Pursuant to Article 19 section 1 of the Act on the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (hereinafter referred to as the “Agency”) of July 7, 2017, the Director of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange announces the call for applications for participation in the Zawacka Programme of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange - incoming offer for the academic year 2025/2026 (hereinafter referred to as the “Programme”).

Within the framework of this Call, it is possible to apply for:

- a stay at a Polish institution of higher education and science with the scholarship from the Director of the National Agency for Academic Exchange (hereinafter referred to as the “NAWA Director's scholarship”);

-a stay at a Polish institution of the higher education and science with a scholarship of the sending party to (hereinafter: scholarship of the sending party).

The aim of the Programme is to deepen international academic cooperation through the arrival of students, doctoral students, academic teachers and scientists to Polish higher education and science institutions, pursuant to international agreements concluded between Poland and the partner countries indicated in the announcement. The stays will also allow improving the competences of participating representatives of the academic community.

The Programme is implemented in cooperation with institutions from countries covered by the agreements, hereinafter referred to as partner institutions.

The list of countries with which cooperation is carried out, along with a description of the available forms of stay in Poland, information about the country paying the scholarship and contact details of the partner institution is attached as Appendix 1 to the Announcement.

The offer presented in Appendix 1 to the Announcement may change if subsequent international agreements and cooperation Programmes enter into force, the Republic of Poland enters into bilateral cooperation with other countries or the Agency receives an offer of scholarships through diplomatic channels.

Moreover, if the partner country withdraws from cooperation, the incoming offer may be withdrawn even after the appliactions have been evaluated.

Participation in the Programme is open to:

a)      secondary school graduates who, at the time of starting their education in Poland, have a school leaving certificate entitling them to study in the country of issue of the certificate in any field and at any type of university;

b)      students;

c)      university graduates who apply for admission to the next level of education and who obtained their diploma no earlier than 2023;

d)      persons with the status of a doctoral student in accordance with the principles of the higher education and science system of their country;

e)      scientists and academic teachers conducting research or teaching in a country participating in the Programme, who are not employed by a Polish institution of the higher education and science system.

Type of possible scholarship stays should be checked in the offer of a given country, as attached in the Appendix 1 to the Announcement.

Visits are eligible under the Programme for the following purposes:

a)      completing full or part-time studies[1] at universities under the supervision of the Minister of Science and Higher Education. Studies may be preceded by a one-year  preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (if provided for in the country's offer)

b)      doctoral education;

c)      research stay, e.g.: scientific internships, study visits, obtaining materials for scientific work, conducting teaching classes at the hosting center, other forms of scientific or academic activity related to the implementation of studies, doctoral thesis or scientific work.

The Programme is open to students, doctoral students and employees of universities and research institutes in all fields of science, except where specific international agreements provide otherwise.

The available forms of activities to be carried out during applicant stay in Poland are described in Appendix 1 to the Announcement.

1) Persons interested in participating in the Programme submit applications to the partner institutions in their countries in accordance with their rules and deadlines.[2]

The list of countries from which applicant can come under the Programme, together with a description of the available forms of stay in Poland, information on the country paying the scholarship and contact details of the partner institution is attached in the Appendix 1 to the Announcement.

2) The foreign partner institutions shall submit the lists of recommended candidates to the Agency(hereinafter referred to as “the applicant”) by the deadline specified in the offer of the given country.

The list of applicants from a given country should contain the following data:

a)      name;

b)      surname;

c)      gender;

d)      date of birth;

e)      applicant's e-mail address;

f)       the hosting center in Poland where the applicant intends to stay;[3]

g)      the type of residence for which the applicant is applying.

h)      the length of the stay

3) After receiving the lists from the foreign partner institutions, the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange will inform the applicants about the method and date of registration (submitting an application) in the Agency's IT System at the e-mail addresses indicated by the foreign partner institutions

Information on how to register for people interested in coming from Germany:

Persons from Germany interested in coming to Poland should apply individually to the Agency, by e-mail, to the following address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., by April 30, 2025. The Agency will verify the submitted applications[4] and will invite applicants to register in the Agency's IT System.

4) Recruitment of participants for selected forms of stay

Applicants applying for a full First and Second Cycle Studies; Long Cycle Master's Studies and doctoral education (studies or doctoral education may be preceded by a one-year preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange)[5] take part in the recruitment process at the university of their choice. Universities in Poland have an electronic candidate registration system. Persons applying to study on scholarship conditions should register in the universities' online systems within the deadlines set by the universities in accordance with the rules applicable for foreigners.

The Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange does not take part in the recruitment of applicants for university studies. Applicants participate individually and independently in the recruitment process at the chosen university, regardless of the application submitted to the Programme.

If the preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange precedes the studies or doctoral education, the applicants will complete the course at a centre designated by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. Assignment to a centre offering a preparatory course depends in particular on the field of study planned and the availability of places in the centre.

