Instructions for submitting proposals under the OPUS 16 call

Proposals for funding of research projects may be submitted by:

1) academic or research organisations,

2) research consortia,

3) research networks and units within institutions of higher education (HE) that do not constitute their basic administrative units,

4) research and industrial centres,

5) research centres of the Polish Academy of Sciences,

5a) academic research centres shared by HE institutions,

6) scientific libraries,

7) enterprises with the status of a research and development centre as defined in the Act on certain forms of support for innovation activities of 30 May 2008,

8) legal entities with registered office in Poland,

9) natural persons,

10) enterprises conducting research in a different form than those specified in points 1-8.

PLEASE NOTE: If the applicant is a natural person, the host institution cannot be a joint entity or an entity for which the funding of the research project constitutes state aid. 

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

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

If Osoba fizyczna [Natural person] has been selected in the Status wnioskodawcy [Applicant’s legal status]  section, the Wnioskodawca [Applicant] tab in the upper left corner will change its label to Podmiot realizujący [Host Institution] – to be completed with the data of the institution where the project will be carried out.

The applicant may be selected from the OPI database (Wybierz z bazy OPI [Select from the OPI database] button) or entered as a new entity (Spoza bazy [Select from outside OPI] button). Before importing any information from the OPI database, make sure that the data included in the system is up-to-date.

The Host Institution data must be accurate and complete.

Should the data be out of date or incorrect, please contact the Ośrodek Przetwarzania Informacji Państwowy Instytut Badawczy (OPI PIB) by dialling: (+48) 22-351-71-01, (+48) 22-351-71-04, (+48) 22-351-70-89.

Once the Wnioskodawca [Applicant]/Podmiot realizujący [Host Institution] has been named, this section will split into two parts:

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

Wnioskodawca/Podmiot realizujący poziom 1 [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 [Entity legal status]: please select the relevant code from the given list: A.1, A.4 to A10 and B.1. If the Host Institution is a higher education institution (A.1.), specify also its rodzaj podmiotu sprawującego nadzór [Regulatory authority], zakres uprawnień do nadawania stopni naukowych [Charter status with respect to awarding titles] 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(s) 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 Edytuj [Edit] button to select either “tak” [“yes”] or “nie” [“no”].

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

7.    Enter NIP [tax identification number], REGON [statistical number] and KRS [national court register 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.    Question: Does the funding of a research project constitute state aid? Use the Edytuj [Edit] button to select either “yes” or “no,” and tick the statement to the effect that the rules governing application for state aid have been read.

PLEASE NOTE: In order to determine whether or not the funding of a research project constitutes state aid, read Zasady występowania pomocy publicznej [Rules governing application for state aid]. If the answer is YES, the entity applies for state aid.

9.    Wielkość przedsiębiorstwa, współpraca z organizacją prowadzącą badania [Enterprise size, cooperation with a research organisation 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.  Dane Kierownika jednostki [Information regarding the Head of the Host Institution]: please complete with the data of the authorised representative of the Host Institution. In cases where the required documents will be signed by the authorised representative(s) of the Host Institution, an authorisation should be attached.

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

In the “Wnioskodawca poziom 2” section enter the data of the second level applicant and in the case where the applicant is a natural person – the unit acting as the Host Institution.

Then answer the question:

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

(Operating support refers to the implementation of certain tasks set out in its statute of a research centre and related to research or development conducted by the centre on a continuous basis).

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.

If the applicant is a natural person, enter the data for the Host Institution at which the project will be carried out.

The proposal should be accompanied with this document bearing a qualified electronic signature, or the document’s scan with the signature in the signatory’s own handwriting in PDF format.  

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].

When filling out the subsequent tabs, the editor will be able to assign individual faculties as well as investigators to, for example, individual tasks in the research project.

For proposals submitted by joint entities, the data required in the tab should be entered for all members of the joint entity, apart from the applicant/leader. Please follow the guidelines given in the Wnioskodawca [Applicant] section while entering the data.

