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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant, MAESTRO 17, is announced by the Narodowe Centrum Nauki (NCN) in Poland. Its core objective is to fund pioneering research projects for experienced researchers. These projects should be significant for scientific development, go beyond current knowledge, and have the potential to lead to scientific discoveries. This is a SECTOR-AGNOSTIC grant, as it supports basic research across all scientific disciplines, categorized into three broad panels: Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts (HS); Exact Sciences and Technical Sciences (ST); and Life Sciences (NZ). The target recipients are researchers (individuals) and their affiliated organizations in Poland, including universities, various research institutes, and certain types of enterprises. The primary geographic scope is Poland, as the implementing entity must have its registered office there, and the project's Principal Investigator (PI) must reside in Poland for at least 50% of the project duration. Key filtering criteria for initial screening include the PI's extensive track record in publications and previous project leadership, the nature of the research (must be basic research), and the organizational type. This is a recurring grant program, as indicated by 'MAESTRO 17', suggesting previous and future editions.

Financial Structure

The MAESTRO 17 grant provides funding for pioneering research projects. Here's a breakdown of its financial structure: Total Funding and Per-Project Budget The total budget allocated for the MAESTRO 17 call is 25,000,000 PLN. The grant materials do not specify a minimum or maximum grant amount per individual project; the requested budget must be well-justified in relation to the research scope and be based on realistic calculations. The grant covers 100% of eligible costs incurred by the project. Cost Categories Project budgets consist of two main types of costs: 1. Indirect Costs These are costs indirectly related to the research project but necessary for its implementation. They are calculated as a percentage of direct costs: - General Indirect Costs: Up to 20% of direct costs, intended for general project-related expenses, including costs for making publications or research data openly accessible. - Open Access Indirect Costs: An additional amount of up to 2% of direct costs, specifically designated only for open access publishing or research data sharing. - Public Aid Consideration: If the applying entity seeks public aid, the total indirect costs (including both general and open access) are capped at 20% of direct costs. Certain direct cost categories (e.g., materials, business trips, consultations) are excluded when calculating this 20% limit for public aid purposes. - PI's Influence: The implementing entity is obligated to agree with the Principal Investigator on the use of at least 25% of the general indirect costs generated by the project. 2. Direct Costs These are costs directly related to the execution of the research project: - Salaries and Scholarships: - Principal Investigator (PI) Employment Salary: Up to 220,000 PLN annually for a full-time employment position. The PI cannot simultaneously receive other NCN direct cost salaries, hold another employment contract with a different employer (including foreign ones), or receive social security retirement benefits. This can be planned for a period shorter than the project duration, with proportional reduction. - Post-doc Employment Salary: Up to 140,000 PLN annually for a full-time position. The post-doc must be selected via an open competition and meet specific eligibility criteria regarding their PhD origin and previous post-doctoral experience. The individual cannot simultaneously receive other NCN direct cost salaries, hold another employment contract with a different employer (including foreign ones), or receive social security retirement benefits. Total post-doc employment across the project cannot exceed twice the planned project duration. - Senior Researcher Employment Salary: Up to 70,000 PLN annually from the grant funds. This position requires co-financing from the implementing entity of at least 70,000 PLN annually from their own funds. The senior researcher must be employed full-time for at least 6 months and meet specific eligibility criteria (PhD obtained at least 7 years prior, unique competencies). Similar restrictions on other salaries/employment apply. - Specialist Support Staff Employment Salary: Up to 100,000 PLN annually for full-time support staff (e.g., lab manager, senior technician, statistical analyst). Similar restrictions on other salaries/employment apply. One such position can involve multiple individuals if their combined employment does not exceed the project duration. - Additional Salaries: A separate pool for other team members, allowing for employment or civil contracts. The monthly budget for additional salaries varies depending on the number of team members and whether the PI receives an employment salary, ranging from 1,500 PLN to 14,500 PLN per month for the entire team. - Student and PhD Student Salaries/Scholarships: A combined budget for student and PhD