International Research Agendas (IRAP FENG)

The International Research Agendas Measure (IRAP FENG) supports the establishment or development of specialised, world-leading research groups and organisations in which scientific excellence and international competitiveness of research can be achieved.

NEWS

Please note: selected documents in English below

Goals

The support of IRAP projects is expected to enable Poland to establish and develop specialised, world-leading research teams and organisations, in which it will be possible to achieve scientific excellence and international competitiveness of research. The support is to implement in Poland the world’s best practices in terms of:

  • carrying out world-class, top-level scientific research; and identifying of research programmes and topics,
  • HR policy,
  • managing R&D work; and commercialising R&D results.

Addressees

The Applicants in the IRAP FENG Measure are research organisations. The applicant designates a Head Researcher of the Project – a person with a scientific degree, the main author and executor of the project implemented within the applicant’s institution, and responsible for all the substantive work of the project. The Head Researcher of the Project is the leader of one of the research groups. A research agenda, falling within the scope of the NSS, may require the cooperation of researchers from different disciplines and interdisciplinary contribution from different research groups in order to solve the identified problem. Due to its comprehensive approach, an IRAP project may include i.e., a component with researchers specialising in social sciences or humanities.

 

NOTE:

  • Call no. 1/2023 is dedicated for units coordinating a consortium that has been awarded a grant or the Seal of Excellence under the Teaming Horizon Europe Programme (Work Programme 2021-2022 or subsequent years) and whether the applicant was to be a centre of excellence under the teaming programme or a centre of excellence under this programme was to be established within its structure.
  • Call no. 2/2023 is generally open

Offer

Under the IRAP measure, funding can be obtained for R&D work, including industrial research or experimental development work, carried out in cooperation with at least one foreign research unit and covering a thematic scope within the list of National Smart Specialisations (NSS).

Funding does not cover basic research.

  • The total amount of requested support dedicated to the implementation of an IRAP project may not exceed the amount of PLN 30 million, including projects for which applicants have received a Seal of Excellence certificate.
  • The total amount of requested support earmarked for the implementation of an IRAP project in a unit that receives funding under the Teaming of Excellence competition run by the European Commission under Horizon Europe may not exceed the equivalent of EUR 8 million (approx. PLN 37 million).

The eligibility period for expenditure must not extend beyond 31 December 2029.

Procedure

  1. Submission of applications

The funding application must be completed in accordance with the Application Manual. The application can only be submitted electronically via the FNP electronic system.

The required documents are available at the IRAP Measure page and in the electronic system (both within the section “Documents to download” and directly in the section “Attachments and Statements”).

  1. Application review

The application review is divided into three stages: Formal Review, two-step Substantive Review.

A review is carried out by the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) on the basis of the information provided in the application.

The evaluation is carried out on the basis of the formal and substantive review criteria approved by the FENG Monitoring Committee – in accordance with the catalogue of criteria.

The first stage (stage I) of the evaluation is formal review. Applications which meet all formal criteria are qualified for substantive review (stage II). As a result of the performed analysis, the PEC recommends applications for the stage III of evaluation. An element of the evaluation carried out by the PEC during the stage III of project evaluation is a meeting and interview with the Applicant’s representative and the Head Researcher of the project at the FNP premises, during which the Applicant and the Head Researcher of the project have an opportunity to refer to the comments of the PEC.

A project can be awarded funding (positive evaluation) when:

  1. has met all the access criteria and has reached at least the minimum score thresholds specified in each of the scoring criteria, as well as having reached the minimum total score threshold for a positive evaluation;
  2. has been selected for funding by the PEC and has been included in the list of projects recommended for funding approved by the FNP Board;
  3. its position on the ranking list guarantees the availability of an appropriate amount of money in the allocation foreseen for a given call for proposals.

Upon completion of each project evaluation stage, the FNP makes public information on its results and publishes a list of applications selected for funding (after the third evaluation stage).

The project evaluation process, starting from the day following the date of the end of the call for proposals until the date of the announcement of the list of projects selected for funding, is carried out within 100 calendar days.

In the case of a negative project evaluation, the Applicant has the right to lodge a protest in order to re-evaluation the submitted application with respect to meeting the project selection criteria.

Upcoming calls for proposals

Detailed schedule: https://www.nowoczesnagospodarka.gov.pl/

Contact

Additional info

NOTE:

  • Call no. 1/2023 is dedicated for units coordinating a consortium that has been awarded a grant or the Seal of Excellence under the Teaming Horizon Europe Programme (Work Programme 2021-2022 or subsequent years) and whether the applicant was to be a centre of excellence under the teaming programme or a centre of excellence under this programme was to be established within its structure.
  • Call no. 2/2023 is generally open

 

SELECTED DOCUMENTS IN ENGLISH:

CALL 1/2023

CALL 2/2023