During the preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, the scholarship holders will take part in the recruitment for the studies or doctoral education on the dates indicated by the chosen university or doctoral school.

The Applicants coming for the research stays or part-time studies contact hosting centers themselves to confirm the possibility of implementing the selected form of stay.

The final decision on accepting the applicant for a given form of stay is made by the hosting centers (does not apply to the preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange).

Application submission deadline

Notified by foreign partner institutions Applicants register (submit applications) in the Agency's IT System within the deadline specified in the message from the Agency sent electronically, but no later than September 30, 2025. 3 p.m. local time (Warsaw).[6]

Form of submitting an application

Only in electronic form in the Agency's IT system, https://programs.nawa.gov.pl, //COMPLETE THE APPLICATION//

Language in which the application must be developed

The application must be completed in Polish or English. Appendices should be submitted in Polish or in English. Other language versions must be translated into one of the above mention languages. It is allowed to submit a copy of a doctoral diploma in Latin.

Maximum number of applications an applicant can submit

An applicant may submit only one application in a given call under the Programme. If more than one application are submitted, the application submitted last in the recruitment process will be assessed by the date indicated for the applicant (see the point: Application submission deadline), according to the time of submission to the System.

Start date and project implementation period

The offer under the Programme applies to arrivals starting in the academic year 2025/2026. The permissible length of stay in Poland is specified in Appendix 1 to the Announcement.

The implementation of the project should take place on a continuous basis, counting from the first to the last day of the stay at the hosting center. A period of stay outside the hosting center not exceeding 10% of the total stay is allowed. The period of stay outside the hosting center cannot be used at the beginning or end of the period of implementation of the arrival (cannot serve to shorten the period of implementation of the arrival).[7]

In particular, the application should describe:

1) Applicants seeking admission to a full cycle of study in a first cycle, second cycle or unified master's programme in Poland (studies may be preceded by a one-year preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange) - justification of the intention to come and description of the expected impact of the participation on the further academic or professional career.

2) Applicants seeking admission to a part of a study programme:

a.         Justification of the intention to come and description of the expected impact of the participation on the further academic or professional career.

b.     A plan for the stay - the scope of the tasks to be carried out, together with a justification for the choice of the hosting center;

3) Applicants intending to undertake doctoral education or research stays: - a research plan describing the activities to be carried out at the Polish hosting center, together with a justification for the choice of the hosting center;

When submitting their application, applicants are also required to confirm their knowledge of Polish or a foreign language at a level enabling them to communicate with the host center in Poland and to implement the planned activities.

Applicants commencing their studies in Poland will be required, during their enrolment, to present a document certifying their knowledge of the language of study, at least at B2 level.

List of required attachments to the application

The application submitted in the Agency's IT system should be accompanied by:

1) Applicants applying for admission to a full cycle of first cycle, second cycle or unified master's studies in Poland (studies may be preceded by a one-year preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange):

a) a secondary school leaving certificate entitling the holder to study in the country of issue in the first cycle in any field and at any type of higher education institution. For those who are in their final year of secondary education at the time of application, a list of grades for the last semester of study;

b) a copy of the diploma from the first cycle of studies, which entitles the holder to enter the second cycle of studies. For persons who, at the time of application, are students in the last year of first cycle studies - a transcript of grades from their previous studies.

2) Applicants for admission to part-time studies

a) A copy of the diploma or transcript of grades from the previous course of study;

b) A curriculum vitae of no more than 2 pages (if the curriculum vitae is longer, the first 2 pages will be taken into account);

c) a copy of the confirmation of admission to part-time studies from the Polish hosting center (or a copy of the invitation);

3) Applicants planning doctoral education or planning a research stay

a) Copy of the highest degree obtained;

b) Curriculum vitae of the applicant, including publications, current research projects, internships abroad and special achievements of the applicant - max. 3 pages (if the CV is longer, the first 3 pages will be taken into account);

c) a copy of a confirmation of admission to the type of stay for which the applicant is applying (or invitation) issued by the Polish hosting center (does not apply to applicants planning education at a doctoral school who start their stay by participating in the preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange).

General assumptions

Applications submitted in Agency's IT system are subject to formal assessment.

Formal assessment

Formal assessment criteria:

1. Notification provided by a foreign partner institution from the applicant's country;[8]

2. Compatibility of the submitted application and the offer for the applicant's country;

3. Registration - submitting an application[9] with all required attachments described in point 2.6.

The purpose of the formal assessment is to verify applications in terms of meeting the formal criteria indicated in the Announcement.

Applications are verified in terms of the limits of places, types and length of stays indicated in Appendix 1.

The source of financing for the stay (receiving party /sending party) depends on the provisions of the agreement[10] pursuant to which bilateral international cooperation takes place.

If the agreement provides for the payment of funds by the Agency, the scholarship is paid monthly for the duration of the scholarship holder's stay in Poland.

