Instructions for submitting proposals under the OPUS 15 call

In the Status wnioskodawcy [Applicant legal status] section please select the relevant status from a drop-down list. Upon selection, the system will create an appropriate application form.

PLEASE NOTE: it is possible to change the applicant legal status while working on the proposal, however this requires other data in the form to be updated as appropriate.

If no 9. Osoba fizyczna [Natural person] has been selected in the Status wnioskodawcy section, the Wnioskodawca [Applicant] tab in the upper left corner will change its label into Podmiot realizujący [Host Institution] – to be completed with the data of the institution where the project will be carried out.

The applicant Host Institution may be selected from the ZSUN/OSF database (Wybierz z bazy OPI [Select from the OPI database] button) or entered as a new entity (Spoza bazy [Select from outside OPI] button) The Host Institution data must be accurate and complete, they must be verified to be consistent with the documents in register.

PLEASE NOTE: before importing any information from the OPI database, make sure that the data included in the system are up-to-date.

Once the Applicant/Host Institution  has been selected, this section will split in two parts:

• Wnioskodawca/Podmiot realizujący poziom 1 [Applicant/Host Institution (level 1)]
• Wnioskodawca/Podmiot realizujący poziom 2 [Applicant/Host Institution (level 2)]

To edit information in these sections click the EDYTUJ [Edit] button on the right

Applicant/Host Institution (level 1)

1. Nazwa podmiotu [Entity name] (in Polish and English) and adres siedziby [legal address]
2. Siedmiocyfrowy identyfikator gminy [7-digit Community Identification Code] – give the full code of the community where the Host Institution has its registered office. To find the code please click on the Wykaz identyfikatorów  (the register is in compliance with the List of Identifiers and Names of the Units of Territorial Division of the Country by the Central Statistical Office). Choose “Przeglądanie” [“Browse”] to display the relevant community and enter its 7-digit number in the form. The system will use the number to complete the name of the community. 
3. Adres korespondencyjny [Address for correspondence] – phone no, email address, Electronic Correspondence Register ESP (ePUAP), website etc. Please note that all proposal-related correspondence, including the funding decision will be delivered to the ESP (ePUAP) address given here. Entering the ESP (ePUAP) address of the Host Institution is mandatory. Should these data change in the course of the project’s evaluation or implementation, the NCN must be notified of the fact immediately.
4. Status organizacyjny [Organisational status] – please select the relevant code from the given list: A.1, A.4 to A10 and B.1. If the Host Institution is an institution of higher education (A.1.), specify also its rodzaj podmiotu sprawującego nadzór [classification by regulatory authority]and profil działalności [the activity profile of the institution]. Select the relevant category from the drop-down menu.
5. Question: Czy podmiot stanowi jednostkę zaliczaną do sektora finansów publicznych? [Does the organisation belong to the public finances sector?] – please answer “tak” [“yes”] or “nie” [“no”]. The answer will be incorporated into the text of the statement by the authorised representative of the entity.
6. Question: Czy podmiot pozostaje pod zarządem komisarycznym lub znajduje się w toku likwidacji albo postępowania upadłościowego? [Is the institution under forced administration or the subject of liquidation or bankruptcy proceedings?] – please use the checkboxes to select either “tak” [“yes”] or “nie” [“no”].

   PLEASE NOTE: Pursuant to art. 9a section 1 of the act of 30^th April 2010 on the principles of funding science, institutions under forced administration or subject of liquidation or bankruptcy proceedings are ineligible to apply for financial resources for the tasks referred to in art. 5 of the act.

7. Enter  NIP [VAT number],  REGON [Statistical number] and KRS [Court registered number] as appropriate. If the Host Institution is not registered in the National Court Register (KRS) please tick the nie dotyczy [not applicable] box on the right.
8. Kwestionariusz występowania/niewystępowania pomocy publicznej [State aid questionnaire] must be filled out by ALL applicants. The NCN funding is classified as state aid depending on the Host Institution’s status,

   If the funding for the Host Institution constitutes state aid, please consult the instructions for entities applying for state aid [currently available in Polish only]: Instrukcja pomocnicza sporządzania wniosku o finansowanie projektu badawczego i załączników dla podmiotów wnioskujących o pomoc publiczną.

9. Wielkość przedsiębiorstwa, współpraca z organizacją prowadzącą badania [Enterprise size, cooperation with a research and knowledge-dissemination organisation] – applies to entities applying for state aid. Use the Edytuj [Edit] button to select from the list: Mikro, Małe, Średnie, Duże [Micro, Small, Medium, Large]. Micro, small, medium or large enterprises – as defined in  ANNEX I to the Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty Text with EEA relevance.
10. Question: Czy projekt jest realizowany we współpracy z organizacją prowadzącą badania, o której mowa w art. 2 pkt 83 Rozporządzenia Komisji (UE) nr 651/2014 z dnia 17 czerwca 2014 r. uznające niektóre rodzaje pomocy za zgodne z rynkiem wewnętrznym w zastosowaniu art. 107 i 108 Traktatu? [Is the project carried out in collaboration with a research and knowledge-dissemination organisation referred to in article 2 point 83 of the Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty Text with EEA relevance?] A research and knowledge-dissemination organisation is to be understood as the organisation referred to in article 2 point 83 of the Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty Text with EEA relevance.
11. Dane Kierownika jednostki [Information regarding the Head of the Host Institution] – please complete with the title/academic degree, name and surname as well as position of the authorised representative of the Host Institution.

