Pursuant to Article 19 section 1 of the Act on the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange of July 7, 2017, the Director of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange announces a call for applications for participation in the outgoing mobility program for doctoral students, scientists and academic teachers - the Walczak NAWA (hereinafter referred to as the “Programme”). The program is a joint initiative of the Medical Research Agency (hereinafter “ABM”) and the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (hereinafter "Agency"), implemented by the Agency on behalf of the Minister of Health.

The aim of the Program is to strengthen the potential of Polish scientific units and healthcare entities by supporting the international mobility of PhD students, scientists and academic teachers with respect to medical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences and health sciences. People implementing Projects under the Program have the opportunity to conduct scientific research, learn good research or clinical practices, learn new methods and technologies, or obtain materials for developing a teaching program or scientific work. Mobility may be carried out with the participation of centers around the world that conduct research, teaching or related to the provision of health services in connection with scientific activities.

1. The program is addressed to people with Polish citizenship, foreigners who have a Pole's card or a permanent residence card in Poland.

2. The following may apply for participation in the Program:

1) a doctoral student studying at a doctoral school referred to in the Act of July 20, 2018, Law on Higher Education and Science (hereinafter referred to as "u.p.s.w.n."), in the disciplines of medical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences or health sciences;

2) a person with at least a doctoral degree in the field of medical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences or health sciences, whose place of employment is a healthcare entity referred to in the Act of 15 April 2011 on medical activities providing healthcare services financed from public funds or entity referred to in Art. 7 section 1 of u.p.s.w.n.

3) an academic teacher with at least a doctoral degree in the field of medical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences or health sciences, employed in the entity referred to in Art. 7 section 1 of u.p.s.w.n., whereas, in relation to other entities conducting mainly scientific activities on an independent and continuous basis, provided that the entities have a scientific category or constitute any Center of Excellence established as part of the Teaming in Horizon Europe project.

3. The condition for participation in the call is that the Applicant must demonstrate the following number of publications in English, published or accepted for publication in journals indexed in the Journal Citation Reports database (with the Impact Factor):

1) in the case of PhD students - at least 1 publication;

2) in the case of people with at least a doctoral degree - at least 2 publications.

4. The applicant cannot be employed or carry out a postdoctoral internship at the host institution at the time of submitting the application.

Application submission deadline

The call for applications will be open until January 31, 2024 at 3:00 PM according to the official time in Poland.

How to submit an application

Only within electronic form in the Agency's IT system:

FILL IN THE APPLICATION

Language in which the application must be developed

The application must be completed in English. Exceptions include appendices to the application, they may be submitted in Polish or English.

Maximum number of applications that an Applicant may submit

An applicant may submit only one application for funding in a given call for applications under the Program, covering mobility to one foreign host center.

NOTE: In the period from the date of submission of the application and, if applicable, during the Project implementation period (i.e. during the period of validity of the agreement referred to in Article 26(1) of the Act), the Program applicant may not apply for funding from another program implemented with the participation of financial resources granted on the basis of u.n.a.w.a.

1. The following activities are possible under the Program:

1) international mobility to pursue an educational path – during which it will be possible, in particular, to become acquainted with the models and curriculum of the host institution, and to obtain materials for the development of a teaching program;

2) international mobility to pursue a scientific path - under which it will be possible, in particular, to conduct part of scientific research using the infrastructure at the host center, gain new professional and scientific experience, learn good research, laboratory, diagnostic or clinical practices, learn new methods and technologies at the host center, obtain materials for scientific work;

3) international mobility to pursue a clinical path - within which it will be possible, in particular, to gain new professional and scientific experience, learn good research, laboratory, diagnostic or clinical practices, and learn new methods and technologies in the host center.

2. An applicant presents a stay plan covering one leading activity that they intend to implement at the hosting center, indicating their goals, significance for the development of their scientific career and justifying the choice of the host center for the planned activities and benefits of the stay for both the scientist and the parent unit.

Program implementation period

From July 1, 2024 to October 1, 2025

Project implementation period (contract validity period)

The Project implementation period includes the mobility period plus 3 months. The project must be implemented within the Program implementation period.

Length of mobility

From 1 to 6 months. Mobility must be completed during the Project implementation period (agreement validity period).

Implementation of mobility

1) Implementation must be continuous, with the exception of those specified in points 2 and 3.

2) The permissible period of stay outside the host facility is no longer than 10% of the total length of stay. The period of stay outside the host facility cannot be used at the beginning or end of the Project implementation period (it cannot be used to shorten the Project implementation period).

3) It is permissible to suspend the implementation of the Project for a total period of no longer than 3 months, provided that the host facility and the Agency give consent before the suspension, and suspension is possible during the term of the agreement. During the suspension period of the Project, funding is not available.

1. Scientific CV of the Applicant in accordance with the application form.

2. An invitation from the hosting center confirming the willingness to host the Applicant for the requested period. The invitation should be prepared on the letterhead of the hosting facility in accordance with the model included in Appendix 2 to the Call. The document should be dated (not earlier than the call announcement date) and signed by the substantive supervisor and the person holding a managerial position at the host center.

3. A document confirming the status of a doctoral student at a doctoral school or holding an academic degree/title (if the diploma has not yet been issued, you can attach a resolution of the council of the competent authority awarding the doctoral degree).

4. In the case of persons other than a doctoral student, a certificate confirming the period and place of employment in Poland in accordance with point 2.2 of the Call.

5. In the case of a doctoral student, the supervisor's opinion about the candidate and the planned project/mobility program.

6. Copies of full texts of publications meeting the conditions in point 2.2 point 3 of the Call.

General assumptions

Applications are subject to formal and merit-based evaluation in accordance with the Regulations of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange programs for natural persons (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") constituting an appendix to the Call.

