Scholarship of the Minister of Science for students with significant achievements 

The call for applications for scholarships of the Minister of Science for students with significant achievements for the academic year 2024/2025 has been announced. Applications can be submitted until the 4^th of October 2024.

1. Deadline for submitting the application

Students interested in applying  for the scholarship of the Minister of Science for significant achievements  are asked to send an e-mail to COS@polsl.pl by the 4^th  October this year
with a request to set up an account with a password in order to submit an application for a scholarship of the Minister (e-mail should be sent from the student account and include student data, data on the field of studies, year and semester of studies, contact details, e.g. phone number and information whether  they  have already applied for this scholarship, and if so, in which year and what decision they received).

Applications for the Minister’s scholarship for significant achievements in the academic year 2024/2025 should be submitted through the ZSUN/OSF system. The application is prepared by an employee of the Studies Service Centre, who as a coordinator creates applications for individual students who applied for the application.

The procedure for submitting an application for a scholarship of the Minister of Science for significant achievements in the academic year 2024/2025 is as follows:

• by the 4^th of October 2024 at the latest, the student submits an application to the e-mail address in accordance with the guidelines,

• An employee of the Studies Service Centre, as a coordinator, establishes a student account of the “Application Editor” in the ZSUN/OSF system and creates applications for individual students who have applied for an application via e-mail,

• the student for whom the coordinator sets up an "assistant editor" account, participates in completing the application,

• the student, after receiving the login and password from the coordinator, edits the entire application, including his/her personal data, description of achievements and attachments; then, after completing the data in the application, the student informs the coordinator about the completion of editing the application,

• the coordinator checks the completeness of the application and the compliance of data regarding studies (year, field, etc.) and achievements with the actual status, if necessary, the coordinator completes the data or requests it from the student,

• After the students have completed the stage of submitting applications, the coordinator forwards the applications to the Rector to decide which of them will later be delivered to the competent ministry.

2. Legal basis:

The issues of granting scholarships by the Minister for students are regulated by the following regulations:

• Acting pursuant to Art. 359, 361 and Art. 363 of the Act of July 20, 2018 - Law on Higher Education and Science (Journal of Laws of 2023, pos. 742, as amended).

• Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 1 April 2019 on scholarships of the minister competent for higher education and science for students and outstanding young scientists (i.e. Journal of Laws of 2022 pos. 428, as amended).

3. Conditions for receiving a scholarship

Conditions laid down in the Act – Law on Higher Education and Science

The Minister’s scholarship may be awarded to a student who has:

• significant scientific or artistic achievements related to studies or
• significant sporting achievements.

A student studying at the same time in several fields of study may receive a scholarship in only one field indicated by him/her.

The Minister’s scholarship is granted at first-cycle studies, second-cycle studies, and uniform master’s studies.

The scholarship is not granted to a student who already has a professional title:

• master's degree, master's degree in engineering or equivalent,
• bachelor, engineer, or equivalent if you re-enter the first-degree studies.

The scholarship is also not granted to a student whose total period of study is longer than twelve semesters, except that in the case of studies:

• first degree – if it is longer than nine semesters,
• second degree – when it is longer than seven semesters.

The above-mentioned total period includes every semester started, even if the student stayed during the semester on leave from classes at the university. The exceptions are semesters in subsequent first-cycle studies commenced or continued after obtaining the first professional title of bachelor, engineer or equivalent – they are not included in the period during which the student is entitled to the minister’s scholarship. 
                                               

4. Award criteria

The Minister’s scholarship for the academic year 2024/2025 may be granted to a student who has met the following conditions:

• in the previous academic year (i.e. 2023/2024) he/she completed a year of studies and
• was enrolled in the next year of studies in a given academic year (in the academic year 2024/2025).

The above requirements do not apply to a student who in the year of submitting the application for a scholarship (i.e. in 2024) was admitted to the second-degree studies. This exception applies only to second-cycle students.

Failure to comply with the above conditions will result in a refusal to grant a scholarship.

5. Procedure for applying for a scholarship

Scholarship applicant

The applicant is only the Rector of the University. The Rector of the University decides on presenting the student’s application for granting a scholarship to the Minister. The Rector may not submit a proposal that does not meet the formal conditions set out in points 2 and 4 of this information or if it does not contain any of the significant achievements listed in the Regulation.

The period from which achievements in the application may be indicated.

The application shall only indicate achievements achieved by the 30^{th of} September 2024.
 These should be achievements during the period of study, from:

1) commencement of studies - in the case of a student of first-cycle studies or uniform master studies,

2) start of first-cycle studies prior to second-cycle studies – in the case of a second-cycle student,

3) on October 1^st of the academic year in which the student was awarded the last scholarship of the minister for outstanding achievements,

- until 30^th of September of the year in which the application was submitted, excluding periods of leave from classes or other breaks granted in accordance with the study regulations.

 The application should not show achievements obtained during the period of leave from classes or other breaks granted in accordance with the study regulations.

6. Mode of awarding the scholarship

Evaluation of proposals

Applications for scholarships that meet the formal requirements are subject to substantive assessment, using the point method by the Ministry. Based on the results of the evaluation, ranking lists of applications for scholarships are prepared according to the number of awarded points. Applications for the academic year 2024/2025 will be considered by 31 March 2025

                                  
Detailed information on applying for the Minister’s scholarship for significant achievements, criteria, data on achievements, annexes and sample statements are available on the website of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education at:

https://www.gov.pl/web/nauka/informacja-na-temat-stypendiow-ministra-nauki-za-znaczace-osiagniecia-dla-studentow-na-rok-akademicki-20242025-konkurs-sst05.