The President of the DFG, Professor Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker, and the newly appointed Polish Minister of Education and Science, Professor Micha³ Seweryñski, signed the agreement in Warsaw today. This agreement, which was declared during the Polish-German year, is a sign that the new Polish Government is also eager to strengthen scientific cooperation with Germany.
In addition to the Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Education and Science the DFG also signed an agreement with the Foundation for Polish Science (Fundacja na Rzecz Nauki Polskiej, FNP), which is specifically designed to promote scientific cooperation between talented young researchers in all fields of research. The DFG and the FNP have already embarked on a course of close cooperation in the past, including the announcement of the Copernicus Award, with prize money of EUR 50,000. For the first time, the award is to be conferred to a German-Polish research tandem on 2 May 2006.
The agreement on scientific cooperation with the FNP is intended to improve cooperation between German and Polish researchers while simultaneously making funding opportunities offered by both partners clearer. In addition to providing funding for research projects, funds will also be available for scientific meetings and travel for attending conferences. Both of the new agreements will come into force at the beginning of 2006 and provide for joint review processes.
The agreement between the DFG and the FNP was signed on the occasion of the official award ceremony of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany to Professor Maciej W³adys³aw Grabski, former President of the FNP. He received this honour in recognition for his many years of dedication to the cause of bilateral relations with Germany. "It is thanks to his personal dedication that such close cooperation between the DFG and the FNP became possible in the first place" said the DFG's President Winnacker at the award ceremony in Warsaw.
Further Information
For further information on the agreements please contact Dr. Torsten Fischer, Programme Officer, International Affairs Division at the DFG, tel.: +49 (0)228/885-2372, e-mail: torsten.fischer@dfg.de