Coordination and Capacity Kick-off Grant (Poland)

Deadline: 01-Sep-2026

The Coordination and Capacity Kick-off Grant supports Polish research teams in developing international partnerships and interdisciplinary research concepts for the upcoming LANGSPIL Interdisciplinary Call. The initiative helps researchers build cooperation with EEA partners, exchange knowledge, and prepare strong basic research proposals addressing complex social, environmental, and democratic challenges.

The grant is operated by the National Science Center in Poland under the EEA and Norway Grants Basic Research Program. Each grant provides a lump sum of EUR 2,800 for travel and subsistence costs linked to bilateral working visits, with a total Kick-off Call budget of EUR 150,000.

Programme Overview

The Coordination and Capacity Kick-off Grant is a preparatory funding opportunity for Polish research teams.

It supports the early development of international research partnerships and interdisciplinary project ideas for the future LANGSPIL Interdisciplinary Call.

The programme is operated by the National Science Center, in cooperation with the Research Council of Norway and the Icelandic Center for Research.

Main Objective

The main objective of the Coordination and Capacity Kick-off Grant is to help Polish researchers build strong foundations for future interdisciplinary research proposals.

The initiative aims to:

• Support international research collaboration
• Build bilateral partnerships between Poland and EEA countries
• Help researchers develop interdisciplinary project concepts
• Strengthen research capacity
• Encourage knowledge exchange
• Support early-career researchers
• Prepare teams for the LANGSPIL Interdisciplinary Call
• Promote collaboration with non-academic partners
• Address complex challenges through basic research

Key Focus Areas

The programme focuses on partnership development, interdisciplinary research preparation, and capacity building.

Key focus areas include:

• International research collaboration
• Interdisciplinary project development
• Bilateral cooperation
• Capacity building
• Knowledge exchange
• European green transition
• Democracy
• Rule of law
• Human rights
• Social inclusion
• Resilience
• Non-academic partner engagement
• Social sciences and humanities methodologies
• Preparation of research concepts

Link to the LANGSPIL Interdisciplinary Call

The Kick-off Grant is designed to help researchers prepare for the upcoming LANGSPIL Interdisciplinary Call.

The LANGSPIL Call is planned for launch in November 2026, with a submission deadline expected in early 2027.

The later LANGSPIL Call will support interdisciplinary basic research projects implemented through bilateral cooperation between Poland and the Donor States.

Submission to the later LANGSPIL Call remains optional.

LANGSPIL Call Budget and Project Scope

The upcoming LANGSPIL Interdisciplinary Call has a total planned budget of EUR 12 million.

It will support three-year research projects integrating multiple disciplines.

The call will place particular emphasis on approaches and methodologies from the social sciences and humanities.

LANGSPIL Priority Areas

Research concepts prepared through the Kick-off Grant should address at least one LANGSPIL priority area.

Priority areas include:

• European green transition
• Democracy
• Rule of law
• Human rights
• Social inclusion
• Resilience

Projects are also encouraged to include collaboration and knowledge exchange with non-academic partners.

What the Kick-off Grant Supports

The Coordination and Capacity Kick-off Grant supports bilateral working visits that help researchers develop future research proposals.

Supported activities may include:

• Partnership-building meetings
• On-site visits to EEA countries
• Research concept development
• Interdisciplinary planning sessions
• Knowledge exchange with potential partners
• Refinement of research questions
• Preparation for future LANGSPIL proposals
• Cooperation with non-academic partners where relevant

The grant is intended to support early-stage coordination and capacity development, not full research project implementation.

Bilateral Working Visits

The main supported activity is a bilateral working visit.

The visit may involve:

• A Principal Investigator from Poland visiting an EEA country
• An EEA researcher visiting Poland in justified cases

These visits should support direct, in-person collaboration between potential partners.

The goal is to refine research ideas, strengthen cooperation, and develop concepts that may later be submitted to the LANGSPIL Interdisciplinary Call.

