Three research projects in Physical Sciences and Engineering, and one project in Humanities, Social Sciences and Art Sciences, will be funded under Weave-UNISONO. Polish research teams have been awarded over PLN 3,500,000.

Greenwashing - Consumers Bamboozled 

Prof. Dr hab. Monika Namysłowska from the University of Lodz will look into the regulatory challenges of greenwashing in the EU, Czechia and Poland. Together with the Polish and Czech research teams (the latter headed by Dr. iur. Rita Sik-Simon LL.M from the Palacký University in Olomouc), she will pursue a research project aimed to protect consumers in the context of digital and environmental transitions. The Polish budget is over PLN 500,000. Greenwashing, which means misleading consumers through unsubstantiated claims that exaggerate or falsify alleged environmental benefits of goods and services, is raising serious concerns in the context of digital and environmental transitions. It undermines public trust and violates the principles of fair competition, where targeted algorithms and social media influencers are increasingly used in commercial practices. The GRETA project studies the implementation and enforcement of EU regulations on consumer protection and environmental communication in Poland and Czechia, identifies legal loopholes and barriers to effective application. The ultimate goal is to evaluate the efficiency of the existing regulations as well as to develop recommendations to limit greenwashing, strengthen consumer protection and increase the transparency of ecological communication. The research findings are expected to support public decision-makers, honest entrepreneurs and consumer organisations, contributing to the development of a more transparent and sustainable EU marketplace.

Understanding Nanoscale Magnetism

Another project funded in this round will aim to develop a unique tool to learn and understand nanomagnetic properties of non van-der-Waals two-dimensional systems. The Polish research team will be headed by Prof. Dr hab. Ryszard Zdyb from the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, with the support of Mgr. Jan Filip from the Palacký University in Olomouc, who will supervise the Czech research team. The Polish research team will receive over PLN 1,000,000 for their three-year project. Two-dimensional materials, known in part due to graphene, reveal potentially new research and technological opportunities, especially due to their thickness of several layers. The project focuses on hematene (an ultrathin iron oxide), which may exhibit completely different magnetic properties from its “thick” equivalent. Studies show that transitioning to the 2D regime and modifying the surface of hetametene with single atoms and metal clusters enables precise control of its magnetism. The goal of the project is to learn and understand magnetic properties through the production and comprehensive study of ultrathin iron oxides and their derivatives. The results may contribute to the development of new-generation technologies, such as ultrathin magnetic storage media as well as innovative materials for catalysis and photocatalysis.

Antibacterial Light: New Methodologies to Treat Bacterial Infections

Dr Dorota Anna Chełminiak-Dudkiewicz from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń and RNDr and Miloslav Macháček Ph.D. from the Charles University in Prague, alongside their research teams, will aim to develop photoactive supramolecular biopolymer materials for antimicrobial photodynamic therapy. The Polish research team will receive over PLN 700,000 for their research. Due to increasing antibiotic resistance, the treatment of infections is becoming a major challenge in contemporary medicine. The project focuses on the development of a new safe methodology to combat bacterial infections with light, called antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, which is especially suitable for treatment of wounds and skin infections. This project aims to develop novel photoactive biopolymer materials, such as films, sponges, gels, and nanoparticles, for wound dressing, where photosensitizers are combined with biopolymers, thus increasing therapeutic efficiency and reducing the risk of damaging healthy tissue. Such materials will effectively eliminate resistant microorganisms, support wound healing and protect the wound against further damage and infections. The project may result in the development of an innovative, patient- and environment- friendly alternative to current methods of bacterial treatment of infections.

