“Solidarity with Ukraine” event – fundraising still going on!

Last Tuesday, 14 June, the “Solidarity with Ukraine” networking and fundraising event took place. It was organized by the Polish Science Contacy Agency together with the National Centre for Research and Development/NCBR Brussels Office | Business & Science Poland and the Polish Institute in Brussels. The collections promoted during the event have not been closed and we still encourage you to support them!

The event gathered over 110 people, including numerous representatives of EU institutions and Polish community in Belgium and was opened by Andrzej Sadoś, Permanent Representative of Poland to the EU and Vsevolod Chentsov, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the European Union and directors of the institutions organizing the meeting: Ewa Kocińska-Lange from NCBR Office in Brussels | Business & Science Poland, Agnieszka Bolecka from the Polish Institute and Dr. Tomasz Poprawka from the Polish Science Contact Agency. Ruta Zarnauskaite from the European Commission, Head of Unit Horizon Europe Association in Directorate General for Research and Innovation, spoke about Ukraine’s association with Horizon Europe.

The part devoted to the support of Ukrainian scientists was opened by Dr. Tomasz Poprawka, who, in announcing the invited guests, stressed: “I am more than sure that the testimonials of our invited guests will inspire you and encourage to do what you can do best at your individual level, but also with your institutions, constituencies or stakeholders that you represent or work along with.“

Then the floor was taken by:
Yevgeniia Polishchuk from Kyiv National Economic University, who also serves as Vice-head of the Young Scientists Council at the Ministry of Education and Science in Ukraine, and
Dr. Maciej Maryl, coordinator in the “Science for Ukraine” initiative and founder and head of the Center for Digital Humanities at the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Afterwards, Ukrainian culture and art was presented by soprano Olga Artemenko and the Karski Quartet, following a speech by Mariana Kril from the Ukrainian Section of the Polish Radio. The walls of the venue were decorated with collages by Ivan and Vasyl Kostenko, the Braty graphic design studio. The Belgian RTL television prepared a reportage on this part of the program:

Guerre en Ukraine: rencontre avec des artistes tentant d’exercer leur métier (rtl.be)

Solidarity with Ukraine also aimed to highlight the fundraising activities of initiatives supporting Ukraine. The Help Centre Belgium collected almost €1,300 in an electronic collection during the event, you can still contribute to the Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation Programme of the Foundation for Polish Science and the Cultural Heritage Foundation which collects funds for the Polish Support Center for Culture in Ukraine operating within the framework of the National Heritage Institute.

To support the Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation Program of the Foundation for Polish Science we encourage you to visit a specially prepared page of the fundraising campaign, through which you can support the program by PayPal/payment cards, online and traditional bank transfers and standing order: https://pomocukrainie.fnp.org.pl/.

To support the Polish Support Center for Culture in Ukraine of the National Heritage Institute we encourage you to make direct donations to the account of the foundation cooperating directly with the Centre (for more information: Polish Institute Brussels:
CULTURAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION
UL. SOLEC 30A/37, 00-403 WARSAW PL37 1050 1025 1000 0090 8054 3649
SWIFT: INGBPLPW, ING Bank Śląski

Photos: NCBR

Horizon Europe Navigators MeetUp – MSCA DN & PF calls 2022

An upcoming meeting of the network of science managers across institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the so-called Horizon Europe Navigators will be devoted to the subject of effective participation in the Maria Skłodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) competitions financed under the pillar No. I (Excellent Science) of Horizon Europe. Participants of the meeting will have the opportunity to meet the NAWA Team, in which the MSCA NCP currently operates, i.e. Paweł Kurzyński & Olga Żochowska, Department of Programmes for Scientist.

