Winners of the third FIRST TEAM competition announced

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The Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) has selected the winners of the third FIRST TEAM competition aimed at supporting young PhD holders in setting up their first research teams. Thirteen young scientists have been awarded grants totalling PLN 25.6 million.

The FIRST TEAM programme supports young researchers at the key stage of their career ? as they begin to build their research independence ? helping them take on the most interesting research challenges. R&D research may be financed to ca. PLN 2 million for a period of three years. The grants are financed from the Smart Growth Operational Programme (PO IR).

The third FIRST TEAM competition attracted 81 applications, out of which reviewers and experts recommended the financing of thirteen projects to the total amount of PLN 25.6 million. Funds awarded by the FNP will allow the selected leaders to set up their own research teams and finance at least 28 workplaces for researchers employed in the projects as well as 46 scholarships for students and PhDs involved in research work. A total of 26 foreign research partners, 7 research partners from Poland and 2 economic partners have been invited to cooperate in the research.

List of FIRST TEAM 3/2017 grantees

The FIRST TEAM programme offers PhDs grants of ca. PLN 2 million to set up their first research teams. Eligible PhDs, regardless of nationality, will have obtained their doctoral degree not earlier than five years prior to applying. The programme is aimed at breakthrough R&D research, of significant importance for the economy and society, and in line with the National Smart Specialization list. Projects may be conducted in research units, enterprises or consortiums of research and corporate entities in Poland. Winners are selected based on a three-stage expert evaluation.

For more information, visit the programme?s website: LINK

The call for applications for the fourth, penultimate FIRST TEAM competition will be open from 1 August to 2 October 2017. The call for applications for the final competition will open in early January 2018.

Congratulations to all winners!

Photograph: Dr. Agata Starosta, winner of the third FIRST TEAM competition, who will conduct her project at the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin (private archive, photo by Kaveh Emami).