International science centres will be established in Warsaw and Gdańsk

The Warsaw centre will be headed by Prof. Agnieszka Chacińska and Prof. Magda Konarska of the Centre of New Technologies at the University of Warsaw (CeNT UW). The Gdańsk unit will be supervised by Theodore Hupp of the University of Edinburgh and Robin Fahraeus of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris (INSERM).

Both projects prepared by the professorial tandems were top-rated by recognized experts and reviewers in the second open competition of the International Research Agendas programme implemented by the Foundation for Polish Science - according to the Foundation for Polish Science release sent last Tuesday.

The new research facility at the University of Warsaw will operate under the name “ReMedy”. It will conduct scientific research into regeneration mechanisms. The objective will be to thoroughly understand the function of cells, in particular to investigate the cellular mechanisms of reaction to disturbances caused by pathogenic factors, such as genetic disorders, conditions caused by environmental factors, or ageing. The research output will contribute to developing new therapies and drugs, helping people to stay healthy or enabling the treatment of neurodegenerative and age-related diseases, as well as cancers.

"We plan to conduct research which will advance the development of innovative strategies for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and cancers as, despite ongoing efforts made within the last few decades, there are still no drugs to cure them completely, while the efficacy of those that do exist is not sufficient" - said Prof. Agnieszka Chacińska.

The project by Prof. Agnieszka Chacińska and Prof. Magda Konarska received a grant worth more than PLN 35 million (over EUR 8 million) for 5 years. The research will be conducted using the infrastructure of the CeNT UW, in collaboration with the Medical University in Göttingen. Seven research teams will be involved in the work, with contributions from several dozen scholars from Poland and abroad.

The second project has been developed by two foreign researchers: Prof. Theodore Hupp and Prof. Robin Fahraeus. They received PLN 41 million (EUR 9.8 million) to establish an International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science in Gdańsk. The research conducted at the centre will focus on developing a strategy to kick-start the human immune system so that it is able to combat cancer cells more effectively. In the future, the acquired knowledge may be used in clinical and industrial work on cancer vaccines and immunotherapy drugs, making oncological treatment more effective.

The International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science will operate at the University of Gdańsk, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh. "The research planned to be conducted at our facility will focus on immunology and cancer immunotherapy. We hope that it brings substantial advantages to both Gdańsk and Poland, by developing new technologies that might save human lives" - said Prof. Hupp.

The founders of the centre are planning to launch seven research groups, which will ultimately consist of several dozen researchers.

"We are happy that the IRAP programme will make Poland a home to research centres managed by internationally acknowledged and appreciated scholars" - says Professor Maciej Żylicz, President of the Foundation for Polish Science. He added that the researchers had set themselves very ambitious goals. "I hope that within the next few years, thanks to strong partnerships with Polish and international research institutions and companies, we will be able to see excellent results which will be relevant to the public and to the economy, while at the same time encouraging gifted scientists to work in Poland" - added Żylicz.

The International Research Agendas programme is implemented by the Foundation for Polish Science and funded under axis IV of the Smart Growth Operational Programme. The programme is aimed at enabling the creation of highly specialized, world-class research centres which apply the best international practices with regard to identifying research problems, R&D management, HR policy and commercialisation of R&D results.

Applicants in the International Research Agendas programme are outstanding Polish or foreign scholars who wish to undertake project management and management of the entire unit in the first period of its existence. A requirement is cooperation with a renowned foreign research centre in the given field. Each project can receive the support necessary for the implementation of the research agenda, the suggested amount of funding for 5 years is at least PLN 35 million, with the possibility of increase. Funds for the project are awarded in competitions. Each proposal is subject to a three-stage merit-based assessment by foreign experts in two panels: the Scientific and Economic Panel and the Interdisciplinary Panel, as well as reviewers.

The main challenge of the International Research Agenda projects, net to the groundbreaking research agenda, is to attract outstanding researchers to Poland and create world-renowned scientific units.

The first competition in the International Research Agendas programme was settled in June 2016. The winning project of Prof. Tomasz Dietl and Prof. Tomasz Wojtowicz from the Institute of Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw received nearly PLN 40 million from the Foundation for Polish Science. These funds are being used to launch the International Centre for Interfacing Magnetism and Superconductivity with Topological Matter (MagTop) in Poland, in which Polish and foreign researchers will conduct interdisciplinary research concerning materials science, nanotechnology, the physics of semiconductors as well as research on magnetism and superconductivity, which should lead to development of new topological materials

The Foundation for Polish Science now accepts applications in the third open competition in the International Research Agendas programme. The deadline for submitting applications is 30 June 2017. The FNP plans to announce further competitions in mid-2017 and 2018.

By the end of 2020, the Foundation intends to allocate substantial funds to the development of at least 10 International Research Agendas, which will employ a total of 500 young and experienced researchers from Poland and abroad.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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