The MINIATURA 9 call for proposal is open to researchers who earned their PhD within the last 12 years and have not yet been awarded grants by the National Science Centre (NCN). The competition has a budget of 20 million PLN.
The aim is to provide financial support for scientific activities in basic research, serving as groundwork for larger research project proposals to be submitted in future NCN or other national and international competitions. Eligible activities include preliminary research, queries, or scientific visits, with a maximum duration of 12 months. Budgets can range between 5,000 and 50,000 PLN, and projects can combine multiple forms of activities if scientifically justified.
Applicants must have earned their PhD no earlier than January 1, 2013, with extensions allowed for parental leave or health-related work absences. They must also have at least one published work or artistic/scientific achievement and be employed under a work contract at the time of application. Only those who have not previously received an NCN grant or fellowship (such as FUGA, UWERTURA, or ETIUDA) are eligible, and the MINIATURA grant can only be awarded once.
This year’s competition introduces updated evaluation panels, now totaling 26, with significant changes in the structure of panels related to life sciences (NZ) and humanities, social sciences, and arts (HS). Additionally, NCN is launching a new mentoring program, offering support from experienced researchers in preparing future grant proposals. Applicants can choose a specific mentor or request mentoring support.
Applications will be accepted from February 3 to July 31, 2025, through the OSF system, with evaluations conducted continuously and results announced monthly. The budget is evenly distributed across the months, so early submission is encouraged to avoid funding shortages. The application process may be suspended if the total requested funds exceed twice the competition’s budget.
