Małopolska Award of the Polish Academy of Sciences
The Małopolska Award of the Polish Academy of Sciences is a prestigious distinction granted annually to young researchers working in the Małopolska region for outstanding scientific achievements.
The award is granted in six categories, awarded alternately: in even-numbered years (e.g. 2026, 2028) in the fields of natural sciences, exact sciences, and technical sciences; and in odd-numbered years (e.g. 2027, 2029) in the fields of medical sciences, humanities and social sciences, and arts.
The award is given for scientific achievements from the past five years, evaluated in terms of scientific value and contribution to the development of the discipline, originality of the research, as well as the significance of publications and their reception within the academic community.
MN PAN 2027 in categories:
- medical sciences,
- humanities and social sciences,
- art sciences.
Who can nominate candidates?
Candidates may be nominated by, among others:
- Members of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS),
- Deans of faculties of public and private higher education institutions in the Małopolska Region,
- Directors of PAS institutes based in Kraków,
- Members of the College of Rectors of Kraków Higher Education Institutions.
How to submit a nomination?
The application should be submitted by 15 December via email to: mnpan.krakow@pan.pl.
Required documents:
- a curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages, with a minimum font size of 10 pt) and a list of publications (maximum 5 pages, with a minimum font size of 10 pt);
- a description of the nominated scientific achievement (maximum 2,000 characters);
- publications supporting the nominated achievement (maximum 3 publications). For co-authored publications, a description of the candidate’s contribution to each publication must be provided;
- the candidate’s consent to the nomination and to the public disclosure of their name, affiliation, Award category, and information about the recognised scientific achievement;
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optionally – proposed reviewers (full name and email address), who are professors in the relevant category and work in Poland or abroad. The proposed reviewers must be independent of the candidate. They must not have any current or previous professional, employment, co-authorship, joint-project, organisational, academic, or financial relationship with the candidate or their institution that could compromise their independence and impartiality.
Competition Timeline
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By 15December 2026
Deadline for submitting candidate nominations
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January 2027
Appointment of reviewers
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February 2027
Evaluation of candidates’ achievements by reviewers
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March 2027
Meeting of the Award Comittee of the Małopolska Award of the Polish Academy of Sciences
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20 May 2027
Official award ceremony
Download files
Competition Rules
Award Application
Candidate Consent.
Letter of Intent
The laureates of the 2026 Polish Academy of Sciences Małopolska Award are:
- dr Krzysztof Szade – in the Natural Sciences category,
- dr Jacek Jendrej – in the Exact Sciences category,
- dr inż. Daria Hemmerling – in the Technical Sciences category.
Honorable Mentions:
- dr inż. Mariusz Madej – in the Natural Sciences category,
- dr hab. Rene Poncelet – in the Exact Sciences category,
- dr inż. Łukasz Maj – in the Technical Sciences category.
The laureates of the Polish Academy of Sciences Małopolska Award received salt statuettes depicting owls, crafted by sculptors working as miners at the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Both the owl and salt are symbols of wisdom. The creators of these remarkable works of art hope that the statuettes will serve not only as cherished mementos of the award ceremony but also as an inspiration for further scientific endeavors.
In addition, the laureates received diplomas and cash prizes funded by the Wieliczka Salt Mine and the Polish Academy of Sciences.
https://krakow.pan.pl/inauguracyjna-gala-malopolskiej-nagrody-polskiej-akademii-nauk-2026/