New Antibiotic Development Strategy

The last winning project is about the amphiphilic peptidomimetics containing metallacarboranes as a design strategy for future antibiotics. The Polish research team will be headed by Dr Krzysztof Konrad Fink from the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences. Czech researchers will be supervised and headed by Ing. Mariusz Uchman Ph.D. from the Charles University in Prague. The Polish research team will receive nearly PLN 1,300,000 for their project, which aims to find an attractive alternative to conventional antibiotics, such as peptidomimetics that have potent antibacterial activity while preserving human cells. The unique mechanism of damaging bacterial membranes makes them susceptible to bacterial resistance. The purpose of research is to develop a new class of stable and safe metallacarborane-containing peptidomimetics and to understand the underlying molecular principles of the observed biological effects. The project findings may contribute to the development of effective therapies targeting multidrug-resistant pathogens and reinforce the future of infectious disease treatment.

All proposals had been evaluated by the Grantová agentura České republiky (GAČR), and the evaluation results were then approved by the NCN within the framework of Weave collaboration. 

Weave-UNISONO and Lead Agency Procedure 

Weave-UNISONO is a result of multilateral cooperation between the research-funding agencies associated in Science Europe and aims at simplifying the submission and selection procedures in all academic disciplines, involving researchers from two or three European countries.

The winning applicants are selected pursuant to the Lead Agency Procedure according to which one partner institution performs a complete merit-based evaluation of proposals, the results of which are subsequently approved by the other partners.

Under the Weave Programme, partner research teams apply for parallel funding to the Lead Agency and their respective institutions participating in the Programme. Joint research projects must include a coherent research program with the added value of the international cooperation clearly identified.

Weave-UNISONO is carried out on an ongoing basis. Research teams intending to cooperate with partners from Austria, Czechia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium-Flanders are urged to read the call text and apply for funding.

Research teams from Poland and Belgium-Flanders will receive nearly PLN 3.3 million for their research projects investigating holography, cyclostationary signals and mystery of matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. The three proposals have been evaluated by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) and the evaluation results were approved by the NCN under the Weave collaboration. 

Ultra-High Definition Holography

Prof. Dr hab. inż. Tomasz Kozacki from the Warsaw University of Technology, together with his team, will analyse ultra‐wide‐angle holography and ultra-high definition holography representing groundbreaking technologies. This type holography solves the primary shortcoming of conventional 3D displays that lies in the vergence‐accommodation conflict by providing an extended visual field of view bigger than 100°. Enabled by extremely dense light modulators, colour holography, and advanced processing algorithms, the encoding and display of large 3D objects in ultra-high quality becomes feasible, albeit at the cost of enormous computational demands and the need for novel methods of data acquisition, generation, and compression. The UltraHolo project addresses these challenges by developing a complete system, spanning from hologram generation and management through displays based on a resolution of 16K × 16K and a sub‐wavelength pixel pitch of 250 nm as well as quality assessment toolsets. The overall goal is to enhance achievement of a realistic and immersive 3D visualization systems in education, health, design, architecture and entertainment applications. The project budget of the Polish research team is over PLN 650,000. The Flemish research team from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel will be headed by Peter Schelkens.

Signals Exhibiting Natural Rhythm and Periodicity 

Another awarded project will be pursued by Dr hab. inż. Agnieszka Wyłomańska from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology. Together with her research team, she will address the advanced signal processing techniques for cyclostationary modelling. The project focuses on the development of advanced methods for analysing signals exhibiting natural rhythm or periodicity in the presence of strong interference, both typical (Gaussian) noise and more challenging impulsive noise. Researchers aim to better understand the sources of such signals and interference, develop realistic mathematical models and algorithms enabling their detection, description and cleaning, for example by separating overlapping signals, segmentation or classification. The new, noise-robust representations, including generalised frequency- frequency maps, will be analysed for their accuracy and computational complexity. Although universal, those methods will be evaluated on the basis of rotating machinery, where the analysis of cyclostationary signals allows to detect faults in gears and rolling element bearings. The new tools will enable detection of cyclostationary signal sources, but also support further processing, e.g. identification of the frequency band containing the most diagnostically useful information, improving detection of faults in laboratories and under industrial conditions. The Polish research team will receive nearly PLN 1.3 million for the three-year project. Konstantinos Gryllias from the KU Leuven will head the Flemish research team.

Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry  

The last project awarded in this round aims to develop Monte Carlo generators for future neutrino oscillation experiments. The Polish research team will be headed by Prof. Dr hab. Jan Sobczyk from the University of Wrocław, while Natalie Jachowicz from the Ghent University will head the Flemish research team. Over PLN 600,00 has been awarded for the Polish part of the project. Researches will address the mystery of matter-antimatter asymmetry in our universe which is currently attempted with, for example, neutrino-oscillation experiments. In Europe, the ESSnuSB+ collaboration is preparing for a contribution to this quest. Leveraging the unique opportunities offered by the intense neutrino beams that can be produced at the European Spallation Source, the collaboration proposes to measure this asymmetry at the second neutrino oscillation maximum with discovery precision, which primarily operates with neutrino energies ranging from 200 to 300 MeV, where conventional tools fall sort. The project aims to extend the neutrino simulation tool NuWro, grounded in microscopic theoretical models developed in Ghent, to fill this caveat and enable investigation of basic neutrino physics.

Weave-UNISONO and Lead Agency Procedure 

Weave-UNISONO is a result of multilateral cooperation between the research-funding agencies associated in Science Europe and aims at simplifying the submission and selection procedures in all academic disciplines, involving researchers from two or three European countries.

The winning applicants are selected pursuant to the Lead Agency Procedure according to which one partner institution performs a complete merit-based evaluation of proposals, the results of which are subsequently approved by the other partners.

Under the Weave Programme, partner research teams apply for parallel funding to the Lead Agency and their respective institutions participating in the Programme. Joint research projects must include a coherent research program with the added value of the international cooperation clearly identified.

Weave-UNISONO is carried out on an ongoing basis. Research teams intending to cooperate with partners from Austria, Czechia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium-Flanders are urged to read the call text and apply for funding.

We present a preliminary timeline for calls operated by the National Science Centre in the year 2026.

The call timeline does not include multilateral calls launched by the international networks of research funding agencies, including the NCN, which are announced and pre-announced on the NCN website all year round according to the decisions of the participating agencies.

2026 call timeline

Download the NCN 2026 call timeline

The European Research Council has just revealed the winners of its Consolidator Grant 2025. 4 out of 349 winners are former NCN grant winners affiliated with Polish research institutes: Dr hab. Wojciech Czerwiński, Dr hab. Maria Nowak and Dr hab. Michał Pilipczuk from the University of Warsaw, as well as Dr hab. Sławomir Porada from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology. Congratulations!

Maria Nowak, photo by Mirosław Kaźmierczak/UW Dr hab. Maria Nowak works at the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw. Her research focuses on, inter alia, classic Greek papyrology, legal papyrology, legal practice in the Roman Empire, and issues of multi-legal systems in antiquity. She has received ERC funding of EUR 1.9 million for the project “A provincial capital polis at the end of the Roman era. Periphery or a center of power? (PeriPolis)” aimed to present the late Roman Empire as a state struggling with challenges strikingly similar to those faced by modern societies. Dr Nowak will seek to reveal whether crisis is an intrinsic feature of the collapse of empires, or whether the two phenomena may occur independently. She will also try to gain a deeper understanding of everyday life in times of decline – both for ordinary inhabitants and political elites. Maria Nowak is a former winner of NCN’s SONATA 9 and OPUS 18.

Wojciech Czerwiński, photo by Mirosław Kaźmierczak/UW ERC Consolidator Grants 2025 will also go to two researchers from the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics at the University of Warsaw. They will both receive ERC grants for the second time. Dr hab. Wojciech Czerwiński received nearly EUR 2 million for his project “Reachability in Infinite Systems at High Resolution (POLARIS)”. The researcher works on computational models known as state-based systems, and will seek to solve one of the key dilemmas in computer science, namely the limits of achievability in systems with an infinite number of states. The bulk of his project concerns determining whether it is possible to devise an algorithm faster than existing ones that allows a given programme to move from its initial situation to its final one. Wojciech Czerwiński is a former winner of NCN’s SONATA 11.

