Eight applications with a total value of nearly PLN 357 million were submitted in the second call of the Virtual Research Institute (WIB). This marks another opportunity for scientists to obtain funding for innovative research in the field of medical biotechnology and oncology.
The application period for the second WIB call ran from 19 to 30 September 2022. Research teams employed at Polish scientific and research institutions were eligible to apply. A total of eight applications were submitted, with a combined value of nearly PLN 357 million. Scientists from 26 research and scientific institutions across Poland were involved in preparing the proposals. The organization and implementation of the call are overseen by Łukasiewicz – PORT Polish Center for Technology Development in Wrocław, which serves as the Managing Entity of the WIB programme.
The evaluation procedure, which has already begun, will consist of several stages. Submitted projects will first undergo a formal assessment, followed by a substantive evaluation conducted by an international panel of experts, covering both scientific and business aspects. Particular emphasis will be placed on the commercialization potential of the anticipated research outcomes—innovative technologies, drugs, and therapies—that could be implemented in production and contribute to the development of Polish oncology.
The results of the second Virtual Research Institute call are planned to be announced in March 2023.
In the first call, concluded in October 2021, experts selected the project “Horizon of Excellence in the Application of Messenger RNA in Immuno-Oncology (HERO)” for funding. The research team led by Prof. Dr hab. Andrzej Dziembowski received nearly PLN 70 million to conduct research on a highly effective therapeutic mRNA technology and its application in cancer immunotherapy. The project was submitted by a consortium of leading Polish research institutions: the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (the host institution of the Principal Investigator), the University of Warsaw, the Medical University of Warsaw, and the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Research work under the project is currently ongoing.
More information about the WIB programme.