1.    Tytuł projektu [Project title]: the title must be entered in Polish and in English; both language versions must be identical. The title may be modified at will as the proposal is being worked on. 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 określenia identyfikujące [Auxiliary NCN 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. The review panels of subordinate level may be selected from outside the panel and research domain to which the project is being submitted. Choose between 1 and 3 auxiliary review panels, but at least one auxiliary review panel must be selected from the main project domain to which the project is being submitted.

4.    Planowany okres realizacji projektu [Project duration]: 12, 24 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 [Keywords]: they must be in Polish and English, they must not be identical to the words used in the panel descriptions, whereas they should give a proper idea of the project’s topic. The words must be separated with commas or semicolons. Polish and English key words must be identical.

7.    Planowane nakłady [Estimated costs in PLN], 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 an international collaboration?]: if so, choose the 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’s start and end dates]: – applies to entities applying for state aid. Project start date is 1st April 2019 – the ZSUN/OSF submission 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 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: 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 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 abstract for the general public of each project awarded funding will be published on the websites of the National Science Centre and Ośrodek Przetwarzania Informacji (OPI). Thus, the NCN seeks to present the research funded by the NCN from public resources to large audiences. The abstract for the general public should include only such data as the Host Institution and the Principal Investigator wish to make public on the website.

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: 2018/29/?/???/?????).

List of up to 3 persons who in the applicant’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: under the OPUS 16 call, the scientific achievement section is to be completed by the principal investigator only.

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

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 database] button.

•  To select a person from the OPI database, enter their PESEL number, which identifies each individual listed in the Polish Science database.

​Should the data be out of date or incorrect, please contact the Ośrodek Przetwarzania Informacji Państwowy Instytut Badawczy (OPI PIB) by dialling: (+48) 22-351-71-01, (+48) 22-351-71-04, (+48) 22-351-70-89.

• 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: the principal investigator’s data should be entered in chronological order, with particular regard to the correctness of the data imported from the OPI database. If the proposal editor find the data imported from the OPI database to be out of date or incorrect, they should inform OPI of the fact. Pay special attention to data concerning: the title, given names, surnames, PESEL number, as well as workplaces, since these may not be edited directly in the ZSUN/OSF submission 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.

PLEASE NOTE: The NCN makes no data updates. Should the data imported from the OPI database be out of date or incorrect, please contact the OPI database directly by dialling: (+48) 22-351-71-01, (+48) 22-351-71-04, (+48) 22-351-70-89.

SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (section to be filled out in English)

1.    Planowany charakter udziału w realizacji projektu [Nature of contribution to the project]: the ZSUN/OSF submission system will automatically assign the role of the given person in the project based on the data already entered in the form,

2.    Podmiot [Entity]: completed automatically by the ZSUN/OSF submission system with the organisation indicated as the host institution in the APPLICANT / HOST INSTITUTION tab,

3.    Dane osobowe [Personal data]: fill out using the Edit option,

4.    Typ zatrudnienia w projekcie [Type of employment in the project]  – may be selected from the list:

• wynagrodzenie pełnoetatowe [full-time remuneration]:

The principal investigator may be paid 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 under NCN calls under the heading of direct costs,
• at the time of receiving this remuneration they are not employed by another employer pursuant to a contract of employment nor do they receive a pension from the social security system,
• the sum of resources for their employment does not exceed PLN 150,000 per annum under the OPUS call.

PLEASE NOTE: If full-time remuneration is not received on a continuous basis during the entire course of the project’s completion, the amount of full-time remuneration is reduced in proportion to the period when the remuneration is received.

• wynagrodzenie dodatkowe [additional remuneration]:

The resources for the payment of additional remuneration may be used to finance employment pursuant to full- or part-time employment contracts as well as pursuant to civil law contracts.

PLEASE NOTE: A member of a research team employed pursuant to a contract of employment by a host institution may not receive the 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 National Science Centre.

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]: state the planned period for receiving remuneration, which may be different than the project’s 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, urlopu na warunkach 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, paternity leave or 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:]
• 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.
• w okresie 7 lat? [within 7 years before the proposal submission?] Based on the answers provided in the part on the 7-year period, the system will determine whether the PI is a person at the beginning of their career in research.

