Ministry of Science
and Higher Education

There are two elements of vital importance for research excellence – human capital and state-of-the-art research infrastructures. The latter is doubly important owing to its essential role in training future scientific and technical staff. Major strategic research infrastructures attract world-class scientists and innovative companies which enables economic growth as well as enhance social capital. Excellent laboratories applying the highest standards of research and education are therefore necessary for each country to develop. The Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures is a tool created to facilitate the development of these laboratories – says the Minister of Science and Higher Education, Mr. Wojciech Murdzek.

The Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Mr. Grzegorz Wrochna, also highlights the importance of research infrastructures – Lack of state-of-the-art research infrastructures used to be one of the major deficiencies of the scientific landscape in Poland, which negatively impacted our capacity to access EU funds. It was easier for laboratories and countries with modern research infrastructures to get projects funded. This is not the case anymore, as Poland made a significant progress in recent years in allocating considerable funding to construction and upgrading of research facilities across the country. The Roadmap is a very useful tool to identify and promote the best of them, so that they can be further supported and developed. In this way, our goal of ensuring that Poland is a truly equal member of the European Research Area can be achieved.

Selection process of research infrastructures included in the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures

Each application was reviewed by members of the Advisory Panel on the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures as well as by two external experts – a national one and a foreign one. Almost 160 reviewers were engaged in the process of proposals assessment.

The following criteria (being differently weighted) were taken into consideration by the Advisory Panel and external experts when evaluating applications:

• The uniqueness of infrastructure in national and worldwide terms – 20%
• Institutional and human resources capacity of the applicant – 18%
• The extent to which infrastructure interests the national and international scientific and entrepreneurial community – 15%
• The reasonableness of the costs related to infrastructure – 15%
• Compatibility of the objectives and targets of infrastructure with national and international research, development and innovation policies – 12%
• The potential for infrastructure development within the framework of international cooperation – 12%
• The potential for infrastructure to be developed in the short and medium term – 8%

The final assessment of each application was determined by adding 60% of weighted average of Advisory Panel and 40% of weighted average of external experts.

Having collected the final results of all proposals, the Advisory Panel submitted to the Minister of Science and Higher Education its recommendations regarding inclusion of 65 the best rated infrastructures in the Roadmap. The Minister responded favourably to these recommendations, at the same time deciding to additionally include in the Roadmap five European infrastructures where the Polish government has already declared its commitment. These infrastructures are as follows:

• CLARIN – Common Language Resources and Technology Infrastructure,
• Digital Research Infrastructures for the Arts and Humanities DARIAH-PL,
• FAIR – Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research,
• Biological and biomedical imaging infrastructure – Bio-Imaging Poland (BIPol),
• POL-OPENSCREEN – Polish Infrastructure of Open Screening Platforms for Chemical Biology.

The Roadmap includes 70 strategic research infrastructures, divided into six scientific areas

Published in January 2020 the Roadmap includes 70 strategic research infrastructures, divided into six scientific areas, following the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures classification:

• Physical sciences & engineering (23 projects);
• Social sciences & humanities (6 projects);
• Technical sciences & energy (14 projects);
• Earth & environmental sciences (5 projects);
• Medical, biological & agricultural sciences (16 projects);
• Digital infrastructures (6 projects).

40 of 70 infrastructures included in the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures are nationally-based, while 30 have an international dimension.

We invite you to read the brochure on the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures.