With the POLONEZ BIS programme coming to a close, we met online on 16-17 April 2026 for the POLONEZ BIS Fellows’ Forum, bringing together our Fellows and representatives of key Polish funding institutions. Organised towards the end of the programme, the event provided an opportunity to summarise its results, reflect on shared experiences, and support Fellows in planning their next steps, while also exploring future funding opportunities.

The first day focused on summarising the impact of the POLONEZ BIS programme and presenting grant opportunities offered by Polish funding agencies. Dr Piotr Serafin introduced programmes of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA), while Radosław Runowski and Jan Osiński spoke on behalf of the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR). Michał Pietras presented funding schemes of the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP), and Mikołaj Pyczak discussed Horizon Europe and the role of the National Contact Points. Finally, our own National Science Centre (NCN) offer was presented by Jolanta Palowska. Former POLONEZ Fellows Dr Ashley Gumsley and Dr Grzegorz Grabe shared their experiences with conducting the subsequent projects in Poland.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to highlight the impact of POLONEZ BIS. Over the last 5 years, the programme has resulted in over 500 publications, hundreds of outreach activities, the establishment of many new research teams, and the development of dozens of follow-up projects. The day concluded with remarks and farewell message from Dr Marcin Liana, NCN Deputy Director.

The second day was dedicated to coaching sessions. Fellows worked in smaller groups on topics such as motivation, personal branding strategy, and psychological resilience, gaining practical tools to support their professional development.

Although the Forum marked an important moment of reflection, it is not yet the end of the POLONEZ BIS journey. The project will continue over the coming months, and we hope to meet many of our Fellows again in future NCN initiatives.

Thank you for being with us.