In addition, good practices in supporting the involvement of individuals scientist and institutions in MSCA competitions will be discussed, based on the activities of existing European networks, i.e. Juliane Sauer, MSCA-NET project coordination team as well as institutional beneficiaries with a high level of participation in MSCA projects, i.e. Séverine le Bras, BRIC – Biotech Research & Innovation Centre of the University of Copenhagen

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SUMMARY OF THE EVENT: Benefits and challenges of participation in co-funded partnerships with a thematic focus on co-funded partnerships under Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

The National Research, Development and Innovation Office of Hungary (NRDIO) together with the Czech Liaison Office for Education & Research (CZELO), the Polish Science Contact Agency of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PolSCA) and the Slovak Liaison Office for Research and Development (SLORD) organised a conference about the benefits and challenges of co-funded partnerships on 13 June 2022 at the premises of the Hungarian Permanent Representation. The well-attended event was also available for online participants.

After the welcoming remarks of the Deputy Permanent Representative, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Hungary to the EU, His Excellency Gábor Baranyai, the key-note presentation of Maria Leek from the European Commission not only focused on the recently published biannual monitoring report of partnerships but also on the future of the strategic planning process. The policy panel has addressed topics like the added value of participation in partnerships, the difficulties of prioritization, the necessity of synergies, commitment and mirror groups for partnerships on the national level. Ms. Leek reported about the launch of Mutual Learning Exercises in order to help sharing good practices and to find joint solutions for such challenges like the exit strategies of partnerships. The Polish perspective was presented in this panel by Ewa Kocińska-Lange, Director of the Brussels Office of the National Centre for Research and Development – Business & Science Poland.

As a second key-note, Margareta Olson (European Commission) has presented in the scientific panel the strategic research and innovation agenda (SRIA) setting process. The four scientists from the V4 countries have not only presented their scientific achievements linked to partnerships but also highlighted the importance of support staff when understanding and applying for partnership-related calls, the necessity of personal commitment, coordination skills and the need for scientists, who are able and ready to deal with policy documents. Poland was here represented by Joanna Przedrzymirska-Ziółkowska, Deputy Director for Organization and Development from the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Sopot.

In his final remarks, Barna Kovács, Secretary General of the BIOEAST initiative also highlighted the need for support structures and the possible role of BIOEAST working groups in the preparation of partnership SRIAs and national participation.

Link to the video recording of the conference.

V4 Conference on Benefits and challenges of participation in co-funded partnerships with a thematic focus on Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment.

The National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NRDIO) together with the Czech Liaison Office for Education & Research (CZELO), the Polish Science Contact Agency of the PAS (PolSCA) and the Slovak Liaison Office for Research and Development (SLORD) are organising a joint event under the Hungarian presidency of the Visegrád 4 Group with the title: “Benefits and challenges of participation in co-funded partnerships with a thematic focus on Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment”.

Networking and fundraising event “Solidarity with Ukraine” on June 14th in Brussels

Polish Science Contact Agency PolSCA together with the NCBR Office in Brussels | Business & Science Poland and the Polish Institute in Brussels would like to invite you to the networking and fundraising event “Solidarity with Ukraine”, which will be held on Tuesday, June 14 at 17h45 in the atrium of NCBR office in Brussels, at Rue Belliard 40.

The purpose of this event is to present the Ukrainian R&I landscape as well as the potential of Ukrainian scientists to the international community in Brussels and to facilitate networking among experts in the field of research and innovation. It is also a unique opportunity to talk about the cultural heritage, to enjoy Ukrainian art and music and most of all, to raise funds for the current needs of Ukrainian society.

There will be a chance to directly support the activities carried out by the Help Centre Belgium, an NGO that since the beginning of the conflict provides material support for the Ukraine or to donate funds to:

• the recently established Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation Program, launched by the Foundation for Polish Science, which will finance projects in the social sciences and humanities, conducted jointly by scientists from Ukraine and Poland
• and to the Polish Support Center for Culture in Ukraine, established by the National Heritage Institute, to coordinate both domestic and foreign initiatives to save the cultural heritage in Ukraine.

Invited guests only.

Falling Walls Lab Warsaw – great minds, 3 minutes, 1 day! Sign up until June 30.