Wnioskodawca/Podmiot realizujący poziom 2 [Applicant / Host Institution (level 2)]

Please complete data describing the unit at the second level of the Host Institution structure (faculty/division/department/office responsible for the project).

Question: Czy jednostka otrzymuje dotację na działalność statutową z budżetu nauki? [Does the unit in question receive any operating support grant from the budget for science?]

(Operating support grant (in Polish “dotacja statutowa”) refers to funds that the Host Institution receives in order to perform the tasks set out in its statute to sustain the continuity of research or development in the organisation).

If the unit in question does not receive any operating support grant from the budget for science, provide information on:

• research carried out over the period of 2 years before submitting the proposal, together with a list of publications by employees.
• research equipment and other instrumentation/facilities crucial to research activities.

Additional information described above must be uploaded in the electronic proposal submission system.

If the proposal is submitted by a composite entity, this section should be completed with the data of all organisations constituting such composite entity, with the exception of the applicant/leader’s data. Please follow the guidelines given in the Wnioskodawca [Applicant] section.

If the proposal is submitted by a single entity, this section may be completed with information on another faculty collaborating on the project within the same Host Institution. To add another faculty, click Dodaj wydział [Add faculty]. This will allow the proposal editor to assign research tasks, co-investigators, etc. to individual faculties.

1. Tytuł projektu [Project title]: the title must be entered in Polish and in English, both language version must be identical. The title  can be modified at will while working on the proposal. The title should be concise and give a proper idea of the project’s topic.
2. Obszar badawczy [Research domain], to be followed by Numer panelu dyscyplin [No of NCN review panel]: the primary research field has been selected at the point of creating the proposal form; to change it while in this tab use the Wybierz [Select] button.
3. Pomocnicze okreslenia identyfikujące [Auxiliary review panels]: please click on the Dodaj [Add] button and select from a list. First select the research domain, i.e. NZ [Life Sciences], HS [Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences] or ST (Physical Science and Engineering], and then the review panel of subordinate level. Choose between 1 and 3 auxiliary review panels. At least one auxiliary panel must be selected from the main project domain to which the project is being submitted, but others may be selected from outside the primary panel and research domain.
4. Planowany okres realizacji projektu [Project duration]: 12 months, 24 months or 36 months. Project duration counts from the day of signing the funding agreement.
5. Liczba wykonawców projektu [Number of project investigators]: applies to the principal investigator and the other investigators. Collective investigators are not included in this number. The number of investigators given in this tab must equal the number listed in the section on remuneration.
6. Słowa kluczowe [Key words]: they may not be identical with the words used in the panel descriptions, but they should give a proper idea of the project’s topic. Polish and English key words must be identical; the words must be separated with commas or semicolons.
7. Planowane nakłady [Estimated budget], Ogółem [Total] and Na pierwszy rok realizacji projektu [In the first year]: these fields will be filled out automatically by the system once you have completed the Kosztorys [Breakdown of project costs] tab.
8. Question: Czy projekt jest realizowany we współpracy międzynarodowej? [Is the project carried out as international collaboration?] If so, choose relevant country/countries from the list. This information is used for statistics compiled by the Centre, and in no way influences the evaluation.
9. Termin rozpoczęcia i zakończenia realizacji projektu [Research project start and end dates]: – applies to entities applying for state aid. Project start date is 1st April 2019 – the system will import the date automatically.
10. Lokalizacja projektu [Research project’s location]: – applies to entities applying for state aid. Enter the address, town, community, district, province, be as specific as possible. Should the project be carried out at several locations, they should all be listed, in descending order according to the criterion of the project’s largest or most significant part (up to 2,500 characters).

The project summary must be written in English. The summary may be no longer than 1 standard page (page format: A4; font: Times New Roman; font size: at least 11; lead: single; left and right margins: 2 cm; up and down margins: 1.5 cm). The only acceptable file format is PDF.

Please note that the summary may not be identical with the short description of the project.

The description for general public should be written in Polish and in English. The language versions must be identical. The description may be no longer than 1 standard page (page format: A4; font: Times New Roman; font size: at least 11; lead: single; margins left and right: 2 cm; margins up and down: 1.5 cm). The only acceptable file format is PDF.

Filling out of this tab is optional. The justification should be up to 2,500 characters, incl. spaces.

The principal investigator must inform the Centre whether the proposal has been submitted under the previous edition of the call. Answer the following:

• „Czy wniosek został złożony w ostatniej edycji konkursu OPUS, PRELUDIUM?”

