NCN Council on draft Budget Act 2025

“The draft (state) budget is clearly inconsistent with public statements that the NCN funding must be increased,” the NCN Council noted in its Resolution of 5 September. The Council members emphasize that consistent increase in NCN funding is indispensable to ensure stable development of research in Poland.

According to the draft Budget Act 2025 adopted by the Council of Ministers on 28 August 2024, the NCN will be awarded PLN 1.648 billion for its operations next year which is almost the same as its current funding. This year, with the additional PLN 200 million awarded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in spring, the NCN was awarded PLN 1.643 billing.

“The draft budget is clearly inconsistent with public statements that the NCN funding must be increased,” the NCN Council members provided in their Resolution of 5 September. 

Therefore, they have called for “modification of the state budget and increase in NCN funding for research by another PLN 300 million and by PLN 2 million for NCN staff salaries from 2025 onwards,” and provided that “this should stabilize our financial situation and enable support for the best quality research in Poland.”

It was also provided that if the NCN funding was not adequately increased, the “NCN Council, following consultation with the NCN Director, might consider suspension of MINIATURA and SONATINA calls and discontinuance of the next POLONEZ call co-funded by the European Commission. Furthermore, the NCN Council might consider reduction of the number of OPUS calls to one a year and MAESTRO calls to one every two years.”

In its Resolution, the Council also pointed out that salary of the NCN staff members is not commensurate with their competences and market situation. It was emphasised that “the NCN employs highly qualified staff, and many jobs require a PhD. It is difficult to recruit new employees and retain existing ones with the current average salary at the NCN being lower than the Krakow average by 25%.”