PLEASE NOTE: For the ST and NZ panels enter career breaks for both the 5-year period and the 7-year period.

8.    Dane adresowe [Contact details]: 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 OPI 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 when 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 the “Dodaj 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 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) panels: 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 of evaluation is Web of Science™ Core Collection or Scopus.

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. If any part of the questionnaire can’t be filled out (e.g. the principal investigator has had no awards), enter “not applicable” in the relevant tab.

1.    Przebieg kariery naukowej [Academic and Research Career]: provide an account 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. In this section provide also any information on circumstances that may be considered of consequence for the research career and research achievements, e.g. longer career breaks, maternal/parental leaves and names (e.g. maiden names) used in publications.

In this tab one may also enter projects that have been approved for funding under NCN calls but whose implementation has not started yet (on the date of submitting the proposal, the funding agreement has not been signed).

2.    Publikacje naukowe [Publication Record]

• for the ST (Physical Sciences and Engineering) and NZ (Life Sciences) panels

Name 3 to 10 most important publications published over a period of 5 years before the submission of the proposal, indicating those in JCR-listed journals, and monographs of international impact (indicate current five-year impact factor of the journal and the number of citations for particular publications; no self-citations allowed),

• for HS (Humanities and Social Sciences)

​Name 3 to 10 most important publications published over a period of 10 years before the submission of the proposal, the evaluation of which will take into account the quality of the journal, e.g. whether it is listed in the JCR database or on any other comparable list (if any such apply), and monographs of nationwide or international impact (where possible, please indicate current five-year impact factor of the journal and the number of citations for particular publications; no self-citations allowed)

3 of the above-listed publications should be attached to the questionnaire of scientific achievements as PDF files (the files should be no larger than 10 MB each).

Older publications will be disregarded in the assessment of the scientific achievements.

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. Moreover, when filling out the tab, enter the following bibliographic data: 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”).

PLEASE NOTE: If more than 3 publications have been attached, upon checking the completeness of the proposal the ZSUN/OSF submission system will report an error.

The principal investigator may mention unpublished works as long as they have been accepted for publication. If the work has been accepted for publication, state that it has not been published yet (the publication status is: Accepted for publication), and upload communications that may serve as proof that the work has been accepted for publication in the ZAŁĄCZNIKI [ANNEXES] tab.

PLEASE NOTE: Titles in the language of the publication. If the publications have not been released in English, translate their titles into English and indicated in square brackets next to the original titles. 

3.    Dorobek naukowy w ramach nauk o sztuce: muzyka, sztuki plastyczne, film [Research in art: music, fine arts, theatre, film] up to 10 of the most important artistic achieve-ments and achievements in research in art with a nationwide or international impact, e.g. authoring and publishing a work of art (a musical score, a record), directing a film, a play, an opera, playing a lead role, authoring an individual exhibition, actively participating in a festival with an international impact, directing an international artistic venture.

4.    Projekty badawcze [Research Projects]

INVESTIGATORS LIST ONLY PROJECTS THEY HAVE CARRIED OUT AS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR.

In this section, name projects that have been funded from the budget for science under nationwide or international calls. Do not mention projects financed from the operating support grant. The projects must be completed within 5 years prior to submitting the proposal or must be in progress.

Acting as principal investigator is also to be understood as leading/ coordinating the research team carrying out an international research project or program.

In this tab one may not enter projects that have been approved for funding under NCN calls but whose implementation has not started yet (the funding agreement has not been signed).

For ongoing projects, do not specify the date of completion. The system will automatically label the project as a project in progress.

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

• role in the project,
• project title in the original language version and, if applicable, 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 listed in the questionnaire provide a separate list of the most important works published as a result. Publications at the stage of peer-review should not be mentioned. Listing no publications will be considered as no results of research project(s).

5.    Zbliżone zadania badawcze [Similar research tasks]:

The tab should contain information on thematically similar research tasks performed by the principal investigator and funded by the NCN and from other sources.

Please provide the following: project title and ID number, principal investigator’s given name and surname, main research tasks and information, source of funding, and present justification of the funding for the research tasks outlined in the proposal against the abovementioned similar research tasks.