student engagement. Monthly doctoral scholarships can be up to 5,000 PLN (or 6,500 PLN after mid-term evaluation). NCN scientific scholarships are up to 5,000 PLN/month. Direct salaries for students/PhDs are up to 5,000 PLN/month. The total monthly budget for all students and PhD students in a MAESTRO project is up to 15,000 PLN, with a potential increase of up to 4,500 PLN per month under specific conditions. - Research Equipment, Devices, and Software: Costs for purchasing or developing necessary scientific research equipment, devices, and software. - Foreign Internships: Costs associated with planned foreign internships. - Reduced Teaching Load Costs. - Other Direct Costs: Including materials, minor equipment, external services, business trips, visits, consultations, and gratuities for collective performers. Ineligible Costs Certain costs cannot be covered by the grant, including: - Reserves for future obligations, interest on debt, fines, and court costs. - Value Added Tax (VAT) if the implementing entity can recover it. - Fees for publishing reviews or leasing research equipment. - Certain types of scholarships or teaching load reductions if the entity is applying for public aid. - Specific publication fees (e.g., Article Processing Charges for hybrid journals as defined by NCN's Open Access Policy, or other editorial/translation fees), with exceptions for APCs on certain open access publication paths. - Salaries for administrative and financial staff, premises renovation or adaptation (unless essential for research tasks), premises operational costs, property taxes, utilities, cleaning, security, property insurance, administrative fees (including bioethics/animal ethics committee fees), bank fees, external audit costs, most conference organization costs (except specific personnel costs), subscriptions (except data/data access), individual membership fees, and costs associated with obtaining academic degrees/titles.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for the MAESTRO 17 grant, applicants and their projects must meet several hard, non-negotiable criteria: Eligible Organization Types Only entities with a registered office in Poland are eligible to apply. This includes: - Universities (uczelnia) - Federations of higher education and science entities - Scientific institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) - Research institutes - International scientific institutes operating in Poland, established under separate laws - Łukasiewicz Centre and institutes within the Łukasiewicz Research Network - Centre for Postgraduate Medical Education - Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences - Other entities primarily conducting scientific activity independently and continuously (not listed above) - Groups of entities, consisting of at least two of the above-mentioned entities, or at least one of the above entities and at least one entrepreneur - Scientific-industrial centres (as defined by the Research Institutes Act) - Centres of the Polish Academy of Sciences (as defined by the PAN Act) - Scientific libraries - Entrepreneurs with the status of a research and development centre - Organizational units with legal personality and registered office in Poland - The President of the Central Office of Measures - Individuals (natural persons) - Note: While individuals can apply, they cannot apply for public aid within this competition. - Entrepreneurs conducting scientific research in forms other than those specified above. Principal Investigator (PI) Qualifications The project's Principal Investigator must be an experienced researcher holding at least a PhD degree. Additionally, in the year of application or within the last 10 years before the application year (this period can be extended for documented career breaks, such as long-term sick leave, rehabilitation, or parental leave): - Must have published at least five publications in renowned Polish or foreign scientific journals/publishers. - Must have led or co-led at least two research projects selected in national or international competitions (this includes leading/coordinating research groups in international projects or programs). - Must fulfill at least three of the following criteria: - Was a member of the scientific committee of at least one renowned international conference. - Published at least one monograph. - Presented at renowned international conferences. - Received an international award or distinction. - Is or was a member of renowned associations, international scientific organizations, or academies. - Has other significant scientific achievements. - For research in arts/creative work: Must be the author of internationally significant artistic works or works important for Polish culture, and have actively participated in international exhibitions, festivals, or artistic events (visual, music, theatre, film). A PI who has previously led or is currently leading a MAESTRO project can apply for another MAESTRO grant only if they are a laureate of a European Research Council (ERC) competition, or if they applied for an ERC grant in the last five years and their application passed at least Stage I of the evaluation. Organizational and Project-Specific Requirements

