Honouring the most talented young scholars and encouraging their further scientific development by enabling them to devote themselves entirely to research work - these are the main objectives of the START programme, annual scholarships awarded by the Foundation for Polish Science.
The START programme of the Foundation for Polish Science supports outstanding young scientists at the beginning of their professional careers. The competition is aimed at researchers under 30 years of age with a proven track record in their field of research.
Paper applications must be submitted to the FNP before November 3, 2023. Due to the public holiday on November 1 and the fact that the Rector's Office will be closed on 2 and 3 November, the Project Preparation Support - Project Incubator staff requests that already checked applications be submitted to the office no later than October 27, 2023. If you have any questions, contact the office staff by email or phone: projekty@ug.edu.pl, 58 523 31 35, 58 523 31 02, 58 523 31 04, 58 523 30 06.
The Foundation is expected to award around 100 annual scholarships in the upcoming competition. It is important to note that, according to the new regulations applicable to applicants, a scholarship can only be awarded once.
The Foundation also awards distinctions to outstanding candidates whose research achievements have been rated highest by competition reviewers in three fields: humanities and social sciences, natural and medical sciences, and science and technology.
Applications submitted to the START competition will also be considered for the Professor Barbara Skarga scholarship, awarded to one of the programme's winners. Eligible for this prize is someone whose research stands out for boldly crossing boundaries between different fields of science, opening up new research perspectives and creating new values in science. The scholarship of such a person will be increased.
Since 2022, the START programme has been awarding the Prof. Wacław Szybalski Distinction Scholarship, which can be awarded to an outstanding young scientist conducting research in the scientific fields practised by the Founder, namely biotechnology, genetics or molecular biology. The award was established thanks to a bequest from Professor Wacław Szybalski's will.
The Professor Adam Sobiczewski Fund was also established as part of the START programme. Its purpose is to subsidise selected scholarships of the programme's highest-ranking laureates working in fields close to the Founder's interests - theoretical physics, mathematics and astronomy.
Selected laureates of the START programme also have the opportunity to receive a travel grant for a stay in one or two research centres abroad. These trips help establish collaborations and learn about research methods at these centres. Travel grant recipients will be selected from among the laureates who have declared their willingness to go on such a trip in their scholarship application and have enclosed the required documents.