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

If similar research tasks have not been performed by the principal investigator, tick the not applicable field.

6.    Doświadczenie naukowe [Research stays]: describe 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.

7.    Wyróżnienia [Prizes/Awards]: name the most important international and prestigious Polish awards for research. Name the type of award, place and date of receiving. In this section, also provide 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 in plastic arts, music, theatre and film. Use up to 1,500 characters incl. spaces.

ADDING MEMBERS OF A RESEARCH TEAM

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

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.

1.    Planowany charakter udziału w realizacji projektu [Nature of contribution to the project]: the system will automatically assign the person’s role in the project (“investigator”). The field does not allow for entering the name of the person.

2.    Podmiot [Host Institution]: completed automatically by the ZSUN/OSF submission system with the organisation indicated as the host institution. If the applicant is a joint entity, please indicate the host institution in which the investigator will be employed.

3.    Rola pełniona w projekcie [Role in the project]: in English, in this field enter the role to be performed, e.g. laboratory technician, technician, researcher.

4.    Typ zatrudnienia w projekcie [Type of employment in the project]: please select from the list: full-time remuneration, additional remuneration, scholarship, no remuneration.

• wynagrodzenie pełnoetatowe [full-time remuneration]: under the OPUS 16 call, a person in a “post-doc type” position may be employed with a salary from the pool allocated for full-time remuneration. The remuneration amounts to PLN 120,000 per annum.

If remuneration is not to be received on a continuous basis during the entire course of the project’s completion, the amount of full-time remuneration is reduced in proportion to the period when the remuneration is received.

PLEASE NOTE: Under the OPUS call it is permitted to employ persons in post-doc type posts provided that the aggregate time of employment of all persons employed at those posts is no more than 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.

• wynagrodzenie dodatkowe [additional remuneration]: under the call, salaries for prospective investigators may be paid only from the pool for additional remuneration – as calculated per each month of the project’s implementation – amounts, for all investigators, to be no more than:

a) should the principal investigator not plan to be employed pursuant to a full-time contract of employment, with remuneration paid from the pool allocated for full-time salaries:

- PLN 3 K for one person;

- PLN 4,5 K for two persons, of which no more than PLN 3 K for the principal investigator;

- PLN 5,5 K for three or more persons, of which no more than PLN 3 K for the principal investigator;

b) should the principal investigator plan to be employed pursuant to a full-time contract of employment, with remuneration paid from the pool allocated for full-time salaries:

- PLN 1,5 K for one person;

- PLN 2,5 K for two or more persons.

•  Stypendia naukowe [scholarships]  for doctoral candidates and students

For more information on scholarships click here.

• bez wynagrodzenia [without remuneration].

5.    Rodzaj stanowiska [Type of position]: choose the type of post in the project:

• post-doc type post is to be understood as a full-time post, scheduled by the principal investigator for a person who has obtained their doctoral degree within 7 years prior to joining the project. This period does not include breaks related to: maternity leave, adoption leave, paternal leave, parental leave granted in compliance with the Employment Code, nor periods of sickness benefit or rehabilitation benefit granted on account of unfitness for work, including any caused by a health condition requiring rehabilitation. In such case, the 7-year period is to be 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 person at the post-doc-type position must meet an additional condition: within two years of assuming employment in the project they had not been employed pursuant to an employment contract in the Host Institution for the project.

• doctoral candidate: this term is to be understood – pursuant to the Act on Higher Education of 27 July 2005 Journal of Laws of 2016, item 1842, as amended – as a participant in a doctoral programme,
• student,
• other.

6. Okres pobierania wynagrodzenia w projekcie [Period of receiving remuneration] (in months): specify the period of receiving remuneration as planned, which does not have to equate with the duration of the research project.

The order in which co-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 joint entity, please indicate the individual Host Institutions responsible for each research task by choosing the appropriate name from the drop-down list (applicant/leader/partner(s)).

For other applicant types, the Podmiot realizujący zadanie [Host Institution] tab will be completed automatically by the system.

All information should be provided in English only. The spending plan must be consistent with the document Types of costs in research projects funded by NCN.