Michał Pilipczuk, photo by Mirosław Kaźmierczak/UW Dr. hab. Michał Pilipczuk’s research focuses on graphs, which are fundamental mathematical objects used to model all kinds of networks. His project ”Towards a unified structure theory for dense graphs (WYDRA)”, which has been awarded nearly EUR 2 million in funding, will aim to develop a coherent and robust theory describing the structure of dense graphs. The results of his research will pave the way for many new applications – in both combinatorics and algorithm design and will indicate interesting directions for further research at the intersection of graph theory and theoretical computer science. Michał Pilipczuk is a former winner of NCN’s SONATA 6.

Sławomir Porada, photo by Politechnika Wrocławska For the first time, a CoG ERC was awarded to a researcher affiliated with a Wrocław University. Dr hab. inż. Sławomir Porada from the Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology. He has received nearly EUR 2 million in funding for his project “Small Differences, Big Impact: Achieving Effective Selective Separations from Water by Tuning Ion Transport Processes”. Dr Porada will seek to better understand ion transport mechanisms for ions with very similar properties - especially how ions are adsorbed and desorbed over time in electrode materials. This will form the basis for developing a new class of separation processes that use not only material properties but also smart control of the process operating time and cycle. Sławomir Porada is a beneficiary of NCN’s research component under the NAWA Polish Returns Programme.

The ERC Consolidator Grant is one of the most prestigious international grant programmes. It is open to researchers who are 7 to 13 years after completing their PhD and can demonstrate outstanding scientific achievements. This time, a total funding of EUR 728 million will go to researchers from 44 countries, including 25 from Europe.

Together with the Copernicus Centre, we are pleased to invite you to an online lecture by Łucja Kowalewska (Membrane Labyrinths in the Nanoworld of Cells: From Geometry to Biological Functions) on 10 December, 6pm, as part of the “Science at the Centre” series.

Łucja Kowalewska, photo by Łukasz Bera Dr hab. Łucja Kowalewska works at the Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw. Her research focuses on plant cell biology, particularly on the structure and dynamics of plastid membranes. Last October, she was presented with the NCN Award for outstanding scientific achievements.

Her work focuses on periodic membranes, whose organisation plays a crucial role in cellular functioning – including plastid biogenesis and photosynthetic efficiency. Dr. Kowalewska’s team investigates how membrane structure influences biological function and which molecular and physicochemical mechanisms govern membrane transformations.

Dr Kowalewska’s research makes a significant contribution to understanding the relationship between membrane geometry and function. The researcher has demonstrated that the spatial organisation of membranes is not merely the result of the self-assembly of their structural components, but also actively regulates cellular processes – marking a shift in the existing paradigm of cell biology.

While her studies are primarily fundamental in nature, understanding the principles of biological membrane self-organisation also holds significant application potential. It provides a foundation for the design of biomimetic nanomaterials that may be used in medicine, pharmacy and food technology – for instance, as drug carriers, materials supporting tissue regeneration or smart coatings.

Footage on Dr Kowalewska’s research  

An online lecture organized by the Copernicus Center will be streamed on 10 December, at 6 pm.

Dates have been released for interviews in the calls launched on 16 June 2025. The results of the first stage of merit-based evaluation under MAESTRO 17 and SONATA BIS 15 will be published in the second half of December.

MAESTRO 17

• NZ – Life Sciences: 27-29 January 2026
• HS – Humanities, Social Sciences and Art Sciences: 4-6 February 2026
• ST – Physical Sciences and Engineering: 4-5 February 2026

SONATA BIS 15

• NZ – Life Sciences: 27-29 January 2026
• HS – Humanities, Social Sciences and Art Sciences: 4-6 February 2026
• ST – Physical Sciences and Engineering: 3-5 February 2026

Principal investigators will be interviewed in English. Researchers whose proposals will be recommended for the second stage of evaluation will be notified of the interviews 14 days in advance at the latest. Interviews will be held at the premises of the National Science Centre in Krakow and although principal investigators are required to participate in person, in exceptional and well-justified cases interviews may be held via available telecommunication tools. Failure to attend the interview will be regarded as a resignation from applying for funding. The cost of travel to and accommodation in Krakow will not be reimbursed.