Capacity-Building Support

The programme also includes tailored capacity-building assistance.

Based on challenges identified during the application process, the National Science Center may provide targeted support through:

• Workshops
• Expert facilitation
• Proposal development guidance
• Partnership-building support
• Interdisciplinary research planning support

Where possible, these measures may also be extended to potential LANGSPIL applicants.

Funding Available

The total budget for the Coordination and Capacity Kick-off Call is EUR 150,000.

Each Coordination and Capacity Kick-off Grant is awarded as a lump sum of EUR 2,800.

Eligible Costs

The lump sum is intended to cover:

• Travel costs
• Subsistence costs
• Costs linked to the Principal Investigator’s on-site visit to EEA countries
• Costs linked to an EEA researcher’s visit to Poland in justified cases

Other expenses are not eligible for support.

Who is Eligible?

Funding is available for Polish research organisations that employ the Principal Investigator at the time of proposal submission.

The Principal Investigator must hold at least a PhD degree.

The programme particularly supports Polish research teams, including those led by early-career researchers, seeking to develop international partnerships and interdisciplinary research concepts.

Eligible Polish Research Organisations

Eligible applicants include legal entities established in Poland, such as:

• Universities
• Federations of science and higher education entities
• Research institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences
• Research institutes
• International research institutes
• Łukasiewicz Center entities
• Institutions within the Łukasiewicz Research Network
• Center of Postgraduate Medical Education
• Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Independent research entities
• Scientific and industrial centers
• Research centers of the Polish Academy of Sciences
• Scientific libraries
• Companies operating as research and development centers
• Other eligible legal entities established in Poland

Principal Investigator Requirements

The Principal Investigator must:

• Be employed by the Polish research organisation at the time of proposal submission
• Hold at least a PhD degree
• Lead the development of the research concept
• Participate in the partnership-building visit
• Contribute to the preparation of a potential LANGSPIL research proposal

What Makes a Strong Research Concept?

A strong research concept should address a complex challenge through interdisciplinary basic research.

It should:

• Connect multiple academic disciplines
• Include social sciences or humanities approaches where relevant
• Address at least one LANGSPIL priority area
• Demonstrate clear research questions
• Show potential for bilateral cooperation
• Include meaningful knowledge exchange
• Consider engagement with non-academic partners
• Show relevance to wider social, democratic, environmental, or resilience challenges

Why This Grant Matters

International research cooperation often requires time, trust, and direct engagement before a strong proposal can be submitted.

This Kick-off Grant matters because it gives Polish research teams a practical opportunity to build partnerships with EEA collaborators before the LANGSPIL Call opens.

By supporting working visits and capacity-building, the initiative helps researchers strengthen interdisciplinary ideas, improve proposal readiness, and develop more competitive international research partnerships.

Expected Results

The programme is expected to support:

• Stronger Poland-EEA research partnerships
• Better-prepared interdisciplinary research concepts
• Increased readiness for the LANGSPIL Interdisciplinary Call
• Stronger involvement of early-career researchers
• Improved knowledge exchange between partners
• More competitive future basic research proposals
• Greater collaboration across disciplines
• Engagement with non-academic partners where relevant

How to Apply or Prepare a Strong Application

Applicants should prepare a clear and focused proposal that explains the partnership, visit purpose, research concept, and relevance to the future LANGSPIL Call.

Step 1: Confirm Institutional Eligibility

The applicant organisation must be an eligible legal entity established in Poland.

It must employ the Principal Investigator at the time of proposal submission.

Step 2: Confirm Principal Investigator Eligibility

The Principal Investigator must hold at least a PhD degree.

The PI should also be able to lead the partnership-building process and contribute to developing a future interdisciplinary research concept.

Step 3: Identify an EEA Partner

Applicants should identify a potential partner from an EEA country.

The partner should have relevant expertise, complementary skills, and clear value for developing the future research concept.

Step 4: Define the Purpose of the Visit

The proposal should explain why the bilateral working visit is needed.

Applicants should describe how the visit will support:

• Research idea development
• Partnership building
• Interdisciplinary planning
• Knowledge exchange
• Future LANGSPIL proposal preparation

Step 5: Align the Concept with LANGSPIL Priorities

Applicants should clearly connect the research concept to at least one priority area.

These include green transition, democracy, rule of law, human rights, social inclusion, or resilience.

Step 6: Demonstrate Interdisciplinary Value

The proposal should explain which disciplines will be involved and how they will work together.

Strong applications should show why an interdisciplinary approach is necessary for the research question.

Step 7: Consider Non-Academic Partners

Where relevant, applicants should identify possible non-academic partners.

These may include civil society organisations, public institutions, cultural institutions, policy actors, community organisations, or other stakeholders.

Step 8: Plan the Working Visit

Applicants should describe the planned visit, expected discussions, outputs, and next steps.

The plan should be realistic and clearly linked to proposal development.

Step 9: Submit Electronically

Applications must be submitted electronically through the designated National Science Center submission channels.

Applicants should ensure all required information is complete before submission.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid the following mistakes:

• Applying through an ineligible organisation
• Submitting without confirming that the PI holds a PhD degree
• Failing to show a clear link to the LANGSPIL Interdisciplinary Call
• Proposing activities beyond travel and subsistence costs
• Providing a weak explanation of the bilateral partnership
• Not identifying a clear EEA collaboration pathway
• Failing to address at least one LANGSPIL priority area
• Presenting a single-discipline idea without interdisciplinary value
• Ignoring the role of social sciences and humanities approaches
• Treating the grant as full research project funding
• Not explaining how the visit will support future proposal development

Tips for a Strong Application

A strong application should:

• Clearly explain the research concept
• Show why the partnership is important
• Demonstrate strong alignment with LANGSPIL priorities
• Include a realistic plan for the bilateral visit
• Explain how the visit will improve the future proposal
• Show interdisciplinary potential
• Highlight the role of social sciences and humanities where relevant
• Include early-career researcher leadership where applicable
• Consider knowledge exchange with non-academic partners
• Stay within the eligible cost rules
• Demonstrate readiness to build a future international research proposal

FAQ

1. What is the Coordination and Capacity Kick-off Grant?

It is a preparatory grant supporting Polish research teams in developing international partnerships and interdisciplinary research concepts for the upcoming LANGSPIL Interdisciplinary Call.

2. Who operates the programme?

The programme is operated by the National Science Center under the EEA and Norway Grants Basic Research Program, in cooperation with the Research Council of Norway and the Icelandic Center for Research.

3. How much funding is available per grant?

Each grant is awarded as a lump sum of EUR 2,800.

4. What is the total budget of the Kick-off Call?

The total budget for the Coordination and Capacity Kick-off Call is EUR 150,000.

5. What costs are eligible?

The grant supports travel and subsistence costs related to the Principal Investigator’s on-site visit to EEA countries or, in justified cases, visits by an EEA researcher to Poland.

6. Who can apply?

Eligible applicants are Polish research organisations that employ the Principal Investigator at the time of submission. The Principal Investigator must hold at least a PhD degree.

7. Is submission to the later LANGSPIL Call mandatory?

No. Participation in the Kick-off initiative supports partnership development and research concept preparation, but submission to the later LANGSPIL Call remains optional.

Conclusion

The Coordination and Capacity Kick-off Grant helps Polish research teams prepare for future international, interdisciplinary research cooperation under the LANGSPIL Interdisciplinary Call.

With a lump sum of EUR 2,800 per grant and a total Kick-off Call budget of EUR 150,000, the programme supports bilateral working visits, knowledge exchange, and early-stage research concept development.

Applicants should prepare focused proposals that show strong partnership potential, clear alignment with LANGSPIL priorities, interdisciplinary value, and a practical plan for developing a competitive future research concept.

For more information, visit NCN.