PM Donald Tusk announced earlier today that the National Science Centre will receive an additional 500 million zlotys in bonds. The announcement was made during an awards ceremony for the winners of the Prime Minister’s Awards for research achievements.
“The future of our world and
PM Donald Tusk meeting the winners of the Prime Minister s 2023 Award for Scientific Achievements, 29, November 2024. Photo: Prime Minister s Office
the values on which it is founded, the future of the West in a broad sense as a political entity and civilization, will depend on whether we will be able to keep Europe, including Poland, at the peak of creativity, innovation, knowledge and science”, said Polish PM Donald Tusk during the event, which took place in Warsaw.
“We need to close the very large gap between us and other centres of science and civilization such as the United States and China. Europe, which at least some of us still remember as unrivalled in this respect, now needs to catch up with the rest of the world and your role here is absolutely crucial, no matter your field”, he added.
He also talked briefly about the 2025 state budget underway. “The resources of the Cabinet of Ministers include bonds, money...at the sole disposal of the Prime Minister, so we also decided to add an extra 500 million zlotys in bonds to the budget money slated for the National Science Centre, especially for the purpose of scholarships,”, he continued.
“This is a lot of money, but I know that when you divide it by the number of days, months, and interested parties, the sum will always be a little short. But I would like you to treat it as a token that at least I personally don’t need any convincing that in this big race, which is also a race for the security of Poland and the security of Europe, your efforts, your work, your thinking will be of absolutely crucial importance.”
Winners of 2024 Prime Minister's Awards
After the ceremony, the Minister of Finance Andrzej Domański wrote on X:
“Each zloty invested in research and innovation generates between 4 and 7 zlotys of return in the economy at large. Today, PM Donald Tusk has awarded an extra 0.5 billion zlotys to the National Science Centre, which supports key basic research activity. We need to build an innovative economy and create new drivers of economic growth in Poland.”
The NCN Director is pleased with today’s promise. “This significant capital supply will allow the NCN to increase its call budget in the nearest future. Hopefully, this will noticeably increase the success rate,” Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwiak.
“Bonds are not a new thing for us as we already used that instrument in 2020. It was then that we managed to have funding increased for good proposals submitted to NCN calls,” recalls the Director.
Prof. Jóźwiak discussed the PM’s decision with the Polish Press Agency. “At the meeting on Friday, the Prime Minister said that there was a political will to invest in the development of our country, innovations, and modern economy based on new technologies. He promised to have that strategy implemented in the nearest future. This is something we very much look forward to. (...) Good quality research that supports economic and social development, is decently funded everywhere in the world,” said Krzysztof Jóźwiak.
PPA’s wire: NCN Director: additional 500 million allows us to plan our operations in advance