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Funding Opportunities

Project duration – 24 or 36 months, PI – researchers who have been granted their PhD degree between 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2025 or will be granted their PhD by 15 May 2026

Additional requirements – full-time employment contract for PI in the host institution other than the one from which the PI has earned a PhD degree, the PI must complete a foreign fellowship of 3 to 6 months in a foreign research institution

DEADLINE: 16.03.2026, 14:00 (IOC PAS DEADLINE: 02.03.2026) 

Objective: Support for young researchers to establish their own research team and conduct innovative, application-oriented R&D projects in Poland, while strengthening international collaboration, cooperation with Polish industry, and competitiveness of Polish applications to ERC calls.

Eligible applicants: the PI must hold a doctoral degree obtained between 2 and 9 years before the application deadline; Funding: up to 4,000,000 PLN per project

Call announcement: 08.01.2026
Application submission period: 20.01.2026 – 17.02.2026
IOC PAS DEADLINE: 09.02.2026

Objective: to support research and development work that verifies a research hypothesis and the implementation potential of research results, helping move them closer to commercialization.

Scope: Projects can be in any scientific discipline, but should address priorities identified in the National Smart Specializations. The funding is not for basic research and focuses on validating practical/implementation potential.

For whom: Research organisations in Poland that nominate a researcher (author or co-author of the research results) as the leader of the project, with at least 0.5 FTE commitment during project implementation.

Project duration: up to 1 year, Funding: 700 000 PLN

Call announcement: 12.01.2026
Application submission period: 05.03.2026 – 24.03.2026
IOC PAS DEADLINE: 18.03.2026

Objective: to support international mobility of PhD students participating in the PRELUDIUM BIS programme by enabling the fellowships in European and non-European academic centres, Internships: 3 to 6 months;

For whom:  the scholarship holders of the PRELUDIUM BIS programme conducted by the National Science Centre in Poland

Submission of applications: depending on edition, on a continuous basis until December.

Objective: Support for individual international mobility (study periods, research stays, internships, summer schools) under bilateral agreements, aimed at strengthening academic development and international cooperation

Eligible applicants: Students, recent graduates (degree obtained in 2024 or later), PhD candidates, academic teachers and researchers based in Poland.

Scope: Partial or full studies abroad, Research stays and internships (including postdoctoral stays), Summer language and culture courses

Funding: Monthly NAWA scholarship (rate depends on host country and applicant status); no funding for research costs.

DEADLINE: 29.01.2026 r., 15:00

Objective: Support for researchers – Bekker NAWA fellows – returning to Poland after a minimum 18-month research stay abroad, with the aim of establishing a new, independent research team. The funding covers the researcher’s salary only; research costs are not eligible.

Eligible applicants: Polish research institutions employing researchers returning from abroad. The institution must employ the researcher full-time for at least 12 months; Project duration: 12 months; Funding: 102,000 PLN (gross-gross) for the researcher’s salary

Continuous call: 02.06.2025 – 03.11.2026, 15:00

Objective: Support for outstanding Polish researchers returning from abroad to continue their scientific careers in Poland, establish their own research teams, and strengthen international scientific cooperation.

Tracks: Junior Fellow – early-career researchers or Senior Fellow – experienced researchers with leadership background

Eligible Candidates: Polish citizens with a doctoral degree and recent, continuous research experience abroad (min. 1 year for Junior Fellows; min. 4 years for Senior Fellows), who have not lived or worked in Poland during the required period.

Funding: Covers salaries of the PI, research team members, and host supervisor. Optional additional funding available via NCN (basic research) or NCBR (applied research) components.

Project Duration: Junior Fellow: 24–36 months, Senior Fellow: 36–48 months

DEADLINE: 15.01. 2026, 15:00

Objective: The programme aims to attract outstanding researchers from top global universities (ranked in the top 200 in Shanghai, QS, THE) to work in Poland, strengthen international research cooperation and enhance the capacity of Polish science. Open to researchers from all scientific fields.

Offer: Stable employment in Polish universities or research institutes for 2–4 years, with the opportunity to establish independent research teams and conduct high-level research.

Tracks: participation tracks (Junior Fellow and Senior Fellow) tailored to different career stages.

Funding: covers salaries for the project leader, team members, and a host researcher. Participants may also access additional research components supported by NCN and NCBR.

DEADLINE: 27.02.2026, 15:00 

Objective: Support for international research and development (R&D) projects carried out by Polish entities in cooperation with foreign partners, aimed at the development of innovative solutions and strengthening science–business collaboration.

Eligible applicants: Polish enterprises (SMEs and large companies), research organisations, and consortia (with the participation of at least one foreign partner).

Scope: Industrial research and experimental development implemented within international consortia, in line with the National Smart Specialisations.

Funding: R&D project funding for the Polish part of the project – approx. PLN 300,000 to PLN 2,000,000.