  [“Has the proposal been submitted under the previous edition of the PRELUDIUM or OPUS call?”]

  tak [yes] / nie [no]

In case of resubmission, please provide the registration number of the proposal submitted under the previous edition of the OPUS or PRELUDIUM call (correct format: 2018/27/?/???/?????).

List of up to 3 persons who in the principal investigator’s opinion should not be involved in the proposal’s review because of a likely conflict of interest. Specify the person(s)’s name, surname and affiliation. The final selection of expert reviewers is made by the NCN.

PLEASE NOTE: in the OPUS 15 call the scientific achievement section is to be completed by the principal investigator only.

The number of the research team members given in this tab must match the number of investigators stated in the Informacje ogólne [General information] tab.

To select the Principal investigator click the Wybierz z bazy OPI [Select from the OPI database] button or Spoza bazy [Select form outside OPI] button.

First enter the data of the principal investigator, then continue with other investigators.

• To select a person from the OPI database, enter their PESEL numbers, which identifies each individual listed in the Polish Science database. If necessary, update the information on the person in the database.
• To select a person from outside OPI, enter all data required by the system (given names, surname, academic title/degree, phone number, email address, address of the Electronic Correspondence Register ESP (ePUAP), PESEL no etc.).

PLEASE NOTE: enter the principal investigator’s data in chronological order, and make sure that the data imported from the OPI database are correct. Should the data imported from the OPI database be out of date or incorrect, the proposal editor should inform the Nauka Polska database. Pay special attention to data concerning: the title, given names, surnames, the PESEL number, as well as occupations, since these may not be edited directly in the ZSUN/OSF system. Modification of the data may require a new import and removing the contents of all components in the scientific achievement section, i.e.: Academic and Research Career, Publication Record etc.

The scientific achievement section is completed by the principal investigator.

1. Planowany charakter udziału w realizacji projektu [Nature of contribution to the project]: completed automatically by the ZSUN/OSF system based on the data previously entered in the form.
2. Podmiot [Host Institution]: completed automatically by  the ZSUN/OSF system with the organisation indicated as the host institution in the APPLICANT / HOST INSTITUTION tab.
3. Dane osobowe [Personal data]: no personal data can be given for project co-investigators, please specify their function in the project.
4. Typ zatrudnienia w projekcie [Type of employment in the project] – please select from the list:
   • wynagrodzenie pełnoetatowe [full-time remuneration]:

     Principal investigator may be paid a salary from the pool allocated for full-time salaries pursuant to a full-time contract of employment at a research post as long as they meet all of the following conditions:

     • at the time of receiving this remuneration, they are not receiving any other remuneration paid from the resources granted as direct costs under NCN calls;
     • at the time of receiving this remuneration, they are not employed pursuant to another contract of employment nor do they receive a pension from the social security system;
   • wynagrodzenie dodatkowe [additional remuneration]:

     The resources allocated for additional remuneration may be used to finance employment pursuant to full- or part-time employment contracts as well as pursuant to civil law contracts. Investigators employed by the Host Institution pursuant to a contract of employment must not receive additional remuneration pursuant to a civil law contract.

   • bez wynagrodzenia [without remuneration]: select this option in the case of individuals who have declined their remuneration or persons that must not receive remuneration as recipients of a full-time salary or scholarship in another NCN-funded research project.

     PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information on salaries, please refer to the document: Types of costs in research projects funded by the NCN

5. Rodzaj stanowiska [Type of position]:
   • pozostałe [other]: the principal investigator should choose this option for their contribution to the project.
6. Okres pobierania wynagrodzenia w projekcie [Period of receiving remuneration]: may be different than the project duration.
7. In the window for the principal investigator’s data provide answers to additional questions:
   • Czy kierownik projektu posiada stopień naukowy doktora? [Does the principal investigator hold a PhD degree?]
   • Czy przed złożeniem wniosku kierownik projektu korzystał z urlopu macierzyńskiego, dodatkowego urlopu macierzyńskiego, dodatkowego urlopu na zasadach urlopu macierzyńskiego, urlopu ojcowskiego, urlopu rodzicielskiego i wychowawczego, udzielanych na zasadach określonych w kodeksie pracy lub pobierał zasiłek chorobowy lub świadczenia rehabilitacyjne w związku z niezdolnością do pracy w tym spowodowaną chorobą wymagającą rehabilitacji i leczenia: [Had the principal investigator benefited from maternity leave, adoption leave, additional maternity leave, additional adoption leave, paternal leave, parental leave granted in compliance with the Labour Code, or periods of sickness benefit or rehabilitation benefit granted on account of being unfit for work, including any caused by a health condition requiring rehabilitation:]
     • w okresie 5 lat? [within 5 years before the proposal submission] (this subsection appears only in proposals submitted to NZ and ST panels). If answered in affirmative, enter the number of months. The additional question concerning the 5-year period for the NZ and ST panels serves the purpose of adjusting the period for which the principal investigator may report publications.
8. Dane osobowe: [Personal data:] please enter the legal address and address for correspondence if it differs from the legal address. Correspondence between the NCN and the project’s principal investigator will be held by means of the ESP (ePUAP) or the email address. Providing the address of one’s ESP (ePUAP) is voluntary. Please note that if the principal investigator’s PESEL number is listed in the Polish Science database, the system will automatically enforce importing the data from the database.
9. Miejsca pracy w jednostkach naukowych i innych instytucjach związanych z nauką oraz zajmowane stanowiska: [Affiliation and positions occupied]: these will be completed automatically if the principal investigator has imported their entry data from the OPI database. If the entry data have been entered manually, their positions may be completed by clicking on the “Dodaj z bazy OPI” [Select from the OPI database] or Spoza bazy [Select from outside OPI] button. If the principal investigator currently holds no position, tick the field “Bez miejsca pracy” [No fixed post].
10. Informacje o całkowitej liczbie cytowań oraz indeksie H [The total number of citations and the h-index value]: to be completed by the principal investigator only.
    • for ST (Physical and Engineering Sciences) and NZ (Life Sciences) panels: enter the total number of citations for all publications to date, without self-citations, and the h-index value. In the case of no citations, enter “0” as the number of citations and “0” as the h-index value. The data should be taken from the Web of Science™ Core Collection.
    • for HS (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences): if possible, enter the total number of citations for all publications to date, without self-citations, and the h-index value. HS panels may also choose N/A, but only in the case where such data cannot be provided (e.g. where the achievements are not publications but works of art etc.). If publications have been listed as scientific achievements, the preferred source is Web of Science™ Core Collection or Scopus; impact factors must be entered as appropriate.
11. Szczegółowa ankieta dorobku naukowego kierownika projektu [Scientific achievements of the principal investigator]: please complete the form as required by the system.