Under international SHENG 4 call for Polish and Chinese research projects, funding will be awarded to 21 projects with a value of over PLN 38 million.

Under SHENG 4 that has just been concluded, researchers could submit proposals to selected disciplines within three research domains. Out of 337 proposals, 229 were submitted to Physical Sciences and Engineering, 103 to Life Sciences, and only 5 to Humanities, Social Sciences and Art Sciences. Nearly PLN 22.5 million was awarded to 13 projects in Physical Sciences and Engineering and nearly PLN 16 million to 8 projects in Life Sciences. The success rate was 6.23%.  

Ranking List  

Polypeptides in Osteoarthritis Treatment

One of the awarded projects in Life Sciences, titled “Synthesis and Functionalization of Hyperbranched Polypeptides for Osteoarthritis Treatment”, will be headed by Dr hab. Monika Gosecka from the Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences. Osteoarthritis is a disease mainly affecting the elderly that involves pain, stiffness and restricted movement. Currently, treatment usually involves anti-inflammatory drugs or joint replacement, which are known for their side effects and inability to regenerate joint cartilage. In healthy joints, cartilage is well hydrated, which results in an extremely low coefficient of friction, but is degenerated and damaged as the disease progresses. Hyaluronic acid injections, which are widely used today, have limited efficacy and require frequent injections. The aim of the project is to develop new formulations for delivery injections using hyperbranched polypeptides, the structure of which will make them durable and will provide excellent lubrication of the joint, easy application and drug delivery. To this end, a library of polypeptides with different structures will be synthesised and studied, and knowledge gained in this project will show the relationship between the structural features of these molecules and their biological activity, leading to a development of more effective methods in the treatment of osteoarthritis.

From Natural Grasslands to Agricultural Sustainability

One of the projects awarded in Life Science will be carried out by Dr inż. Piotr Niezgoda from the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, who will study biodiversity and functionality of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. In the face of continuous population growth and climate change, sustainable agriculture is becoming increasingly important, with its limited use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides that are replaced by microorganisms. Such microorganisms include arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, which live in symbiosis with most terrestrial plants. They improve plant productivity and nutrition, and alleviate the effects of stress. Despite their importance for the ecosystems and agricultural potential, little is known of the diversity of AM fungi in the world, their activity, response to climate change and the possibilities of using them in practice. The project “Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Biodiversity and Functionality” aims to fill the void by comprehensive studies of AM fungal communities in croplands and grasslands located in China and Poland that differ greatly in terms of climate and soil properties. Modern techniques will be used, such as amplicon sequencing, phylogenies, reconstruction, isolation of single spores, and mycorrhizal functional tests, to characterize the structure and function of AM fungal communities, reveal the mechanisms underlying agricultural impacts on AM fungal symbiotic functions, and explore their response to environmental factors. The results will enhance our understanding of AMF ecology and evolution, support biodiversity conservation, facilitate their agricultural application, and contribute to the classification of new species, e.g. under transcontinental AM fungal resource bank. The project continues former joint research that resulted in the description of new AMF species in 2022.

List of Projects Recommended for Funding under SHENG 4  

SHENG

SHENG 4 is the international bilateral Polish-Chinese Funding Initiative organised by the National Science Centre in cooperation with the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) pursuant to the parallel evaluation procedure, which means that both agencies perform a parallel eligibility check and merit-based evaluation and funding is awarded to projects recommended by both agencies. SHENG 4 was open to basic research proposals submitted to one of the following panes: HS6_01-HS6_08, HS6_14-HS6_15, ST4, ST5, ST8 and ST11, or NZ1-NZ9.

