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START Programme

Stipends for young researchers


2012 competition
(applications filed in 2011, winners announced in 2012)

The programme is directed to young researchers, at the outset of their career, who have already achieved some success in their field. The stipends serve as recognition of the scientific attainments so far by these young scholars and as an incentive for further growth by enabling them to devote themselves fully to their research.

Young scholars are eligible to apply for stipends if they:
  • are no older than 30 during the year when the application is filed * (or 32 in the case of candidates who have taken maternity or childrearing leave),
  • are employees or doctoral students at an institution of higher learning or other Polish institution whose chartered purposes include conducting scientific research, and
  • have scientific attainments, as documented by publications in recognised scientific journals.
*The age limit means that candidates may apply for stipends for 2011 if they were born in 1981 or later (or in the case of candidates who took maternity or childrearing leave, in 1979 or later).

Those awarded scholarships in the previous year are eligible to apply for a scholarship for the second year running, by taking part in the competition again – provided that that they fulfil all of the formal requirements in place in the current competition and can produce documentation demonstrating progress in their academic work in relation to their achievements in the previous year.

Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of their scientific achievements and the research plans they submit. Applications for stipends may be filed by the institutions employing or educating the candidates, or by the candidates directly. Applications must be signed by the president or vice-president of the university, or in the case of institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences or other research units, by the director or deputy director of the institution.
*Detailed information concerning the competition rules and the required documents is found in the Competition Rules.

In 2012 edition the Foundation will award up to 135 one-year stipends.

The amount of the one-year stipend is PLN 28,000

The deadline for filing applications for a stipend for 2012 is 31 October 2011.

Registration of candidates applying for a stipend is conducted via Internet. The online application form used for registration will be available at our Polish website in the autumn. Only after completing the online form will it be possible to print it out and send it by post to the FNP office (ul. Grażyny 11, 02-548 Warsaw), without any notation on the envelope.

Starting from 2010 edition, the stipends for the competition winners who obtained the top marks in each of three fields—the humanities and social sciences, the natural sciences and medicine, and the exact and technical sciences—will be increased by funds obtained by the Foundation from contributions to public charities (assignments of 1% of personal income tax).

Thanks to an agreement between the Foundation for Polish Science and the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings (Nobelpreisträgertagungen in Lindau), START Programme stipendees nominated by FNP will be able to participate in the prestigious conference each year in which young researchers from all over the world meet with Nobel Prize winners. The costs of their participation are covered by the organisers and FNP.

More information: Krystyna Frąk,
phone (0048) 22 845 95 11,
e-mail: krystyna.frak@fnp.org.pl