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MAESTRO

MAESTRO 18

Funds advanced Polish research groups with ambitious scientific goals in frontier topics.

OpenNational Science Centre (NCN) / Narodowe Centrum NaukiPoland
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About

MAESTRO 18 is the 2026 edition of the National Science Centre (NCN) frontier research competition, reserved for senior researchers with at least seven years of post-doctoral experience. The programme targets pioneering basic-research projects with scientific ambition equivalent to that expected at ERC Advanced Grant level, spanning all NCN discipline clusters — humanities and social sciences, scie…

What this grant funds

Frontier basic research across all NCN disciplines (humanities, sciences, life sciences) requiring senior researchers with at least seven years of post-doctoral experience and ERC-equivalent scientific ambition.

Key facts
CycleiHow often this grant runs — e.g. annually, on a rolling basis, or a one-off call.Annual
Next deadlineiThe next date applications are due. Rolling means you can apply any time.15 Sept 2026
Decision timeiTypical time from the deadline to the funder's decision.—
Project durationiHow long the funded work is expected to run.36–60 months
Award typeiThe form of funding — grant, equity, loan, tax credit, etc.Grant
Match fundingiThe share of project costs you must cover yourself. 0% = fully funded.0%
Funding pooliThe total budget available across all awards in this round.—
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Last verified: 24 Jul 2026Source: www.ncn.gov.pl