The Foundation for Polish Science has announced the results of the 4^th and final edition of the IMPULS competition, organized as part of the SKILLS project.* Thanks to funding totalling PLN 880,000, the nine winners of the final competition will be able to realize innovative projects and research concepts with commercial potential at Polish scientific institutions.

The purpose of the IMPULS competition is to promote applied research and to develop skills in commercialization of R&D work. The winners receive prizes in the amount of PLN 120,000 (1^st prize), PLN 100,000 (2^nd prize) and PLN 80,000 (3^rd prize). Each prize is made up of two components: 80% is a grant for realization of the project and 20% is an individual stipend for the winner.

There were 56 applications filed in the last edition of the IMPULS competition. The 17 researchers most highly ranked by the reviewers took part in the second stage, where they presented their projects in interviews with a committee of specialists from the academic and business communities. After considering the recommendations of the competition committee, the executive board of the foundation named nine winners, who received awards totalling PLN 880,000, including two 1^st prize winners, four 2^nd prize winners and three 3^rd prize winners.

1^st prizes in the amount of PLN 120,000 were awarded to Dr Joanna Ortyl from the Tadeusz Kościuszko University of Technology in Kraków and Dr Michał Wójcik from the University of Warsaw.

2^nd prizes in the amount of PLN 100,000 went to Dr Marek Kraft from the Poznań University of Technology, Prof. Krystian Jażdżewski from the University of Warsaw, Arkadiusz Kuś from the Warsaw University of Technology, and Dr Łukasz Rąbalski from the University of Gdańsk.

3^rd prizes in the amount of PLN 80,000: Dr Agnieszka Fornalczyk from the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, Dr Paweł Horeglad from the University of Warsaw, and Dr Łukasz Tymecki from the University of Warsaw.

The competition was open to participants in the SKILLS project: scientific staff from Polish research units, doctoral students from Polish research units, and recent PhD?s (up to 12 months after obtaining their doctorate).

In the four editions of the IMPULS competition:

• Applications for realization of innovative research projects were filed by 153 researchers
• A total of 37 winners were named, receiving over PLN 3.5 million to pursue their research projects.

Detailed information is available at the competition website or from the coordinator, Dr Dariusz Łukaszewski, email: dariusz.lukaszewski@fnp.org.pl, tel.: +48 22 311 84 25.

Pictured: Dr Joanna Ortyl from the Tadeusz Kościuszko University of Technology, one of the 1^st prize winners in the IMPULS competition.

*The SKILLS project is co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund.