00-529 Warsaw 53, Poland
Wspólna St. 1/3

Science in Poland

State Committee for Scientific Research (KBN)

The main tasks of the Committee are:

to present to the government and the parliament guidelines for the country's scientific policy,
to submit to the government plans for budgetary expenditure in the area of research in science and technology,
to distribute funds among institutions and research teams and to control their spending,
to sign international agreements on cooperation in the field of science and technology.

In short, the Committee combines the role of a "typical" ministry of science and technology with that of a funding agency. The work of the Committee is headed by its chairman the Minister of Science. The chairman is appointed by the President at the request of the Prime Minister. KBN consists of 5 ministers or heads of central offices appointed by the Prime Minister at the request of KBN chairman, secretary (in the rank of a deputy minister) appointed by the Prime Minister at the request of KBN chairman and 12 representatives of the scientific community in Poland, elected through general election by all academics holding a doctoral degree. From among those twelve representatives, two deputies of KBN chairman are elected. Each elected KBN member heads one of 12 KBN Units representing different sciences, namely:

Humanities
Social, Economic and Legal Sciences
Mathematical, Physical and Astronomical Sciences
Biological, Earth Sciences and Environmental Protection
Medical Sciences
Agricultural and Forestral Sciences
Mechanics, Construction and Architecture
Materials Engineering and Materials Technology
Electrotechnics, Energy and Metrology
Chemical Sciences, Technical Chemistry, Process Engineering and Environmental Protection
Electronics, Automatics and Robotics, Computer Science and Telecommunications
Mining, Geodesy and Transport

Decisions on financing research projects are made by the Units in consultation with specialists representing the sciences and technologies. The structure of the budget funding of individual disciplines of science is stable.

KBN finances research and research and development from funds ear-marked for that purpose in the budget and in accordance with agreed financing streams:

Financing statutory tasks of scientific institutions (subject subsidies). The amount of funds allocated depends on the achievements of these institutions in research and development.
Financing of construction investments, purchase of equipment and infrastructure for projects necessary to facilitate research (ear-marked subsidies)
Financing of research projects selected in peer reviewed (KBN Units) project competitions held bi-annually
Co-financing of goal orientated projects pursued jointly by research teams and future users
Financing of international scientific co-operation stipulated by intergovernmental agreements
Supporting research aiding activity (publications, libraries, databases, scientific conferences, promotion
of science)

Disciplines:

Humanities
Social, Economic and Legal Sciences
Mathematical, Physical and Astronomical Sciences
Biological, Earth Sciences and Environmental Protection
Medical Sciences
Agricultural and Forestral Sciences
Mechanics, Construction and Architecture
Materials Engineering and Materials Technology
Electrotechnics, Energy and Metrology
Chemical Sciences, Technical Chemistry, Processing Engineering and Environmental Protection
Electronics, Automatics and Robotics, Computer Science and Telecommunications
Mining, Geodesy and Transport
Others (for instance: expenditure for computer infrastructure of science)

Source: State Committee for Scientific Research (KBN)

Latest modification: 26th July 2001