Fifty-eight of the 70 operating institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences have applied to the first Research Institutes Development Programme. The figure indicates substantial institutional interest in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education’s new scheme. It does not, however, mean that funding has been awarded to any applicant.
The ministry told PAP that 57 applications moved to substantive assessment after the formal review. The RIN programme’s advisory team is to submit a list of recommended and non-recommended applications to the minister. The science minister will then make the final decision on eligibility for funding and on the amount awarded.
That distinction matters. The application total shows demand for the programme, but it does not show how many institutes will meet the selection threshold or how the available money will be distributed. The report provides no overall budget for this edition, no timetable for the substantive review and no list of applicants. The next meaningful milestone will therefore be the recommendations, followed by the minister’s funding decisions.
The programme is open to PAN institutes and certain statutory international research institutes operating in Poland. Eligible applicants needed a scientific category of A or A+ in at least half of their disciplines and no B or C category in any discipline. Funded development projects are planned for four years, with annual ceilings of up to PLN 500,000 or PLN 3.5 million, depending on the project type.
According to the ministry, financing is expected to begin after contracts are signed, at the start of 2027. It also said initial conclusions about the programme would only be possible after project assessment and, more broadly, after implementation. The ministry has not said whether a further call will follow this first edition.
Sources
- Nauka w Polsce · Fundacja PAP — Źródło: Nauka w Polsce (Fundacja PAP) (https://naukawpolsce.pl/) · Source date: 2026-11-14
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-14