New approaches and best practicesFoundation for Polish Science

strategy to win the best

Maciej ZyliczScience and Technology Landscape in a Changing World -

Enhancing US Collaboration with the EU and its Member States Conference

Washington DC, December 2011

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Foundation history

registered in 1991 according to the law on foundations and own statute

public benefit organization since 2005 (under law on public benefit activities)

independent self – financing (endowment from the Central Fund for

Science and Technology Development) not - for – profit operating on national and international level the biggest non-governmental organization supporting

science in Poland since 1991

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Finances

initial endowment – ca 90 m USD (1991) till October 2011 – total contribution to science in

Poland exceeds ca 120 m euro current assets amount ca 120 m euro EU Structural funds 120 m euro spendings in 2011 – ca 24 m euro

Finances part 2Total spendings in PLN

Foundation mission

‘Supporting only the best, so they become even better’

Foundation mission

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Foundation principles

competitiveness - open competition in all FNP programs

peer review system – as an essential and fundamental tool for evaluation of every submitted project proposal

transparency - external financial audit & public annual financial and program reports

Open to all nationalities Code of Ethics – both for FNP authorities,

staff and beneficiaries

FNP PRIORITIES

FNP concentrates on people rather than any thematic priorities or institutions

Gives assistance in getting independence

Protects the talents in the system

FNP promotes excellence in all fields of science and humanities

Foundation’ programs

STUDIES PhD

25 30

KOLUMB

TEAM

START

VENTURES

FNP PRIZE

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MONOGRAPHS

GRAND MASTER

SCIENTIFIC CAREER/AGE

PARENT/BRIDGE

HOMING +

INTERNATIONAL PhD PROJECTS

To win the best strategy

Ventures & Start programs – to begin…

Kolumb, Bridge & Homing programs – to set in motion…

Team & Grand Master programs – to gain independence…

Welcome, Ideas for Poland programs – to attract…

FNP Prize, Copernicus Award, Honorary Alexander v. Humboldt scholarship programs – to award…

To begin …

The objective – to encourage young researchers to pursue scientific careers.

VENTURES – supporting master students, graduates and PhD students carrying out projects with a practical application to the economy (grant & scholarship)START– supporting PhD students and young doctors in country (over 150 fellows a year) + short term visits abroad to look for a postdoc

• to direct young researchers abroad to gain experience• to encourage young Polish scholars abroad to return to Poland• bring young PhDs who are citizens of other countries for a

postdoctoral fellowship to Poland

• Kolumb program – outgoing fellowships for young Polish PhDs (18 calls between 1995 – 2011, 201 stipends granted, fellows went to 18 countries

• Homing Plus program - return grants for Polish scientists & grants for foreign postdocs

• Bridge program – grant for parents scientists returning to research activity

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To set in motion….

To gain and support independence… TEAM – for research team leaders

intending to engage students, PhD students or young PhDs in the project (increase engagement of young scientists in research performed by the best teams and in the best laboratories in Poland)

GRANDMASTER program – academic grants for professors (partly to support young scientists) – up to 3 years/100 000 euro (new scheme for sabbaticals);

WELCOME - grants for outstanding scientists willing to conduct their research in Poland, created to encourage the best scientists from all over the world to move to Poland and continue their research in one of Polish research institutions.

To attract….

IDEAS for POLAND – for recipients of ERC starting grants/ incentive to conduct their projects in Poland

To award…

• FNP Prize – the best known scheme, 4 prizes for the best Polish scientists (the most prestigious individual prize in Poland – 50 000 euro;

• Copernicus Award (DFG-FNP) – for a pair of scientists, one from Poland and one from Germany, who in a collaboration and their work is well recognized in their field at the international level

• Alexander von Humboldt Honorary Fellowship – fellowships for German professors, who realize their project in Poland within 3 years

Impact - last 20 years 7500 awards and scholarships

(present situation)• Independent research teams – 70• PhD schools -- 23

• Scholarship holders – 1214 (visitors from abroad 122)- master’s students - 395- PhD’ s students - 666- postdoc’s - 153

Supporting and promoting excellenceShort term changes

• Improving evaluation– fund excellence only• Limit number of tenured positions in research institutes• Continued influx of young people running independent groups• Competitive open calls for any independent positions becoming

available• Competitive open calls for institute directors and Dept. Chairs. • Install Scientific Advisory Boards (SABs), primarily consisting of high

profile foreign scientists (not “friends” of the Institute), • Eliminate Scientific Councils consisting primarily of Professor from the

Institute itself and other Institutions in Poland. • English as an “operational” language• Competitive salary

Long Term Actions

• Creating centers of excellence (including 6-8 International Institutes)

• How to do it: – Max-Planck type of Institutes. Rather new Institutes than

converting old ones into new scheme that may not be that easy.

– Special funding program for 5-10 institutions (country-wide) evaluated by international panel, based not only on current research but also on proposed coherent, competitive and innovative program for next 5-10 years (this has recently been done in Spain)

– Funding Excellence Clusters (Universities, Medical Schools, Technical Universities localized in the same town). Following example of Germany.

– Funding Core Facilities – special funding for 5-6 years

Universities PAS inst.

Crosswise programs

Universities PAS inst.Int. Inst.

Crosswise programs

Universities PAS inst.Int. Inst.

Core Facilities

PhD programs

Excellence Clusters

Crosswise programs

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Thank you for your attention!

For further information please visit us at

www.fnp.eu