The winning projects will be performed in Poland and China, and each project will be supervised by two principal investigators, one for the Chinese research team and one for the Polish team. The Polish research team may use the awarded funds for research, remuneration of the research team, scholarships for students and PhD students, purchase or manufacturing of research equipment or other cost crucial to the Polish part of the project.

In the latest episode of our NCN podcast “Science in a Frontline Country”, hosted by Anna Korzekwa-Józefowicz, Prof. Justyna Chodkowska-Miszczuk, NCN Council Member and expert in social and spatial aspects of energy transition and Dr hab. Michał Parniak, physician and leader of a research group at the Centre of Quantum Optical Technologies, University of Warsaw, explain how research becomes a true foundation for a resilient state.

In this podcast, we aim to explain how research findings can enhance a state’s resilience in the face of crises. Justyna Chodkowska-Miszczuk emphasises that ‘science-based, reliable knowledge is essential when addressing developmental challenges, including those related to a state’s security’. Basic research - whether in the physical sciences and engineering, social sciences, humanities or arts - provides this knowledge and enables a systemic perspective on security issues, without which nothing can be planned’. She adds that ‘basic research is not a mere luxury but a key foundation of a modern and resilience state’.

Michał Parniak, the first Polish scientist to develop and demonstrate multiplex quantum memory and a quantum processor, says that majority of key technologies have been created within the so-called Pasteur’s quadrant, which refers to basic research of a fundamental nature, but with future applications in mind. He explains that this approach allows one to take a step back to the fundamental laws of physics and develop innovations from scratch, unbound by the limitations of existing technologies. Thereby, his team could develop Rydberg atom-based quantum sensors that can be applied in radar technology and secure communication systems.

Michał Parniak recalled the story of Robert Wilson, Fermilab’s Director, who, when asked by the US Congress how the new accelerator might impact the nation’s security, replied that laboratory’s developments and inventions make the country ‘worth defending’. Dr Parniak emphasised how accurately the sentence captures the essence of basic research, which may not have a specific application in mind but instead generates knowledge, skills and technologies over time, ultimately contributing to the country’s safety, security and sovereignty.

The interview included perspectives of humanities, social sciences and arts. Justyna Chodkowska-Miszczuk recalled that according to the researchers from the Johns Hopkins University ‘the human brain is the current battlefield’. Social disintegration is largely driven by information bubbles, in which algorithms trap us. Therefore, social innovations, public acceptance and conscious communication are essential for building a secure state, alongside research on local communities, critical infrastructure, and the energy transition.

Civil and Military Cooperation 

Experts agree that civil and military sectors must cooperate to ensure that the army benefits from the latest research and expertise. Justyna Chodkowska-Miszczuk says that such cooperation is essential not only to respond to current threats, but primarily to anticipate them. By focusing on immediate, ‘here and now’ solutions, we fall behind other countries, while true security requires anticipating future events and the ability to predict them in advance.  

She also points out that the NCN Council takes measures to ensure that the National Science Centre can pursue research for the safety and security of the state and launch calls funded with resources secured by the Polish Ministry of National Defence. According to Michał Parniak, partial funding of basic research with army resources would strengthen technological competencies and long-term resilience of the state.

The NCN budget is ca. PLN 1.7 billion, while the 2026 budget of the Polish Ministry of National Defence is expected to reach ca. PLN 125 billion.

Maciej Stolarski, Łucja Kowalewska and Bartosz Szyszko will deliver open lectures organised by the Copernicus Centre on 26 November, 10 December and 17 December 2025. Lectures will be available on the YouTube channel of the Copernicus Centre and on the ‘Science at the Centre’ playlist.

Maciej Stolarski, photo by Łukasz Bera/NCN Professor Maciej Stolarski from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Warsaw studies the phenomenon of mental time travel. He has provided empirical evidence for the crucial role of thinking beyond the present moment in shaping the quality and effectiveness of human life. Dr hab. Łucja Kowalewska works at the Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw. Her research focuses on plant cell biology, particularly on the structure and dynamics of plastid membranes. The research carried out by Dr hab. Bartosz Szyszko, Professor at the University of Wroclaw who specialises in supramolecular chemistry, focuses on the synthesis and investigation of rotaxanes, catenanes and molecular knots – mechanically interlocked molecules that resemble the links of a chain.  