    INFORMATION ON THE ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH CAREER MUST BE PROVIDED IN ENGLISH  

    

    PLEASE NOTE: \information included in this part of the proposal must be provided in English. The sections to follow are completed by the principal investigator

    1. Academic and research career – provide a description of the subsequent stages of academic career (degrees), including names of the university, institute or other organisational unit, specialisation, date of receiving the BA, MA (and equivalents), academic degree or title. This section should also include any information that may be of consequence for the course of career in research and research achievements, e.g. longer career breaks, parental leaves and maiden names used in publications. 
    2. Publication record
       • The publications should date from the period of 5 (for ST and NZ) or 10 years (for HS) before the proposal submission; older publications will be disregarded in the assessment of the scientific achievements.
       • Three most important publications from amongst those mentioned above must be attached as a PDF files (PDF files, each of them no larger than 10 MB; in the case of monographs attach a file containing at least the title page, masthead area, contents and a selection of fragments with the author’s chief theses). Provide the following: author/authors, title, source (journal, publisher etc.), publication year, current five-year impact factor (IF; in the case of journals without impact factor, enter “0”), number of citations without self-citations (if the publication has not been cited, enter “0”).

       The principal investigator may include unpublished works, on condition that they have already been accepted for publication. In such cases select “The publication is: Accepted for publication”, and upload communications to confirm that the work has been accepted for publication in the ZAŁĄCZNIKI [ANNEXES] tab.

       PLEASE NOTE: titles of publications, periodicals or monographs should be given in their original languages (e.g. Polish, French, German, Spanish) rather than translated into English.

    3. Projekty badawcze [Research projects]

       LIST ONLY PROJECTS CARRIED OUT AS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR.

       Projects awarded in national or international calls: completed within 5 years of submitting the proposal or ongoing projects. Acting as principal investigator is to be understood also as acting as head of the Polish research team carrying out a project in a joint international research project. For ongoing projects do not specify the date of completion. The system will automatically label the project as a project in progress.

       Do not mention projects financed from the operating support grant; mention only those that have been funded from the budget for science.

       To enter the projects use the Add button. Provide the following information:

       • role in the project,
       • project title in the original language, and, if applicable, the title’s translation into English],
       • project ID,
       • sources of funding,
       • amount of funding/currency code,
       • Host Institution,
       • start date/finish date,
       • list of the most important publications.

       In addition, for each project list the most important works published as its result. Listing no publications will be considered as no results of research projects. Publications should be related to the projects listed and must mention the source of funding. Publications at the stage of peer-review should not be included in this section.

    4. Similar research tasks – the tab should contain information on thematically similar research tasks included in proposals submitted under the NCN calls currently open or evaluated. List also projects carried out/completed, currently or in the past, by the principal investigator with the funding from other sources, or under the current NCN calls. Please provide the following: project title and ID number, principal investigator’s given name and surname, main research tasks and information whether the project is being carried out under an NCN funding scheme, whether it has been submitted under an NCN call, whether it has received funding from another source (if so, the source should be named); present justification of the funding for the research tasks outlined in the proposal against the abovementioned similar research tasks.

       Explain the differences between the ongoing/completed research tasks and those included in the proposal.

       If the projects with similar research tasks have not been submitted for funding, tick the not applicable field.

       The purpose of this information is to determine the proposal’s status in the context of double funding.

