National Science Centre (NCN)
The NCN is a government agency, supervised by the Ministry of Education and Science, set up in 2011 to support basic research in Poland.
Basic research is defined as empirical or theoretical endeavours undertaken to gain new knowledge of the foundations of phenomena and observable facts, without any direct commercial use.
The NCN funds projects in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Life Sciences and Physical Sciences and Engineering. The NCN launches funding schemes dedicated to researchers at different stages of their career.
Between 2011 and 2023, the NCN has slated over 15.69 billion PLN to 21,111 Polish researchers. In 2023, 50% of that amount was dedicated to early-stage researchers.
Our Principles
- Identifying and funding best research projects
- Openness to global science, internationalisation
- Inclusiveness of offers and refraining from imposing research topics
- Appreciating younger researchers
- Impartiality, transparent procedures, strict conflicts of interest procedures
- Independence and political impartiality
- Serving the scientific community
NCN in figures
2011-2023
- 29,584 funded projects
- 21,111 grant winners
- 15.69 PLN billion in grants
- 55,988 applicants
More statistics (in Polish)
2023
- 50% funding for early-stage researchers
- 2207/8321 expert teams members/reviewers 91% of experts and 98% of reviewers are affiliated abroad)
Our goals
- supporting excellent research projects in all fields of science and humanities
- funding doctoral scholarships and post-doctoral internships
- financing research projects carried out by experienced researchers aimed at implementing pioneering research important for the development of science
- inspiring international cooperation in basic research
- supervising the implementation of the awarded research projects
- one of the priorities of the Centre is to support and develop the scientific careers of pre-doctoral and doctoral researchers about to embark on a career in research