Results of the call for research teams in priority research areas

We are delighted to announce the results of the second stage of the call for research teams in priority research areas of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń.

All submitted applications were high quality and were highly rated by a group of foreign experts in panels related to priority research areas. The details were decisive in determining which applications would receive funding – says Vice-Rector for Science, dr habil. Adam Kola, NCU Prof. – We want to assure you that if Nicolaus Copernicus University is also the winner of the second edition of the IDUB program, research teams that did not qualify for funding despite high expert ratings will receive financial support.

The competition was addressed to University employees who, over the last 10 years, have proven themselves to be highly activate in scientific research, obtained external funding for research, and promoted internationalization. The teams submitted could include existing teams or new teams whose members plan to take part in close scientific cooperation, including interdisciplinary cooperation, in particular bringing together people from different organizational units of the University. The activities of the submitted research teams should correspond to one of the priority research areas that implement the strategic goals of the University as a research institution, i.e.:

1. Discovery, Diagnostics, Therapy for Healthcare (D2TH);
2. Interfaces of Human Experience: Communication, Cognition, Culture, Wellbeing (InC3Web);
3. Nature-based Solutions, Biodiversity and Climate change (NatBio);
4. Novel Materials and Technologies for the Future (MoTiF).

The competition requirements and application procedure are specified in the competition rules introduced by Order No. 56 of the Rector of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń of 5 March 2025 (UMK Legal Bulletin of 2025, item 105).

The list of laureates in the second stage of the call for research teams in priority research areas of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń is as follows (in alphabetical order):

Discovery, Diagnostics, Therapy for Healthcare

1. prof. dr hab. Anna Bajek, FemLife-OMICS: Research Team for Women's Health Across the Lifespan;
2. prof. dr hab. Barbara Bojko, Multi-Omics Personalized Screening (MOPS);
3. prof. dr hab. Michał Marszałł, BRIDGE - Innovative biomaterials, therapeutics, and non-invasive imaging for regenerative precision medicine of barrier tissues;
4. prof. dr hab. Jarosław Meller, AI4MEDICINE: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Approaches for Biomedical Data Analysis, Integration and Outcome;
5. prof. dr hab. Marta Pokrywczyńska, CURE – Cutting-edge Unified Research in Experimental Medicine.

Interfaces of Human Experience: Communication, Cognition, Culture, Wellbeing

1. dr hab. Dominik Antonowicz, prof. UMK, Higher Education Research Group;
2. prof. dr hab. Marta Białecka, Culture, Childhood and Cognition (CCC): How Parental and Grandparental Beliefs Shape Child Development in the 21st Century;
3. dr hab. Jacek Matulewski, prof. UMK, Thoughtful Heart 4.0: A holistic approach to the health crisis;
4. dr hab. Michał Polasik, prof. UMK, DigiTech4SELE – Digital Technologies for Society, Economy, Laws and Ethics;
5. dr hab. Sławomir Wacewicz, prof. UMK, TIL: the Torun Interaction Lab.

Nature-based Solutions, Biodiversity and Climate change

1. prof. dr hab. Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz, OBSIDIAN – Organic Biodiversity Solutions Driving Innovation in Agriculture and Nutrition;
2. prof. dr hab. Alina Sionkowska, NATBIOMED;
3. dr hab. Agnieszka Szpak, prof. UMK, Climatrix Lab – Multilevel Climate Governance and Computational Sustainability Lab;
4. dr Adrian Wójcik, prof. UMK, Copernicus Panel on Climate Change (CPCC);
5. dr hab. Agnieszka Zienkiewicz, prof. UMK; Decarbon3BIO – Bio-decarbonization Systems for Sustainable Biomass, Biofuels and Bioproducts.

Novel Materials and Technologies for the Future

1. dr hab. Beata Kaczmarek-Szczepańska, prof. UMK, EPIBIOMAT Research Group – Epibiocompatible Materials for Medicine and One Health;
2. dr hab. Piotr Kolenderski, prof. UMK, QUAntum Defense Radio-Optical Communication System (QUADROCS);
3. dr hab. Karolina Słowik, prof. UMK, HEXA – Harnessing EXplainable AI for Next-Generation Quantum Devices;
4. dr hab. Maciej Szkulmowski, prof. UMK, OPTIMA - Optical and Photonic Technologies for Imaging in Materials and Advanced Biomedical Applications;
5. dr hab. Marek Wiśniewski, prof. UMK, Green NanoPath Creators.