    5. Research stays – describe the experience gained in Poland and abroad over the last 10 years, naming the country, institution, type/nature of stay (e.g. scholarship, fellowship, visiting professor), and its duration.
    6. Prizes/Awards – name most important international and prestigious Polish awards for research. Name the type of award, place and date of receiving. In this section provide also information on other research activities, such as keynote speeches at conferences and in the case of arts, active participation in international exhibitions, festivals, artistic events and projects in fine arts, music, theatre and film. Use up to 1,500 characters incl. spaces.

       If any part of the questionnaire cannot be completed (e.g. the principal investigator has had no awards), enter “not applicable” in the relevant tab.

To add an Investigator click on the Dodaj wykonawcę [Add investigator] button and provide the data as required.

ALL CO-INVESTIGATORS ARE ANONYMOUS.

1. Planowany charakter udziału w realizacji projektu [Nature of contribution to the project]: the system will automatically assign the role of the given person in the project (“investigator”). The field does not allow for entering the name of the person.
2. Podmiot [Host Institution]: the system will automatically assign the host institution where the project will be carried out. For composite entities indicate the host entity as appropriate.
3. Rola pełniona w projekcie [Role in the project]: to be completed in English, enter the role to be performed , e.g. laboratory technician, technician, researcher; DO NOT enter the investigators’ personal data (given name and surname).
4. Typ zatrudnienia w projekcie [Type of employment]: choose:
   • wynagrodzenie pełnoetatowe [full-time remuneration]: under the OPUS 15 call only co-investigators at “post-doc type” posts may receive salaries from the full-time remuneration pool. Starting from the 29th edition of the NCN calls, the annual remuneration for individuals at the post-doc type positions should not be lower than PLN 120 K.
   • wynagrodzenie dodatkowe [additional remuneration]: under the OPUS 15 call, salaries for prospective co-investigators may be paid only from the pool for additional remuneration.
   • stypendia naukowe [scholarships] detailed information regarding scholarships may be consulted on the Centre’s website at: https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/default/files/pliki/regulaminy/ncn_scholars...
   • bez wynagrodzenia [without remuneration].
5. Rodzaj stanowiska [Type of position]: choose the type of post in the project:
   • post-doc – a researcher who has obtained their doctorate degree within 7 years of joining the project. This period does not include maternity leave, adoption leave, additional maternity leave, paternal leave, parental leave granted in compliance with the Labour Code, nor periods of sickness benefit or rehabilitation benefit granted on account of being unfit for work, including any caused by a health condition requiring rehabilitation. If any of the above is true, the 7-year period is extended by the duration of the leave in question. Women may extend the 7-year period by 18 months for every child born or adopted. A woman may choose whichever manner of accounting for career breaks she finds preferable.
     

     PLEASE NOTE: the OPUS call allows post-doc positions provided that the aggregate time of all researchers employed as post-docs does not exceed twice the time planned as the project’s duration. More than one person may be employed at each post. The minimum individual period of employment at this post is six months.

   • doktorant i/lub student [doctoral candidate and/or student] (investigator receiving scholarship): a scholarship may be awarded to an individual who at the time of commencing research tasks meets any one of the following criteria:
     
     • is enrolled in a Master’s programme, either in full-time or part-time mode,
     • is at least in the fourth year of a uniform Master’s programme, either in full-time or part-time mode,
     • is a doctoral candidate,
     • participates in a doctoral programme and works on a doctoral dissertation.
   • doktorant [doctoral candidate] – a doctoral candidate to receive a salary from the pool for additional remuneration in the project.
   • student – an undergraduate student to receive a salary from the pool for additional remuneration in the project.
   • pozostałe [other] – all other individuals who do not meet the above criteria.
6. Okres pobierania wynagrodzenia w projekcie (w miesiącach) [Period of receiving remuneration in the project (in months)]  

   The order in which co-the investigators are listed in the proposal can be modified as desired. To change the order, click first on the Ustaw kolejność [Set order] button and then on the arrows displayed.

Present research tasks to be carried out in the project.

For each research task please specify:

1. Nazwy zadań badawczych [Names of research tasks] (in Polish and in English) presenting descriptions of individual research tasks – the descriptions in both language versions must be identical.
2. If the applicant is a composite entity, please indicate individual Host Institutions responsible for each research task, by choosing the appropriate name from the drop-down list. For other applicant types the Podmiot realizujący zadanie [Host Institution] tab will be completed automatically by the system.

The ZSUN/OSF proposal submission system does not validate all data for errors (i.e. it does not automatically block incorrect formulas), hence it is necessary to carefully check the data before submission.

The sums entered in the budget table must be rounded up or down to the nearest full Polish zloty. The sums entered must include VAT (if eligible). Salaries must be calculated as gross amounts, with regard for their compliance with the limits for the call in question.

Project’s costs include direct and indirect costs.

The maximum limit for indirect costs amounts to 40 per cent of direct costs, excluding costs of research facilities, equipment and software. Over the course of the project’s implementation indirect costs may not be increased, but they may be reduced.