The budget calculations must be realistic, they must follow the cost-effectiveness principle, i.e. they 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. All costs in the project should be planned in accordance with the terms of the call, internal regulations of the Host Institution and generally applicable provisions of law.

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).

PLEASE NOTE: The ZSUN/OSF proposal submission system does not validate the sums entered for errors.

Project’s costs include direct and indirect costs.

Indirect costs may not exceed 40 per cent of the requested direct costs, excluding costs of research equipment, devices and software. Over the course of the project’s implementation indirect costs may not be increased, but they may be reduced. Salaries must be calculated as gross amounts, with regard to their compliance with the limits for the call in question.

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 joint entity, the costs result from the costs of particular organisations Host Institutions entered 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.

1. All individuals receiving remuneration in the project should be included in the breakdown of project costs. The Investigator/Staff costs tab should specify:
   • Liczba wykonawców projektu [number of investigators]: completed automatically by the system with data from the Principal investigator/investigators section,
   • Liczba osób, pobierająca wynagrodzenie z puli wynagrodzeń dodatkowych [number of individuals to constitute the basis for the calculation of additional remuneration budget]: completed automatically by the system with data from the Kierownik projektu/Wykonawcy [Principal investigator/investigators] section,
   • Charakter udziału w projekcie/Typ i rodzaj stanowiska/Forma zatrudnienia w projekcie [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,
   • Podmiot zatrudniający [employing entity]: tab will be completed automatically by the system,
   • Zakres prac wykonywanych w projekcie [scope of work within individual project tasks]: a concise yet thorough description of the function performed by the person within the project,
   • Czas pobierania wynagrodzenia w projekcie w miesiącach [project-related remuneration period months]: tab will be completed automatically by the system,
   • Całkowite planowane wynagrodzenie w projekcie [Overall planned remuneration on grant – PLN]: in this section enter the total sum of remuneration for each individual working within the project,
   • Dodatkowe uzasadnienie [justification for the amount of remuneration]: this tab will appear only if the full-time remuneration for a post-doc type investigator is in excess of PLN 120,000 per annum. Use the Edytuj [Edit] button to describe the special circumstances justifying the higher remuneration.

2.    Aparatura [Planned Equipmen]) Under the call, one might apply for a purchase of research equipment. The unit cost of equipment purchase may not exceed PLN 500,000 in Physical Sciences and Engineering (ST) and Life Sciences (NZ), and PLN 150,000 in Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (HS).

PLEASE NOTE: The value of research equipment shall be determined in accordance with the Accounting Law and 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.

The following data must be entered:

• Nazwa aparatury naukowo-badawczej [equipment name]: in Polish and in English,
• Merytoryczne uzasadnienie zakupu apratury [justification of purchase]: in English, justification of equipment connected to the implementation of research tasks envisaged in the proposal,
• Podmiot realizujący zakup [purchasing entity]: for a joint entity, indicate the name of the purchasing 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,
• Planowany rok zakupu [planned year of purchase],
• Koszt jednostkowy w zł [unit cost – PLN],
• Liczba sztuk [amount],
• Koszt całkowity [total cost – PLN]: calculated automatically; cost per item is multiplied by the number of items to be purchased,
• Wnioskowane dofinansowanie z NCN [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.    Inne koszty [Other direct costs]: in each of the following sections enter the type of cost, its amount and its relevance for the project’s work plan (justification of spending). Such costs are, among others:

• Materiały i drobny sprzęt [materials and small equipment],
• Usługi obce [outsourced services],

PLEASE NOTE: persons receiving scholarships and salaries in the project may not be involved as subcontractors therein:

• Wyjazdy służbowe [conferences and business trips],
• Wizyty i konsultacje [visits and consultations],
• Inne koszty [other costs]: other costs such as do not fall under any of the other categories, including costs of disseminating the results,
• Wykonawcy zbiorowi [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 persons. A detailed cost estimate shall be drafted, describing the objective of the expenditure and its total cost, as well as the number of persons receiving benefits, the value of a unit-rate and the form of benefit (monetary or material). Mind that this category does not include technicians and lab managers.
• Opis kompetencji wykonawców projektu [Investigator’s qualifications]: in this section the principal investigator will be able to present the qualifications required of the researchers hired for the project, which will have additional value for reviewers evaluating the feasibility of the planned research.