The PI must be employed by the project-implementing entity for the entire project duration, on an employment contract for at least half of the full-time equivalent (not applicable to retirees).
The PI is required to reside in Poland for at least 50% of the project's duration.
An individual cannot be the PI in more than one MAESTRO project simultaneously.
In the current call edition (MAESTRO 17 and SONATA BIS 15), an individual can only be designated as PI in one application.
Applications covering overlapping research tasks cannot be submitted in the same call edition.
The total number of NCN projects led by an individual (funded or under evaluation) cannot exceed two. This limit can increase to three if at least one of these projects is an OPUS LAP project or an NCN collaboration with foreign agencies.
The project must focus on basic research, which means experimental or theoretical work primarily aimed at acquiring new knowledge of underlying phenomena and observable facts, without a direct commercial application in view.
Mandatory team composition: The project must include post-doc(s) or PhD student(s) for a combined total period of at least 72 months.
Post-doc positions: The individual must have obtained their PhD no earlier than 12 years before January 1st of the employment year (extendable for career breaks). They must have obtained their PhD from an entity different from the one planned for employment in the project, OR have completed at least a 10-month continuous and documented postdoctoral internship in an entity and country different from where they obtained their PhD. Post-doc selection must be via open competition.
Senior Researcher positions: The individual must have obtained their PhD at least 7 years before the application date and possess specialized knowledge, unique competencies, and experience essential for the project. The implementing entity must co-finance the senior researcher's salary.
Exclusion Criteria: Due to the invasion of the Russian Federation on Ukraine, no cooperation with Russian entities can be planned in the applications. Such planning will result in the formal rejection of the application.

Application Process

Applying for the MAESTRO 17 grant involves a structured electronic submission process and a detailed timeline. Here's what you need to know: Application Deadlines and Submission

The application period runs from June 18, 2025, when the application form becomes available, until September 16, 2025, 14:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST). This is a strict deadline.
All applications must be submitted electronically through the National Science Centre's (NCN) dedicated online system, OSF (Operating Financial Streams), accessible at https://osf.opi.org.pl.

Required Documentation and Materials Applicants must prepare a comprehensive set of documents, primarily in English, unless otherwise specified. These include: - Project Title: In both Polish and English. - Abstracts: A general project abstract and a popular science abstract (each limited to one page), both in Polish and English. - Project Description: A short description (up to 5 pages) and a detailed description (up to 15 pages). These must cover the project's scientific objective, significance, overall concept, research plan, and methodology, along with a bibliography (which does not count towards page limits). - Research Plan: Outlining specific research tasks, in both Polish and English. - Research Team Information: - Principal Investigator (PI) Bio: Including scientific career history, a list of 5 to 10 most important publications (with confirmation if accepted for publication), information on previously led NCN and other national/international research projects (from the last 10 years), a description of up to three most significant scientific achievements, and details on invited lectures or artistic participation. - Senior Researcher Info (if applicable): Scientific career, 1-10 key publications/artistic achievements (from the last 10 years), significant scientific achievements, and a justification for their employment. - Qualifications and Planned Tasks: For all other individual research team members. - Project Budget: A detailed and justified breakdown of all planned costs. - International Cooperation: If planned, details on the collaboration and its benefits. - Data Management Plan: Information on how research data generated or used in the project will be managed. - Ethical Aspects: Details on ethical considerations, including required consents, opinions, permits, and authorizations, ensuring compliance with laws and good practices. - Clinical Trial Justification: If the project includes a clinical trial involving medicinal products or medical devices, a detailed justification for its non-commercial nature. Application Process Steps