Zestawienie planowanego dofinansowania z Narodowego Centrum Nauki [National Science Centre contribution table] is completed automatically by the system once the Kosztorys-podmioty [Breakdown of costs by entities] has been filled out. If the proposal is submitted by a composite entity, the costs are the resulting total costs of the expenses entered by all individual Host Institutions in their respective breakdowns.

The costs entered in the breakdown of project costs require justification in the section: Kalkulacja poszczególnych pozycji kosztorysu [Individual budget items] – please complete all tabs.

The budget calculations must be realistic, they must follow the cost-effectiveness principle i.e. must aim to obtain the best effects from the given inputs. All expenses included in the budget must be justifiable against the research project implementation.

1. All individuals receiving remuneration in the project should be included in the breakdown of project costs. The Investigator/Staff costs tab should specify the following:
   • Number of investigators – completed automatically by the system with data from the PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/CO-INVESTIGATORS section.
   • The number of individuals to constitute the basis for the calculation of additional remuneration budget – completed automatically by the system with data from the PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR / INVESTIGATORS section.
   • Full name/Nature of contribution to the project/Type and character of position – completed automatically by the system with data from the PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/INVESTIGATORS section.
   • Employing entity – completed automatically by the system.
   • Scope of work within individual project tasks – click the Edytuj [Edit] button to complete with a concise yet thorough description of the function performed by the person in the project
   • Project-related remuneration period in months – completed automatically by the system.
   • Total salary cost on grant (PLN) – click the Edytuj [Edit] button to enter the total sum of remuneration for each individual working in the project.
   • Justification of the amount of remuneration: the tab will appear only if the full-time remuneration for a post-doc type investigator is in excess of PLN 120 K per annum.  Use the Edytuj [Edit] button to describe the special circumstances justifying the higher remuneration.
2. Planned Equipment. The proposal may include the costs of purchase of research equipment; however, the unit cost of equipment purchased may not exceed PLN 500 K in Physical Sciences and Engineering (ST) and Life Sciences (NZ), and PLN 150 K in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (HS).

   PLEASE NOTE: the value of research equipment shall be determined in accordance with the Accounting Law; it includes, among others: costs of transportation, loading and unloading, insurance of the transported goods, installation/assembly, customs and excise duty, and the value of software if it is treated as a component of the research equipment.

   Please provide the following information:

   • Equipment name – in Polish and in English.
   • Justification of purchase – in English, purpose of the equipment, justification of its relevance for the project.
   • Purchasing entity – for a composite entity indicate the name of the organisation that shall make depreciation deductions on the purchase in the period of the project’s implementation; for other entities the section will be completed automatically by the system.
   • Year of purchase
   • Unit cost – PLN
   • Amount/Number of items
   • Cost – PLN – calculated automatically; cost per item is multiplied by the number of purchased items.
   • Contribution of the NCN – PLN

   For entities applying for state aid, the costs of research equipment and instruments are considered eligible to the degree and for the period in which they are used for the completion of the project. If the research equipment and instruments are not used for the completion of the project over the entire period of use, only depreciation costs corresponding to the period of the project’s implementation are deemed eligible.  

3. Other direct costs: in each of the following sections enter the type of cost, its amount and its relevance for the research plan (justification of spending). Such costs are, among others:
   • Materials and small equipment
   • Outsourced services PLEASE NOTE: persons receiving scholarships and salaries in the project may not be involved as subcontractors therein.
   • Conferences and business trips
   • Visits and consultations
   • Other costs: other costs, such as do not fall under any of the other categories, including costs of disseminating the results.
   • Collective investigators: total cost of gratification for persons with a uniform scope of work (e.g. interviewers or study participants). The minimum number of such investigators is 5. Please include a detailed cost estimate, describe the objective of the expenditure and its total cost, as well as the number of persons receiving benefits, the unit-rate value and the form of benefit (monetary or material). Please note that this category does not include technicians and lab managers.
4.  Investigator’s qualifications: in this section the principal investigator will be able to present the qualifications required of the researchers hired in the project, which will have the additional value for reviewers evaluating the quality of the planned research and its feasibility. 

All information in this section is to be provided solely in English. The spending plan must be consistent with the document Types of costs in research projects funded by NCN.

For proposals submitted by composite entities, the required data entered in text boxes for each cost category should be broken down by individual organisations.

If the applicant is not a composite entity, this tab includes Zestawienie planowanego dofinansowania z Narodowego Centrum Nauki [National Science Centre contribution in the form of a table]. For composite entities the tab is divided into subsections corresponding to each of the Host Institutions involved in the composite entity. Composite entities complete the tables as appropriate for each of the Host Institutions involved.

Section Dofinansowanie poszczególnych kategorii kosztów [Funding for individual cost categories] will appear only if the applicant applies for state aid. The tab will be completed automatically once the Szczegółowe zestawienie wydatków [Detailed breakdown of costs in the project] has been filled out.

Costs of salaries must match the sums of individual salaries indicated in the Kosztorys [Breakdown of costs] or Kosztorys zbiorczy [General breakdown of costs] sections (tab: Zestawienie planowanego dofinansowania z NCN/Wynagrodzenia [National Science Centre contribution/Staff costs]).