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).

Read the text of all declarations. Depending on the applicant’s status, declarations are submitted by:

1. when the applicant is a natural person: applicant and the authorised representative of the Host Institution,
2. in the case of other applicants: the project’s principal investigator and the authorised representative of the entity acting as the applicant.

The project’s principal investigator /authorised representative of the entity acting as the applicant declares whether the proposed research requires permission of a relevant committee, i.e. bioethics committee. Should the research give rise to ethical concerns, the principal investigator may explain them in the window: Opis działań podjętych w celu zapewnienia wykonywania badań zgodnie z zasadami dobrej praktyki w danej dziedzinie / dyscyplinie naukowej [Description of actions taken to ensure that the research will be carried out conforming to the rules of good practice in the respective field/discipline] (up to 2,500 characters, incl. spaces).

In the event that the applicant at the moment of submitting the proposal has not collected the required permissions yet, they may report on the advancement of the process of applying for them.

If no permissions are required for the project to be implemented then in the section “Opis działań podjętych w celu zapewnienia wykonywania badań zgodnie z zasadami dobrej praktyki w danej dziedzinie” [Description of actions taken to ensure that the research will be carried out conforming to the rules of good practice...] the system will automatically supply it with the “bd” [no data] message, thus rendering the information in the system complete.

If the project involves clinical research subject to the Act of 6th September 2001, as amended, on pharmaceutical law, or to the act of 20th May 2010, as amended, on medical products, an additional section will be generated: Szczegółowe uzasadnienie niekomercyjnego charakteru badania klinicznego planowanego z zastosowaniem produktu leczniczego lub wyrobu medycznego [A detailed justification of the non-commercial nature of the trial using a pharmaceutical product or a medical device] (up to 2,500 characters, incl. spaces).

PLEASE NOTE: if the planned research tasks require any special permissions, 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 permissions have been obtained.

If the funding of the project constitutes state aid, the applicant is also required to fill out Oświadczenie dla Narodowego Centrum Nauki [Statement for the National Science Centre], in which they declare they will support the electronic version of the proposal with appropriate annexes.

PLEASE NOTE: since there is no state aid questionnaire, a statement to the effect that the rules governing application for state aid have been read, is added to the “Statement by the authorised representative of the entity acting as the applicant” or “Statement by the authorised representative of the planned Host Institution for the project”.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT (up to 5 standard pages in English)

FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

(up to 15 standard pages in English)

The page limit applies to the description of a research project and literature as a whole. The only acceptable file format is PDF (page format: A4; font size: no smaller than 11; lead: single; margins left and right: 2 cm; margins up and down: 1.5 cm).

Description of a research project must include the following information.

• Research objective  - problem aimed to be solved by the applicant, scientific questions and hypotheses;
• Significance of the project - state of the art, justification for tackling scientific problems, justification for the innovative nature of the research, the impact of the project’s results on the development of the research field and scientific discipline;
• Work plan - outline of the work plan, specific research goals, results of initial research, risk analysis;
• Methods of research - manner of conducting research, methods, techniques and tools, methods of results analysis, equipment and devices used in the research;
• Literature - list of literature referencing all positions included by the author in the description of the research project, with full bibliographic data).

PLEASE NOTE: the tab must be filled by attaching a PDF file before locking the proposal. After the proposal has been locked, this tab will remain active. The editor will be able to continue working on the short description of the research project up to the moment of submitting the proposal. 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.

In this tab the system displays a list of annexes to be attached to the electronic version of the proposal in the ZSUN/OSF submission system. Before disabling editing of the proposal attaching annexes is optional. Once editing of the proposal submitted with the NCN has been disabled, it is possible to change the previously attached annexes, add missing annexes, including documents confirming submission of the proposal in the call. Submitting a proposal to the NCN requires attaching a complete set of permits and annexes.  

There are two ways of attaching the required annexes to the proposal: one may attach a scan of the document signed in their own hand or a file signed with a qualified electronic signature.