DEADLINE: 30.04.2026

Objective: Support for the preparation of “eurogrant” applications to European Union funding programmes (e.g. Horizon Europe, LIFE, COSME, Erasmus+, Creative Europe).

Eligible applicants: Research organizations based in Poland; Project duration: Up to 12 months, aligned with the preparation timeline of the target eurogrant; Funding: Depends on the applicant’s role in the eurogrant proposal: Solo applicant: 20,202 PLN, Consortium coordinator / Work Package leader: 39,601 PLN, Consortium member / partner: 28,490 PLN; Eligible costs: Proposal preparation, feasibility studies, translations, consultancy services, travel, salaries, and partner coordination

Settlement: The project is settled as a lump sum, provided that the submitted eurogrant application receives at least 50% of the total score in the evaluation by the European Commission or other EU funding body.

Call: 12.08.2025 – 03.09.2026, with multiple submission rounds

IMPORTANT: The PARP application must be submitted before the eurogrant proposal is submitted to the European Commission.

Objective: international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary mobility of R&I staff, organisations constituting the partnership contribute directly to the implementation of a joint R&I project by seconding and/or hosting eligible staff members, project must explore activities that can be based on previous work but should go beyond and generate or strengthen long-term collaborations

For whom: organisations from the academic and non-academic sectors

DEADLINE: 16.04.2026 

Objective: proposals for new or existing doctoral or postdoctoral programmes in any research disciplines, programmes will be co-funded by MSCA COFUND

– Doctoral programmes – substantial training modules, compulsory international mobility, lead to the award of a doctoral degree in at least one EU Member State

– Postdoctoral programmes – individual advanced research training and career development fellowships for postdoctoral researchers

DEADLINE: 08.04.2026

The objective of all ERC grants: groundbreaking, high-risk/high-gain research projects in any field of research

Objective: Support for promising researchers with 7–12 years of postdoctoral experience, who have an outstanding scientific track record and an innovative research project, by providing long-term funding for the implementation of groundbreaking and ambitious research; PI: researchers of any nationality with 7-12 years of experience since completion of PhD; Funding: Up to 2 million EUR for a period of 5 years

DEADLINE: 13.01.2026

Currently, there are no suitable funding opportunities available.

Objective: To strengthen EU–Japan cooperation in innovative advanced materials through coordination, networking, researcher mobility, and joint strategic activities; Type of action: Coordination and Support Action (CSA), no core R&D

Who can apply: Consortia of research organisations, universities, and institutes from EU Member States or Associated Countries, cooperating with Japanese partners; Funding: ~EUR 0.8 million (lump sum grant)

Project focus: Scientific exchange, workshops, networking, coordination of EU–Japan collaboration, preparation of future joint research initiatives.

DEADLINE: 21.04.2026

Objective: To accelerate the discovery and development of chemicals and innovative advanced materials by using digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) across the materials value chain; Type of action: Innovation Action (IA) — projects must include R&D activities with strong industrial relevance and innovation potential.

Who can apply: Consortia of eligible research organisations, universities, industry partners (including SMEs) from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Focus: Projects should demonstrate how data-driven tools, AI/ML methods and digital workflows can speed up materials innovation (from design to scale-up), improve performance prediction, and reduce time/costs in materials development.

DEADLINE: 21.04.2026

Objective: 6-24-month research stay in Germany

For whom: postdocs or experienced researchers of any nationality excluding Germany

Submission of applications: on a continuous basis, the commission meets three times a year – in March, July, and November

Objective: Provide opportunities for excellent postdoctoral researchers from abroad to conduct cooperative research in Japan under the guidance of host researchers at Japanese universities and research institutes.

Eligible Candidates: Foreign researchers holding a doctoral degree obtained within about 6 years before the fellowship begins; Duration of Fellowship: 12–24 months; Funding: fellows receive a monthly maintenance stipend (typically around ¥362,000), a round-trip airfare, and a settling-in allowance

DEADLINE: Acceptance of a research stay in Japan requires nomination by the Polish Academy of Sciences. Applications for nomination must be submitted by 26.01.2026.

For whom: A pair of cooperating scientists, one working in Poland and one working in France, who hold doctoral degrees and whose joint research achievements have significantly contributed to strengthening Polish–French scientific cooperation. Nominations can be submitted by any active member of the Polish or French scientific community, and self-nominations are allowed.

Award: Each laureate receives EUR 15,000, of which EUR 5,000 is an individual prize and EUR 10,000 is a grant to support the continuation of their scientific cooperation.

DEADLINE: 15.01.2026, 16:00

For whom: a young researcher (up to 5 years after PhD), who is not only distiguished in their scientific discipline, but also has a humanistic attitude towards the world

Award: 5000 PLN, Candidates for the Award may be proposed by members of the Club of the Foundation for Polish Science Scholars

DEADLINE: 31.01.2026