The second WIB competition – the call for applications has started

The call for applications in the second competition of the Virtual Research Institute starts. The pool of funds that research teams may apply for amounts to PLN 380 million.

The call for applications in the second WIB competition lasts from 19-30 September. The WIB program aims to finance innovative research projects with high commercialization potential. Under the program, a maximum of 10 projects may be selected, which will receive funding for research for up to 10 years.

The substantive evaluation of the projects will be carried out by an international panel of experts. They will evaluate the applications in terms of their scientific and socio-economic value. The role of experts is not only to select the best research teams but also to evaluate tasks. It is to ensure optimal conditions to achieve the intended research results, i.e., to generate technologies with the highest commercialization potential.

Competition results will be announced in March 2023.

In the first VRI competition, the experts selected the project “Horizon of Excellence in Matrix RNA Applications in ImmunoOncology [HERO]” for funding. Its goal is to develop a highly effective therapeutic mRNA technology and its application in cancer immunotherapy. The project was developed by scientists from a consortium of four leading Polish research units: the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, the University of Warsaw, the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the Medical University of Warsaw. The team leader is Prof. Andrzej Dziembowski from the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw.

VRI is an innovative research funding program in medical biotechnology – oncology. It was established based on the Act of April 4, 2019, on supporting scientific activity from the Polish Science Fund. The Ministry of Education and Science earmarked nearly half a billion zlotys for its purpose. The managing entity of the WIB program is Łukasiewicz – PORT Polish Center for Technology Development. The aim set for research teams applying for participation in the program is to develop a new technology or a group of technologies that will contribute to the development of innovative drugs or therapies for oncological diseases.
For more information about the competition, go here.