1) NAWA Director's scholarship

If the agreement provides for the payment of funds by the Agency (receiving party), the scholarship is paid in the amount indicated in the table below:

SCHOLARSHIP RATES

NAWA Director's Scholarship is paid monthly by HEI, in which scholarship holder is studying/ carrying out a research stay.

Participants of the preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, students studying at public universities

For students, NAWA Director's scholarship also includes exemption from fees for education at preparatory courses or public universities under the supervision of the Minister of Science and Higher Education.

For persons attending the preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange and in the case of students of: first cycle, second cycle and long cycle master's studies, the scholarship is paid for a maximum of 10 months in one academic year, depending on the length of stay, starting from the first month of classes on the preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange or study.

If the education begins in the summer semester or ends in the winter semester, the scholarship will be paid accordingly for a maximum of 5 months per academic year.

The scholarship is paid during the statutory period of study in a given study program (full time studies) or during the period of education in Poland for part-time studies.

The costs of attending the preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange and of training are covered by the Polish side.

Doctoral education

For doctoral students studying at a doctoral school, the scholarship will be paid for a maximum of 12 months per academic year.

Research stays

To receive the full monthly scholarship rate, if it results from final report, a recipient of the NAWA Director's Scholarship must stay at the host center for at least 15 days within a 30-day period. If the stay is less than 15 days, the scholar is entitled to receive payment at half the scholarship rate.

Example of the calculation of the scholarship amount to be paid when the final report is reviewed:

a. If the applicant planned to stay for 4 months in the application and the actual stay was 3 months and 14 days, the applicant will receive the amount for 3.5 months.

b. if the applicant planned to stay for 4 months in the application and the actual stay was 3 months and 17 days, the applicant will receive the amount for 4 full months,

c. if the applicant planned to stay for 4 months in the application and the actual stay was 4 months and 2 days, the applicant will receive the amount for 4 full months - i.e. the maximum amount indicated in the application.

Insurance and visa costs (if required) are the responsibility of the grant holder.

The funds of the Programme are those referred to in article 18, paragraph 2. 1 u.n.a.w.a. Pursuant to Article 21, paragraph 1, point 39a of the Income Tax Act of 26 July 1991, the aforementioned funds are exempt from income tax.

The Programme does not provide funding for institutions (indirect costs) or research costs (e.g. materials, reagents or participation in conferences). Research and other costs must be covered by other sources.

In the event of a change in the applicant's status (e.g. obtaining a doctorate), the scholarship will be implemented in accordance with the conditions of the application.

The Programme cannot be combined with a grant from the EU Erasmus+ Programme.

2) Scholarship of the sending party:

Where an international agreement provides for the payment of a stipend by a foreign partner, the stipend shall be paid by and on the terms of the sending party. .

Students and candidates of the sending party shall be entitled to a tuition fee waiver for the preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange or for studies at public universities under the supervision of the Minister of Science and Higher Education.

The recipients of the scholarship of the sending party (persons to whom the Agency does not grant funds under the Programme) are not covered by Chapters IV, V, VI of the REGULATIONS OF THE PROGRAMMES OF THE POLISH NATIONAL AGENCY FOR ACADEMIC EXCHANGE Programmes for natural persons taking up education and research stays in Poland and Annex No. 2 of the REGULATIONS OF THE PROGRAMMES OF THE POLISH NATIONAL AGENCY FOR ACADEMIC EXCHANGE Programmes for natural persons taking up education and research stays in Poland - Model Agreement.

The total allocation for the recruitment is PLN 3,580,000, and the Agency reserves the right to change the allocation of funds.

The scholarship agreement

The scholarship agreement with the scholarship holder, to whom the Agency will pay the scholarship, is concluded after the positive formal assessment of the application and the acceptance of the candidate by the Polish hosting center and after the final decision of the Agency's Director on the allocation of funds. The scholarship agreement is signed in the Agency's IT system. The recipient of the NAWA Director's Scholarship has 30 days from the date the agreement is available in the Agency's IT system to sign it. In the case of applicants to whom the Agency does not disburse funds, the contract shall not be concluded and payment shall be made under the terms and conditions determined by the sending party.

Information about the submission of the reports

For stays of less than one academic year, the recipient of the NAWA Director's Scholarship must submit a final report on the stay to the Agency's ICT system within 30 days of the end of the stay.

For stays longer than one academic year, the recipient of the NAWA Director's Scholarship must submit an annual report on completion of: study, research stay in a given academic year, no later than 31 October each year. The first report must be submitted upon completion of the preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. For recipients of the NAWA Director's Scholarship who are not participating in the preparatory course of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, the first report must be submitted after completion of the first year of: study, doctoral studies, research stay. For recipients of the NAWA Director's Scholarship who begin their studies in the summer semester, the first report will be a semester report.

Recruitment results will be announced by December 31, 2025.

State budget