Amendment to the Law on the Financing of Science came into force on Monday
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Expanded POL-on system, Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures and easier financing of science popularisation activities are some of the changes came into force on May 25 in the Amendment to the Law on the Financing of Science.
The amendment officially introduces the concept of the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures in the science and higher education system. The term was used before, but until now it had no direct basis in the Polish legal system. The map contains the most important, strategic for Polish science facilities and research equipment. Requests for inclusion on the map can be submitted, among others, by units and research consortia, scientific and industrial centres, research centres of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the decision to include the project on the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures will be taken by the Minister of Science.
The Law also expands the information system POL-on. Now it contains data on higher education, and after the entry into force of the amendment, it can be expanded with information on scientific institutions. It will include the information about the scientific achievements of units, obtained patents, organized scientific conferences, published journals. Access to most of the data will be open and public.
The provisions entering into force will also facilitate financing measures aimed at the dissemination and promotion of knowledge and scientific achievements. Publishers of journals, including universities and research units that provide published content via the Internet, will be able to receive funding, for example to create English-language version of publications, secure the participation of foreign reviewers in the evaluation of publications. Funds for the activities of disseminating science can also be awarded to scientific libraries that are not part of research units.
The amendment emphasizes the pro-quality financing of science. The units which receive the lowest scientific category C following the periodic evaluation, will be affected by changes in the allocation of so-called statutory grant. According to the amendment, after receiving category C the unit may receive a grant for scientific research or development work, aimed at the development of young scientists and doctoral students only for one year. If - as a result of reassessment - the unit once again receives the lowest category, it will not receive any funds for financing the statutory activities until it raises its category. Money to cover the costs of restructuring may be awarded for a maximum of two years after the year in which category C has been awarded.
The funds awarded by the Minister of Science and Higher Education will be allocated on the basis of algorithms based on the figures. In the distribution of funds for science, taken into account will be, inter alia, the level of scientific work carried out in the unit and its importance for the development of science, the practical usefulness of the results, including their importance for the development of innovative economy. In turn, the amount of the grant for building large research infrastructure and construction investments will depend, inter alia, on the inclusion in the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures, and having a scientific research program.
The amendment also changed the definition of "young scientist" who is below the age of 35 in the year of funding application. According to the provisions of the amendment, this period may be extended by the time in which the scientist was, for example, on parental leave, or received sickness benefits in connection with long-term inability to work. The cumulative duration of such breaks may not exceed two years. The amendment also contains the definition of a "person starting a career in science". This category would apply to persons conducting scientific activities, regardless of age.
The draft assumptions for the amendment of the Law on the Financing of Science was presented in November 2012 by the then Minister of Science and Higher Education Barbara Kudrycka. In December of 2013 the government adopted the draft and on 17 January 2014 it was sent to the Parliament. President Bronisław Komorowski signed it at the beginning of February 2015.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland
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