Formal evaluation

It is carried out in accordance with the principles set out in Chapter IV section 5 point 5.1 of the Regulations.

Merit-based evaluation

The merit-based evaluation is carried out by the Evaluation Team on the basis of the evaluation criteria in accordance with Chapter IV section 5 point 5.2 of the Regulations.

The Evaluation Team consists of experts appointed by the Agency's Director pursuant to Art. 22 section 3 of u.n.a.w.a. Candidates for experts may be proposed by ABM.

If the Applicant is found to have violated ethical principles or is unreliable in preparing the application, or if the application is found to be inconsistent with the Program objectives specified in point 2.1 of the Call, the Evaluation Team may award the application a score of 0 (zero), justifying such a decision in a dedicated field on the application evaluation card. In such a case, the application cannot be qualified for funding.

Criterion

Points

1

The Applicant's scientific achievements and career history.

30

2

Reputation and scientific level of the host center, research team and its leader, adequacy of the choice of the center to the planned activities.

20

3

Scientific and practical value of the Project, including: scope of planned activities, methods used, planned results, adequacy of the Project duration to the planned activities.

30

4

The impact of participation in the Program on the further didactic/scientific/clinical development of the Applicant and on the development of the scientific field/discipline in terms of work organization, procedures, treatments, techniques, processes, technologies, tools, resources, systems and other activities used for prevention, diagnosis and therapy of a given disease entity. Possibility to use the acquired knowledge and skills in the Applicant's parent unit

20

Total

100

The total allocation for the call is PLN 4,000,000, but the Agency reserves the right to change it.

When preparing the application, the applicant takes into account the following principles:

1) SCHOLARSHIP

2) LUMP SUM FOR LIVING AND ACCOMMODATION COSTS

3) LUMP SUM FOR TRAVEL COSTS

4) FINANCIAL SUPPORT

One-off financial support in the amount of PLN 20,000 is available to a Fellow implementing a project lasting more than 3 months as part of a scientific path for expenses related to the implementation of research work. If your stay is shortened, you are not entitled to support and the support granted is refundable.

The rates calculated in points 1 and 2 and the monthly financial support indicated in point 4 apply to each full month of stay at the host facility. The applicant specifies the length of stay in the application, specifying the number of full months of stay.

A one-off lump sum for travel costs is due only in the case of a completed trip, and the amount of the lump sum is calculated as follows: from the distance from the Fellow's place of residence to the main place of their activities in a straight line. The rate indicated in this way constitutes a subsidy for the costs of round trip travel. At the Project settlement stage, the Fellow may be asked to present copies of documents confirming the travel.

The rules for settling the Project are specified in Chapter VI of the Regulations, and the condition for qualifying the settlement of funds is the actual completion of international mobility referred to in point 2.4.

In the event of shortening the duration of mobility, the full monthly rate of the scholarship, lump sum for living and accommodation costs and monthly financial support is due when the Applicant's stay, according to the final report, is 15 days or more. In case of less than 15 days, half the rate applies.

In the event of a change in the status of the Fellow (e.g. obtaining a PhD degree), the scholarship is provided on the terms specified in the application. Such a change does not entitle you to increase funding.

Financial resources under the Program mean the funds referred to in Art. 18 section 2 point 1 of u.n.a.w.a. Pursuant to Art. 21 section 1 point 39a of the Act of 26 July 1991 on personal income tax, the funds are free of income tax.

Under the Project, payments are made according to the payment scheme: Advance payment scheme B of the Regulations (see Chapter V, section 1 of the Regulations).

The use of lump sums in the case of scholarships, travel, subsistence and accommodation costs as well as financial support in the Project means that they will not be settled on the basis of the actually incurred expenses. At the request of the Agency, the Fellow is obliged to present documentation confirming the implementation of activities and achievement of the intended results and products in accordance with the approved Application - under pain of being deemed undue.

1. The Fellow is obliged to submit a report on the implementation of the Project via the Agency's IT system in accordance with the model attached to the Call.

2. The complete and formally correct final report is submitted for substantive evaluation by the Evaluation Team and then for financial evaluation.

3. The Evaluation Team evaluates the report in terms of reliability and correctness of the implementation of the planned activities and funds spent, as well as the validity of any changes introduced during the implementation of the Project.

4. During the substantive evaluation, the following criteria are taken into account:

1) compliance of the scope of tasks performed with the Agreement;

2) quality of the results achieved.

5. In the final report, the Fellow takes into account any deviations that occurred during the implementation of the Project, affecting the amount of funds granted, especially those related to the shortening of the scholarship.

6. Financial resources used against their intended purpose or unused shall be returned to the Agency's bank account within 14 days from the date of request for the return of them.

1. Having at least basic health insurance, including in particular insurance for the costs of treatment and transport to hospital, covering the entire stay in the host facility as well as the trip there and the return trip to Poland; if the hosting center is located in a member country of the European Union or the European Free Trade Association, the EHIC card (European Health Insurance Card) or any other policy covering the indicated scope of protection is recognized as part of the confirmation of health insurance;

2. timely submission of a report including the opinion of the representative of the host center (substantive supervisor or leader of the team in which the Project was implemented) on the progress of the Project implementation;

3. implementation of the Project results planned in the application;

4. informing the Agency about changes in the Project or about any problems or irregularities in the implementation of the Project;

5. informing the Agency about your particular scientific, teaching and other successes;

6. proper execution of the scholarship agreement, in particular settlement of the granted funds;

7. the Fellow may additionally be employed at the host center.

The call results will be announced by May 31, 2024.

Targeted subsidy from the Minister of Health