President Andrzej Duda referred to the Sejm a bill on the creation of a new scientific institution – the Copernican Academy. The ceremony at the Presidential Palace was attended by the Minister of Education and Science Przemysław Czarnek.

President Duda said that his office together with the Ministry of Science prepared a draft law, which in a way completed the former reforms, including the launch of the National Science Center, the National Center for Research and Development, the National Agency for Academic Exchange, and the Łukasiewicz network. The newest Copernican Academy will be followed by the Nicolaus Copernicus School.

The purpose of the Academy is to strengthen the Polish academic staff, its competitiveness and to strengthen international cooperation.

Andrzej Duda announced granting the Copernican scholarships, the Nicolaus Copernicus grants, and finally Copernican awards, which will be granted annually. “It is not an insignificant award as the project envisages 500,000. PLN for a scientist  who made an important, significant scientific achievement”, added the president.

Minister Czarnek emphasized that the Copernican Academy would contribute to decisive support for Polish science and raise its role internationally.

The head of the Ministry of Education and Science explained that the Academy will be divided into thematic committees, whose members will decide on the allocation of grants and awards to Polish scientists.

Asked at the conference how the system of grants and awards will function, Minister Czarnek emphasized that the scientists in those committees would decide who and for what receive the awards, as well as to whom the Copernican grants would be awarded.

Adrian Andrzejewski