Entities applying for state aid complete the Szczegółowe zestawienie wydatków [Detailed breakdown of costs in the project] tab. The other sections, i.e. Zestawienie planowanego dofinansowania z NCN [National Science Centre contribution] and Dofinansowanie poszczególnych kategorii kosztów [Funding for individual cost categories] are completed automatically based on the data entered in Szczegółowe zestawienie wydatków [Detailed breakdown of costs in the project]. Detailed instructions for entities applying for state aid can be found at: Instrukcja pomocnicza sporządzania wniosków dla podmiotów wnioskujących o pomoc publiczną. (currently available in Polish only).

The DECLARATIONS section contains only those declarations in which certain data must be entered and/or verified. Applicants should read all declarations submitted by the principal investigator/authorised representative(s) of the Host Institution.

PLEASE NOTE: if the planned research tasks require any special permits or approvals, the applicant need not support the proposal with copies thereof, they do however declare, under penalty of perjury, that the tasks will be carried out only after such permits have been obtained.

If the funding of the project constitutes state aid, the applicant is also required to complete the „Oświadczenie dla Narodowego Centrum Nauki” [“Statement for the National Science Centre”], in which they declare that they will upload appropriate annexes in the electronic submission system.

Please upload a short description of the project.

The short description of the project must be written in English. It may be no longer than 5 standard pages including the list of references (page format: A4; font: Times New Roman; font size: at least 11; lead: single; margins left and right: 2 cm; margins up and down: 1.5 cm). The only acceptable file format is PDF.

PLEASE NOTE: The PDF of the short description of the project must be uploaded before the proposal is locked for editing. After the proposal has been locked, this tab will remain active and the editor will be able to continue working on the description up to the moment the proposal is submitted. You do not have to unlock the whole proposal in order to update the PDF file. To update the file, click on the Zmień plik [Change file] button.

The PDF of the short description of the project must include the following information:

• Cel naukowy projektu [Research objective] – research problem aimed to be solved by the applicant, research questions or hypotheses;
• Znaczenie projektu [Significance of the project] – state of the art, justification for tackling specific scientific problems by the proposed project, pioneering nature of the project, the impact of the project results on the development of the research field and scientific discipline;
• Koncepcja i plan badań [Work plan] – outline of the work plan, specific research goals, results of preliminary and initial research, risk analysis;
• Metodyka badań [Research methodology] – underlying scientific methodology, methods, techniques and research tools, methods of results analysis, equipment and devices to be used in the proposed research;
• Literatura [References] – a reference list for publications included by the author in the project description, with full bibliographic data.

Please upload a full description of the project.

The full description of the project must be written in English. It may be no longer than 15 standard pages including the list of references (page format: A4; font: Times New Roman; font size: at least 11; lead: single; margins left and right: 2 cm; margins up and down: 1.5 cm). The only acceptable file format is PDF.

PLEASE NOTE: The PDF with the full description of the project must be uploaded before the proposal is locked for editing. After the proposal has been locked, this tab will remain active and the editor will be able to continue working on the description up to the moment the proposal is submitted. You do not have to unlock the whole proposal in order to update the PDF file. To update the file, click on the Zmień plik [Change file] button.

The PDF with the full description of the project must include the following information:

• Cel naukowy projektu [Research objective] – research problem aimed to be solved by the applicant, research questions or hypotheses;
• Znaczenie projektu [Significance of the project] – state of the art, justification for tackling specific scientific problems by the proposed project, pioneering nature of the project, the impact of the project results on the development of the research field and scientific discipline;
• Koncepcja i plan badań [Work plan] – outline of the work plan, specific research goals, results of preliminary and initial research, risk analysis;
• Metodyka badań [Research methodology] – underlying scientific methodology, methods, techniques and research tools, methods of results analysis, equipment and devices to be used in the proposed research;
• Literatura [References] – a reference list for publications included by the author in the project description, with full bibliographic data.

In this tab the system displays a list of annexes to be uploaded in the electronic version of the proposal. The annexes may be uploaded before the proposal is locked for editing. After the proposal has been locked, it is possible to change the previously uploaded annexes, add missing ones or upload documents confirming the submission of the proposal in the call. The submission of a proposal to the NCN requires attaching a complete of confirmations and annexes.  

Załącznik nr 1 [Annex no 1] ^[1]

1. Information concerning research carried out over the period of 2 years before submitting the proposal, together with a list of publications affiliated to the applying entity/host institution.

2. Information concerning research equipment and other instruments/facilities crucial to scientific research.

Załącznik nr 2 Umowa utworzeniu podmiotu złożonego. [Annex no 2^[2] Consortium agreement]

(The consortium agreement (CA) must include the following information: a list of parties to CA with the indication of the leader of the consortium, specification of the subject of the contract, duration of the contract covering the period of the research project implementation, authorisation for the person representing the consortium leader to act on behalf of the entire consortium in the process of applying for funding and completion of the research project, the leader's obligation to provide the other parties with information received from the NCN, signatures of authorised representatives of all members of the consortium.)