Review Documentation: Familiarize yourself with the complete call documentation, including competition conditions, funding regulations, cost catalog, application form template, and specific guidelines.
Gather Internal Information: Obtain necessary data from your implementing entity and understand their internal procedures affecting application submission and project implementation (e.g., cost planning, authorization for signatures).
Prepare Agreements (if applicable): If applying as a group of Polish entities, prepare a cooperation agreement for the proposed project.
Confirm Publications: If listing publications accepted for print but not yet published, obtain letters from editors confirming their acceptance.
Complete and Check Application: Fill out the electronic form in the OSF system. Crucially, manually verify all data and attachments for correctness and completeness, as the system's 'Check completeness' button does not guarantee full accuracy. Ensure all sections are in the correct language.
Lock and Sign: Once satisfied, lock the final version of the application in the OSF system. Download and obtain signatures for the application confirmation from both the PI and authorized representatives of the implementing entity.
Upload and Submit: Attach the signed confirmations electronically. Finally, use the 'Wyślij do NCN' (Send to NCN) button in the OSF system to submit the application.

Evaluation Process and Timeline

Applications undergo a formal assessment first. If successful, they proceed to a two-stage merit-based evaluation by Expert Teams.
The merit evaluation includes an interview with the Principal Investigator in Stage II.
Competition results will be announced on the NCN website and through formal decisions by the NCN Director within 6 months of the application deadline, and no later than March 2026.

Post-Award Requirements If your application is successful, a funding agreement for the research project will be signed. Project implementation will then proceed according to this agreement and NCN regulations. Regular reporting on project progress and financial expenditures is expected, as indicated by the evaluation criteria that review the PI's performance in past projects by their final reports, and the requirement for a data management plan.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications for the MAESTRO 17 grant undergo a rigorous two-stage evaluation process, considering both the project's scientific merit and the Principal Investigator's (PI) qualifications. The scoring is weighted as follows: Stage I Assessment Project Assessment (60% of total score) This section evaluates the quality and potential of the proposed research project. Key aspects include: - Scientific Quality: This is paramount, assessing the scientific relevance, importance, groundbreaking nature, originality, and novelty of the planned research. It also examines the appropriateness of the chosen methodology and the research plan in relation to the project's scientific objectives, including the proper integration of sex and/or gender dimensions where applicable. The scientific quality is evaluated in an international context. - Feasibility: This assesses the realism of the project, including the work plan and methodologies against the proposed objectives and timeline. It also considers the risk management plan, the composition and qualifications of the entire research team (including achievements of named members), the allocation of research tasks, the availability of research facilities and equipment, and the justification for any planned international cooperation. Other factors affecting the project's execution are also considered. - Potential Impact: Evaluates the potential influence of the project's results, the likelihood of producing high-quality scientific publications, and other research outputs. This impact is assessed within an international context, taking into account the specifics of the research field and the diverse forms of impact and dissemination. Projects are scored from 5 (Excellent, no significant weaknesses) down to 0 (Critical structural flaws, incomplete information, unreliable preparation, not meeting basic research criteria, or lacking scientific character). Qualifications and Achievements of the Principal Investigator (40% of total score) This section focuses on the PI's scientific track record and achievements, presented in their 'Academic and Research Track Record'. The assessment adheres to DORA guidelines, meaning journal-based metrics (like Journal Impact Factors, h-index, total publication count) are not used as the sole measure of quality. Instead, the evaluation considers: - The reliability of the provided track record information. - The PI's significant contribution to their field(s) or discipline(s). - Their publication record (or artistic works and achievements in the case of arts and creative work). - Presentations at internationally established conferences, including invited talks. - Scientific or artistic prizes/awards or membership in well-regarded international organizations. - International recognition. - Other research activities and outputs from previous grants. This assessment also accounts for the PI's career stage and any documented career breaks. The PI's achievements are scored from 5 (Excellent, widely recognized internationally, top researcher) down to 0 (Poor or no scientific/artistic achievements, or unreliable track record presentation). Other Pass/Fail Criteria (Not Scored as Percentage) Several additional criteria are assessed on a 'Yes/No' basis; failure to meet them can lead to rejection: - PI Eligibility: Whether the PI meets the specific criteria for an 'experienced researcher' (as detailed in the eligibility section). - Proposal Eligibility: Whether the application meets all general requirements outlined in the call. - Cost Justification: Whether the planned costs are reasonable and well-justified in relation to the research's subject and scope. - Senior Researcher Justification: If a Senior Researcher position is planned, whether its creation is justified and if the proposed individual possesses the necessary track record, unique competencies, and qualifications. - Data Management: Whether the data management plan is properly structured and addressed (if applicable; otherwise, considered 'yes'). - Ethical Issues: Whether ethical considerations for the planned research are appropriately addressed (if applicable; otherwise, considered 'yes'). - Panel Submission: Whether the application was submitted to the correct scientific panel. - Previous Project Performance: Whether the PI's performance in previous NCN-funded projects was satisfactory (if applicable). Stage II Assessment Applications that pass Stage I are then subject to a second stage. Here, external experts conduct individual reviews, and there is a mandatory interview with the Principal Investigator conducted by the Expert Team. The final evaluation and ranking are based on these expert opinions, the interview performance, and team discussions.

