The Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) has announced the results of the 8th edition of the Polish Returns programme. Eleven Polish scientists will return to Poland to carry out cutting-edge research.
This year, NAWA received 43 applications, and following a multi-stage, rigorous expert evaluation process, 11 top-rated projects were selected for funding. The awarded researchers will conduct research in fields including materials engineering, physical sciences, chemistry, medicine, earth and environmental sciences, biological sciences, history, mathematics, and computer science.
The returning researchers are coming from renowned institutions in the USA, Finland, Switzerland, France, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada, and Italy.
The University of Warsaw will host the largest number of projects, welcoming five laureates. Other institutions to which the scientists will return include: AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Jagiellonian University, and institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences – the Institute of Mathematics and the Institute of Physical Chemistry.
Among the awardees are:
Dr. Mateusz Odziomek, previously affiliated with the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Germany, who will develop innovative noble-metal-free electrocatalysts at AGH University of Science and Technology.
Dr. Monika Piersa-Siłkowska, who gained experience at CERN, will conduct research on exotic atomic nuclei at the University of Warsaw.
Prof. Waldemar Priebe from the University of Texas, whose project at the University of Warsaw focuses on developing modern drugs for glioblastoma multiforme.
Thanks to NAWA’s cooperation with the National Science Centre (NCN) and the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), laureates of the Polish Returns Programme can also receive start-up grants to fund the direct research costs during the first 18 months of their projects.
The Polish Returns Programme enables Polish researchers to establish their own research teams and continue their academic careers in Poland. The total funding awarded by NAWA in this edition exceeds PLN 18 million.
Since its launch, the programme has supported 93 scientists, with more than PLN 100 million allocated to their projects.
Call results available at: nawa.gov.pl/naukowcy/polskie-powroty/wyniki-naboru
More about the programme: Polish Returns
