National Science Centre (NCN) / Narodowe Centrum Nauki logo
Funder · Federal agency

National Science Centre (NCN) / Narodowe Centrum Nauki

Funds Polish basic science through competitive calls, scholar mobility support, and project grants across disciplines.

Polandwww.ncn.gov.pl
Key stats
Annual funding—
Programs7
Active grants3
Total grants7
About

The National Science Centre (Narodowe Centrum Nauki, NCN) is Poland's public funder for basic research. Established in 2010 and active since 2011, it is based in Krakow and operates under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The annual budget is about PLN 1.5 billion to 1.7 billion, making it the main national route for curiosity-driven research funding.

Its main schemes run from OPUS an…

Programs & grants under this funder
MAESTRO

Supports senior Polish researchers with competitive senior-level grants for frontier studies and high-impact scientific questions.

1 grant
MAESTRO 18
Open
— pool·23 days
MINIATURA

Supports focused one-off scientific actions in Poland through micro-grants for pilots, tests, and travel.

1 grant
MINIATURA 10
Closed
zł 20M pool
OPUS

Supports Polish researchers across career stages through National Science Centre grants for independent basic-research work.

1 grant
OPUS 31
Closed
— pool
PRELUDIUM

Supports PhD candidates in Poland building first independent research projects through foundational university-linked grants.

1 grant
PRELUDIUM 25
Between cycles
— pool
SONATA

Supports early-career Polish researchers establishing independent research lines through nationally funded basic science grants.

1 grant
SONATA 22
Scheduled
— pool
SONATA BIS

Supports experienced Polish researchers establishing new research teams with extended programmatic funding.

1 grant
SONATA BIS 16
Open
— pool·23 days
WEAVE-UNISONO

Connects Polish teams with European partners using grants for bilateral and trilateral research collaborations.

1 grant
WEAVE-UNISONO
Open
zł 50M pool·129 days
Last verified: 29 May 2026Source: www.ncn.gov.pl