Call for Applications: Participation in the Bekker Nawa Programme (Poland)

Programme Objective 

• The objective of the Programme is to support PhD students, scientists and academic teachers from Polish science and higher education institutions in their pursuit of scientific excellence by financing trips to recognized foreign research and academic centres around the world.
• The Programme offers Scholarship Holders the opportunity to complete a postdoctoral internship or part of their doctoral education, carry out research work together with outstanding scientists from abroad, obtain materials for scientific work and establish long-term relationships with foreign research teams.

Funding Information

• The total amount of funds allocated for the call is PLN 20,000,000.00. The Agency reserves the right to increase the amount of funds allocated for the call.
• At the stage of preparing the application, the Applicant takes into account:
  • A Scholarship 
    • Category of Eligible Persons: Doctoral Student
      • Monthly Rate in PLN: 3 750
    • Category of Eligible Persons: A Person with a PHD
      • Monthly Rate in PLN: 7 500
• If a Scholarship Holder has a certificate of severe or moderate disability, the lump sum for living and accommodation costs may be increased by PLN 2,000 per month at the Scholarship Holder’s request.
• Monthly support in the amount of PLN 2,000 for each month if the Scholarship Holder’s minor child or children participate in the visit. The birth of a child after submitting the application does not entitle to apply for increased funding.

Implementation Timeframe

• Programme implementation period
  • From March 1, 2025 to January 31, 2028
• Project implementation period (contract period)
  • The project implementation period includes the mobility period (period of stay in the host institution) plus 3 months. The project must be implemented within the Programme implementation period.
  • NOTE: The Agency reserves the right to pay funds no earlier than February 15, 2025.
• Length of mobility
  • From 3 to 24 months. Mobility must be completed during the Project implementation period (contract validity period).
• Implementation of mobility
  • Implementation must be continuous, with the exception of those specified in points 2 and 3.
  • It is permissible to suspend mobility for a total period of no longer than 3 months, provided that the host institution and NAWA give consent before suspension. During the suspension period, the scholarship is not available. Periods of suspension of mobility implementation do not constitute grounds for increasing financing.
  • The permissible period of stay outside the host institution is not longer than 10% of the total stay. The period of stay outside the host institution cannot be used at the beginning or end of the Project implementation period (it cannot be used to shorten the Project implementation period).

Thematic Scope of activities implemented under the Programme 

• The following mobility activities are eligible under the Programme:
  • carrying out research or development work that is critical at a particular career stage;
  • acquiring materials for research or a publication;
  • completing a postdoctoral internship;
  • in the case of doctoral students, part of their education;
  • and additionally – only as a supplement to the above purposes – other forms of scientific or academic activity, including teaching.
• The application may cover one or more of the above activities. The application should include the objectives, importance for career development and scientific discipline, benefits for the parent unit and justify the choice of the host institution for the planned activities.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Programme is open to Applicants representing all fields of science. There are no restrictions on the age of Applicants. There are also no restrictions on the countries in which the host institutions are located. The following are eligible to apply for participation in the Programme:
  • A person without a doctoral degree:
    • a doctoral student studying at a doctoral school referred to in the Act of July 20, 2018, Law on Higher Education and Science (hereinafter referred to as “u.p.s.w.n.”) – documentation of the status is required.
    • A researcher or lecturer, without a doctoral degree, permanently residing in Poland, whose primary place of employment (at the time of submitting the application) is the entity referred to in Art. 7(1) points 1-8 of u.p.s.w.n.
    • Note: Only a person who resides in Poland during the period of education at the doctoral school may apply in the Programme.
  • A Scientist, which means. a person with at least a doctoral degree or an equivalent degree obtained abroad, or an academic teacher permanently residing in Poland, at the time of submitting the application, holding at least a doctoral degree or an equivalent degree obtained abroad, whose primary place of employment (at the time of submitting an application) is the entity referred to in Art. 7(1) points 1-8 of u.p.s.w.n.
    • Note 1: A “visiting” position does not constitute employment requirements;
    • Note 2: An applicant cannot be employed or pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship at the host institution at the time of submitting the application.
  • As a condition for participation in the call, the Applicant must demonstrate:
    • Doctoral students and researchers and lecturers without PhD degree: at least 1 achievement
    • Scientists: at least 3 achievements from those indicated in point 1 letters a-e below.
• List of achievements qualifying for application in the Programme:
  • An applicant may demonstrate several achievements under the same item as well as various achievements from those indicated below:
    • a publication in a foreign language with international scope published or accepted for publication within the last 10 years (counted from the beginning of 2014) in journals included in one of the international databases: Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts & Humanities Citation Index,
    • a peer-reviewed scientific monograph published or accepted for publication published within the last 10 years from the beginning of 2014
    • Please Note: reviewing a multi-authored monograph does not meet the achievement requirement,
    • managing, within the last 5 years (counted from the beginning of 2019), a research project selected in a national or international competition, financed from sources external to the entity in which the Applicant is applying for a doctoral degree or is employed Please Note: the MINIATURA grant does not meet the achievement requirement,
    • a publication in the last 5 years (counted from the beginning of 2019) in reviewed materials from an international conference included in The Computing Research and Education Association of Australasia (CORE), as was indexed in the international database DBLP Computer Science Bibliography, or indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection or Scopus or IEEE Xplore database,
    • for representatives of the field of art – a documented presentation of works in a foreign cultural institution or academic centre or receiving an award or distinction in an international competition or festival – in the last 5 years (counted since the beginning of 2019).
  • representatives of the field of art should ensure that the activities planned under the Project are consistent with the objectives of the Programme and the thematic scope specified in point 2.1 of the Announcement (i.e. related to scientific activities)

For more information, visit NAWA.