Last October, they all received the 2025 NCN Award, the most prestigious award in Poland recognising early-career researchers working in Poland. They will soon discuss their research in a series of online lectures organised by the Copernicus Centre.

Lecture by Maciej Stolarski

26 November 2025, 6 p.m.: Psychological Time as Meta-Dimension of Personality: A Theory of Temporal Navigator

The ability for mental time travel allows us to relive the past and anticipate the future. Hence, we can plan and understand our life much better.

‘My lecture will include examples of research and theoretical considerations that enabled me to form the theory of temporal metacognition, develop a model of temporal regulation of emotions and design a new conceptual model – temporal navigator – understanding personality as a cognitive and affective system whose ultimate purpose is to reach (future) goals through mindful or involved presence here and now (the present) using the experience, knowledge and inspirations gathered over a lifetime (past). The model combines knowledge of episodic memory, prospection, emotion regulation and goal-directed motivation, demonstrating that it is not individual contents, but dynamic actions over time that organise human subjectivity and enable effective self-regulation. I will also try to explain how the temporal navigator integrates the concepts of leading personality theories and will talk about how findings from temporal psychology can shed light on the core of psychopathology (the p factor), and whether temporal models might offer a framework for integrating key concepts from positive psychology. Furthermore, I will look into the gaps in existing temporal theories that have kept them from achieving recognition as the psychological ‘theory of everything’, says Maciej Stolarski.

Maciej Stolarski also appeared as a guest in our podcast ‘NextGen Science. The Future is Now’.

How to store research data? Who can have access to research data? What are the best research data management practices? Researchers ask these, and many more, questions every day. Answers are provided during a free online MOOC course developed by the NCN Open Science Team, which is now available on the Navoica platform.

The first English-language research data management course is addressed to researchers and prospective researchers as well as all those interested in learning about research data management and open data sharing.

“The idea for the course originated from discussions with researchers. We can all see that contemporary science relies on huge volumes of data from various sources. They are often generated automatically although the mere data production is not enough. One needs to know how to classify, store, share and reuse data in compliance with the FAIR Principles and Open Science policies. Meanwhile, many researchers told us that they lacked knowledge and support in this respect. That is how the idea for the course came about. First, in Polish and now, in response to the needs of English-speaking researchers working in Poland, in English,” says Dr Aneta Pazik- Aybar, Head of the Open Science Team at the National Science Centre.

The English-language course is based on four Polish-language courses prepared by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling at the University of Warsaw at the request of the National Science Centre. The development of the English-language course was coordinated by the NCN owing to funding from the EOSC Focus project.

Modules and Topics 

The course is divided into four modules comprising key research data management issues, from core aspects of open science, through data planning and legal issues, to data storage and sharing in scientific repositories, all in accordance with the guidelines of the National Science Centre and European Commission.

During the course, participants will find out about open scientific communication and open science policies applied by the research-funding agencies, and learn how to produce a Data Management Plan (DMP) in line with the NCN guidelines. They will also receive practical guidance on data management and data sharing in line with the FAIR Principles. Moreover, participants will learn about various types of research data repositories, their functions and the way they are used. Thus, they will be able to better understand the basic legal aspects of work with research data and research data sharing. After the course, attendees will be familiar with data types and databases, persistent identifiers, metadate, and will know the role of data stewards at scientific institutions.

At the end of this free online course, each participant will receive a participation certificate. User-friendly course materials will be available, alongside presentations, video recordings and interviews with experts. Participants will also benefit from a discussion board where they will be able to ask questions and exchange experience with other attendees. The course developed by the NCN Open Science Team is available on the NAVOICA platform until June 2026.