Three minutes is all it takes! Falling Walls Lab is a world-class pitch competition, networking forum, and steppingstone that brings together a diverse and interdisciplinary pool of students and early-career professionals by providing a stage for breakthrough ideas both globally and locally. Join the global platform for students and early-career professionals. Submit your application by June 30. Polish Science Contact Agency (PolSCA) in Brussels is among the partners of the event.

Every year in November, students, PhD students, scientists, start-up founders and innovators from around the world talk about the ideas what can demolish walls. Previously, national qualifying rounds are organized in over 70 countries. The first conference was held on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 2009. This year, the event will be held for the fourteenth time. Why is it worth to apply? Falling Walls is the unique global hub connecting science, business, and society.

• Win a trip to Berlin (travel and accommodation included)
• Participate in the global Falling Walls Lab Finale (November 7, 2022) in Berlin
• Receive a ticket to the prestigious Falling Walls Science Summit (November 7-9, 2022), where leaders in science, industry, and policymaking meet and discuss which walls will be the next to fall in science and society
• Take part in an exclusive extended program (the extended program events in past years have included a Springer Nature event on science publishing, an ‘Insights into German Research’ information session and science excursion, a networking dinner, etc.)
• Gain access to inspiring braindates with other Falling Walls Science Summit participants
• Increase your innovative project’s global reach and visibility with a pitch video in the Falling Walls content library
• Join the global Falling Walls community platform Falling Walls Connect

Falling Walls Lab Warsaw will take place on September 15, 2022, at the Warsaw University of Technology. It is organised by pro science, the largest specialist PR agency in Poland dedicated to working with the science, R&D, and education communities. It operates in the space where science, business and society meet because our aim is for these sectors to interconnect. The company’s goal is to bring value to the academic world – better communication that develops science, and to provide companies with inventive thinking and original solutions.

To take part in Falling Walls Lab Warsaw, go to the website. Submit your application via the red ‘Apply’ button by June 30, 2022, at 23:59. Also, make sure to send an email to lab@proscience.pl. In July, pro science will invite you to a free online training in public speaking. The training will be held in July or August.

It is also possible to apply for the competition later – until August 15, 2022. However, participation in the training is reserved for those who do so on the first date.

The initiator of the creation of the network is the Falling Walls Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Berlin. It is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Robert Bosch Foundation, the Helmholtz Association, the Berlin Senate, as well as numerous recognized academic institutions, foundations, companies, and NGOs.

Horizon Europe Navigators MeetUp – partner search & networking

The next meeting of the Horizon Europe Navigators network of science managers will be dedicated to the topic of effective networking and searching for partners for cooperation in the context of international projects financed under Horizon Europe, which will be discussed by Dr. Magdalena Głogowska from the National Contact Point.

In addition, in terms of participation in brokerage events or scientific networking meetings, issues related to the self-presentation by scientists and research managers will introduced by Natalia Osica from Pro Science.

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Societal Transformations in the Digital Age: Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Research in Horizon Europe

We are pleased to invite you to attend a webinar and networking event on «Societal Transformations in the Digital Age: Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Research in Horizon Europe» which will be held online on 12 May 2022 from 9.30 to 13.00 (CEST).

Effective communication, dissemination, and exploitation – successful valorisation of knowledge and research results in Horizon Europe

Communication, dissemination, and exploitation activities are an integral part of Horizon Europe projects to maximise the impacts of the EU research & innovation funding, deriving from the Implementation Strategy for Horizon Europe and principles of the European Research Area (ERA) that aims to create a single, borderless market for research, innovation and technology across the EU.

Opportunities for Social Sciences and Humanities – Horizon Europe (Cluster 2 & SSH integration) and beyond

As the European Union is currently facing many complex challenges, the role of social sciences and humanities (SSH) is crucial to understand rapid and structural transformations of the European societies and to prepare evidence-based policy responses.

To foster the role of SSH, the EU issued several programs and grant schemes supporting researchers, innovators and civil organizations engaged in social sciences and humanities, including a special place for SSH in Horizon Europe, the biggest research and innovation program of the EU.