“More than half of our funding goes to early-stage researchers. In the highly hierarchical Polish system, we give them a breath of freedom and the independence that comes with an ability to build a research team of their own. This is the great value of our agency, and it should not go to waste”, says Professor Zbigniew Błocki in an interview published by “Forum Akademickie” on 12 September.
Zbigniew Błocki, photo credit: Michał Łepecki
Moderated by Mariusz Karwowski, the interview addresses the relationship of the NCN with the Ministry of Education and Science. “We have never experienced such a massive attack before. The minister has openly criticised the NCN in public statements, announced a change in its status and, early in August, even mentioned that the NCN might be shut down altogether this autumn. Interestingly, in a written response to our activity report, issued at the end of August, he admitted that the NCN did deliver on its mission and achieve the goals of Polish research policy”, says Prof. Zbigniew Błocki.
Karwowski also asks about the appointment of a new NCN Director. A quick reminder: in February, the NCN Council passed a resolution to submit the candidacy of Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwiak for approval to the minister, The second term of Prof. Błocki ended in early March and he has since served as the NCN’s acting director.
“We proposed a meeting, which could be held in our offices or at the Ministry of Science and Education, to discuss various issues concerning the NCN, including the appointment of the new director and a budget increase. We had already extended such invitations before, but the minister has turned a deaf ear to our appeals for months now. Our hands are practically tied”, Błocki reveals.
The interview also touches on aspects such as the agency’s proposal evaluation criteria, open access policy, changes in programmes, communication with the research community and the principles of NCN’s operations.
“Recently we have had to expend a lot of energy on constantly fighting to remain independent. The situation we are in today imposes a certain narrative on our part, but I understand that an institution like ours needs to evolve. I am thinking, for instance, of reforming the review system or developing a more comprehensive method of evaluating the research record component. I don’t believe researchers should be judged on their publications alone; there are other achievements that could also be taken into account. The NCN closely cooperates with similar agencies outside Poland; we pay close attention to what they’re doing, participate in discussions and try to keep up with the changes in the world. However, what I will continue to stand by at all costs is that scientific excellence should be kept at the core of our mission”, he adds.
The full text of the interview with Prof. Z. Błocki can be found in the online edition of “Forum Akademickie” (in Polish).
Since its establishment, the NCN has supported researchers at different career levels. Between 2011 and 2022 we funded nearly 28,000 projects with a total budget of more than 14 billion zlotys. Our grants went to more than 20,000 researchers. More details can be found under the Facts and Figures tab.