Either option is effected by clicking on the “Załącz plik” [Attach file] button and adding the document as appropriate. At the moment, in the location “Plik podpisany elektronicznie” [“Electronically signed file”] it is possible to add files in the PAdES format only.

Załącznik nr 1 [Annex no 1]^[1]

1. Information on research carried out over the period of 2 years before submitting the proposal, together with a list of publications affiliated with the applicant/ host institution;
2. Information on research equipment and other instrumentation/facilities crucial to research activities.

Załącznik nr 2 [Annex no 2]^[2] Umowa o utworzeniu podmiotu złożonego [Joint entity agreement]

Required elements in the joint entity agreement:

• indicating the parties to the agreement, including the leader,
• indicating the subject of the agreement,
• duration of the agreement covering the period of completion of the research project,
• authorisation for the representative of the leader to act on behalf of the entire joint entity in the course of proceedings for applying for funding and completion of the research project,
• the leader’s undertaking to pass information received from the NCN to the other parties to the agreement,
• signatures of persons authorised to represent all entities forming the joint entity.

Załącznik nr 3 [Annex no 3]^[3]

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 4 [Annex no 4]^[4]

Acceptance letters from publishers confirming that the work has been accepted for publication.

Proposals must be complete. Completeness may be checked in the system using the Sprawdź kompletność [Check completeness] and Pokaż szczegóły [Show details] buttons. The system will not allow to submit proposals where the required fields remain uncompleted or obligatory annexes are missing. 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 filled out and the proposal validated for completeness (1), editing of the proposal should be disabled by clicking on Zablokuj wersję do NCN [Disable editing of the version for the NCN] (2).

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

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

In this section generate the confirmation of submitting the proposal; additionally, one may attach annexes or change those already attached (options: zmień plik [change file] or usuń plik [remove file] and check them by clicking on pokaż plik [show file]). If the required annexes have not been attached earlier, add them in this section.

Personalized “Confirmations” may be downloaded from the system and attached to the proposal as signed scans or documents bearing an electronic signature. The proposal submitted in the ZSUN/OSF submission system should be supported with two confirmations.

The original document should be kept on file until the final date of the evaluation process, and if the research project is approved for funding, until the date of signing the funding agreement.

Should the confirmation of submitting the proposal be signed by a person other than the authorised representative of the entity, send an authorisation granted to that person to the Centre. The authorisation to sign documents may be scanned and attached in the system alongside the confirmation of submitting the proposal or sent to the National Science Centre’s ESP (ePUAP) address.

There are two ways of confirming the submission of the proposal: one may attach a scan of the document signed in their own hand or a file signed with a qualified electronic signature.

Either option is effected by clicking on the “Załącz plik” [Attach file] button and adding the document as appropriate. At the moment, in the location “Plik podpisany elektronicznie” [Electronically signed file] it is possible to add files in the PAdES format only.

PLEASE NOTE: the confirmation must refer to the final version of the proposal. After the proposal has been locked and confirmations of submission have been generated, updates can only be made to the short and full descriptions of the research project. Other tabs are unavailable for editing.

Sending the proposal to the NCN

Once the proposal has been completed and all the required annexes are in place, the electronic version should be sent to the National Science Centre using the “Wyślij do NCN” [Send to the NCN] button. (4).

The completion of the procedure will be confirmed by the proposal’s status being changed “Wysłany” [Sent].

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.

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

^[1]Applies to entities receiving no operating support grants from the budget for science. In the case of natural-person applicants, enter as the host institution at which the project will be carried out. The proposal should be accompanied with this document bearing an electronic signature, or a scan of the document signed by hand in the PDF format.

^[2]Applies to joint entities. The proposal should be accompanied with this document bearing an electronic signature, or a scan of the document signed by hand in the PDF format.

^[3] For entities applying for state aid attach documents and statements required in relation to applying for state aid.

Documents signed electronically must be submitted for each entity applying for state aid named in the proposal. 

^[4]Applies to persons who have named works accepted for publication in the questionnaire of scientific achievements. Attached to the proposal should be a PDF file containing all acceptance letters confirming that a given work has been accepted for publication.