Załącznik nr 3 [Annex no 3]

^[3] State aid declaration and questionnaire

Załącznik nr 4 [Annex no 4] 

^[4]Documents and declarations submitted in relation to applying for state aid:

1. Information provided on applying for other types of aid than aid in agriculture and fishery (Annex no 1 to the ordinance of the Council of Ministers of 29th March 2010. Journal of Laws of 2010, item 312 , no 53, as amended) – completed and signed.

2. Financial reports covering the last 3 fiscal years, compiled in compliance with the extant accountancy regulations.

3. Certificate confirming that state aid has not been received for costs charged to the proposed research project.

4. Certificate confirming VAT eligibility.

5. Statement that no disqualifying circumstances prevent the entity from receiving state aid for the completion of the research project.

6. Information on the depreciation of the research equipment, quoting depreciation rates.

7. Statement regarding the cooperation of the enterprise with a research institution confirming that the institution does not contribute financially towards the completion of the research project.

Załącznik nr 5 [Annex no 5] 

^[5]Communications from publishers/editors to confirm that publications have been accepted.

To generate a confirmation of submitting the proposal under OPUS 15 call, click on Zablokuj wersję do NCN [Lock the proposal for submission to the NCN] button on top of the screen. Two separate confirmations must be uploaded in the ZSUN/OSF system.

Proposals must be complete. Completeness may be checked in the system using the Sprawdź kompletność [Check completeness] and Pokaż szczegóły [Show details] buttons. Proposals where the required fields remain uncompleted or obligatory annexes are missing cannot be submitted – the system will automatically validate proposal completeness at the attempt to submit. The validation of the proposal for completeness carried out by the system does not release the Applicant from responsibility for the information entered in the tabs.

Once the individual tabs of the proposal have been completed and the proposal has been validated for completeness (1), disable editing by clicking on Zablokuj wersję do NCN [Lock the proposal for submission to the NCN] (2).

PLEASE NOTE: A confirmation of submitting the OPUS 15 proposal may be generated and attached to the proposal once the editing of the proposal has been disabled. The proposal in the ZSUN/OSF system should be supported with two confirmations.

On the left hand side of the proposal a new tab will appear: Elektroniczna wysyłka wniosku [Electronic submission of the proposal]

Click the tab Elektroniczna wysyłka wniosku [Electronic submission of the proposal] to see a system message stating that the final version of the proposal has been prepared (the proposal can no longer be edited) and it is ready to be sent in an electronic form to the National Science Centre. The proposal has not yet been marked as “ready” , and it is not available to officers at the NCN. At this stage the editor may still unlock the proposal by clicking on (“Powrót do edycji” [“Return to editing”] button (3)) to enter corrections.

Generate the confirmation of submitting the proposal; you may also upload or change annexes (options:  Zmień plik [Change file] or Usuń plik [Remove file] and view their contents by clicking on Pokaż plik [Show file]). If the required annexes have not been uploaded earlier, add them in this section.

Personalised “Confirmations” may be downloaded from the system and uploaded as signed scans or documents bearing an electronic signature[1].

PLEASE NOTE: the confirmation must refer to the final version of the proposal. The signed original document should be kept on file until the final date of the evaluation process, and if the proposal is approved for funding, until the date of signing the funding agreement.

The required annexes to the proposal may be prepared in two ways: they may be printed out, signed by the principal investigator/authorised representative and uploaded as scans (Skan dokumentu [Scanned document]), or the PDF files may be signed with a qualified electronic signature Plik podpisany elektronicznie [Electronically signed file]). At the moment, only the PAdES format is accepted.

To upload the PDF signed in either way, click on the “Załącz plik” [Upload file] button and add the document as appropriate.

Applicants who wish to attach to their proposal files signed with an electronic signature or with a trusted ePUAP profile may send them to the Centre’s ESP (ePUAP) address. In such a case, the required documents (including the confirmation of submitting the proposal) should be uploaded as PDF files in the ZSUN/OSF system without the required signatures. The same documents should be delivered to the Centre’s ESP (ePUAP) address: /ncn/SkrytkaESP no later than by the call application deadline (the proposal ID and the name of the call under which it is being submitted should be quoted in the topic of the message).

PLEASE NOTE: should the confirmation of submitting the proposal be signed by a person other than the authorised representative of the Host Institution, an authorisation granted to that person should also be sent to the Centre. The authorisation to sign documents may be scanned and uploaded in the system alongside the confirmation of submitting the proposal or sent to the National Science Centre’s ESP (ePUAP) address.

Submitting the proposal to the NCN

PLEASE NOTE: no paper version of the proposal should be sent to the National Science Centre. The proposal is deemed as effectively submitted only when submitted in the electronic form.

Once the proposal has been completed and all the required annexes are in place, its electronic version should be sent to the National Science Centre using the “Wyślij do NCN” [“Send to the NCN”] button. (4) The proposal’s status shown in its heading will then change to “Wysłany” [“Sent”].

PLEASE NOTE: once this operation has been completed, modifications to the contents of the proposal will no longer be possible.