Compliance & Special Requirements

The MAESTRO 17 grant comes with specific compliance requirements and unique considerations for applicants: Regulatory Compliance

General Compliance: All activities must comply with applicable laws and regulations in Poland, as well as NCN's internal rules and policies.
Ethical Standards: Projects are required to address ethical aspects comprehensively. This includes obtaining all necessary consents, opinions, permits, and authorizations in accordance with prevailing laws and good practices specific to the scientific discipline. A dedicated section in the application form addresses ethical issues.
Data Protection and Privacy: Applicants must submit a Data Management Plan outlining how research data generated or used will be handled. The plan should ensure that data adheres to FAIR Data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).
Environmental Compliance: While not explicitly detailed, research involving certain activities (e.g., specific scientific experiments) may fall under general environmental regulations, which would need to be adhered to.
Industry-Specific Compliance: If research involves clinical trials with medicinal products or medical devices, a detailed justification for their non-commercial nature is required.

Special Requirements and Considerations

No Cooperation with Russian Entities: A strict policy dictates that no cooperation with entities from the Russian Federation can be planned within the grant application. Any such planning will lead to formal rejection of the proposal.
Open Access Mandate: NCN has a mandatory open access policy for research outputs (publications and data) resulting from funded projects. Publications should be made available in an open access model where possible. The policy details accepted publication paths (e.g., DOAJ journals, repositories for Author Accepted Manuscripts/preprints, transformative agreements) and preferred licenses (e.g., Creative Commons, specifically CC BY 4.0). Research data must generally be made available in a repository under CC0 (public domain) or CC BY 4.0 licenses, with the possibility of using other licenses providing equivalent openness.
Public Aid Implications: While most organizations can apply for public aid within this grant, natural persons (individuals) are explicitly excluded from receiving public aid. Applicants should consult the NCN's public aid guidelines if relevant.
Team Composition Mandates: The project is required to include at least one post-doc or PhD student for a cumulative total of 72 months of employment across the project duration. These positions must be filled via open competitions.
Principal Investigator (PI) Presence: The PI must commit to being present in Poland for at least 50% of the project duration.
Pioneering and Groundbreaking Research: A key evaluation criterion is the pioneering and groundbreaking nature of the research, emphasizing innovation and exceeding current knowledge. This implies a higher risk tolerance for projects that promise significant scientific discoveries.
Interview Component: The second stage of evaluation includes a mandatory interview with the Principal Investigator, which is a critical part of the assessment process. This highlights the importance of the PI's ability to articulate and defend their project and qualifications directly.
Project Panel Selection: The PI must select the appropriate scientific panel (HS, ST, or NZ) for their application. The choice is permanent and cannot be changed after submission, and an incorrect panel selection may lead to rejection.

Grant Details