“Forum Akademickie” has recently published an interview with Prof. Robert Hasterok, the newly appointed President of the NCN Council. The interview revolves around issues such as the composition of the Council and the challenges it will need to face in the coming months. “I am fully aware that we need to fight to secure more research-funding resources and that was one of the reasons I decided to run for office”, says Prof. Hasterok in his first interview since taking office as the President of the NCN Council for 2022-2024.
fot. Michał Łepecki
In a conversation with Mariusz Karwowski from “Forum Akademickie”, Hasterok emphasises that he is not interested in party lines and “can talk to anyone, as long as they can help us achieve our strategic goal, which is to ensure better funding opportunities for Polish science and research, here and now”. “Countries that fail to bet on quality science and its constant growth, countries that do not develop and deploy a consistent long-term strategy in that department, get stuck in the middle-income growth trap. Quite simply, in the 21st century, there is no way to enjoy a modern, efficient state without advanced science”, he says and goes on to add that “for the NCN to be able not only to tap its full potential, but, above all, to tap the full potential of the scientific community in Poland, state subsidies need to increase by 150-200 million zlotys per year over the next several years”.
Published in the online edition of the “FA” on 3 January, the interview also asks about the new composition of the NCN Council, the challenges it is facing, and the upcoming appointment of a new NCN Director (Prof. Zbigniew Błocki’s term of office ends in March). Some of the challenges Prof. Hasterok says the NCN Council will need to address in the nearest future include efforts to increase NCN brand recognition among international grant applicants, help NCN call winners in successful applications for European funds, improve the quality of expert reviews and enhance the grant billing process.