University of Silesia in Katowice

The University of Silesia has introduced a new quality-focused programme: the researchers who take care of high quality of their scientific activity will be awarded with a bonus in the amount of PLN 1,000 – even up to PLN 80,000.

The amount of one-off bonus will depend on the type of activity and rank of achievement. For example: an application for the financing of a research project submitted in a national call, qualified for substantive assessment (e.g. National Science Centre) is worth the maximum of PLN 1,000; author of the article in a journal for 100 points can receive up to PLN 10,000, whereas the author of the so-called 2nd level monograph – up to PLN 30,000. A person who obtains a grant in ECR Grants call (under Horizon Europe Programme) can receive even up to PLN 80,000.

Quality bonus can be awarded for several types of activities: mainly publishing activity and applications for the financing of domestic and foreign research projects, but also expert activities and running a scientific journal issued at the University of Silesia. Particularly awarded is the establishment of scientific cooperation. The new quality-focused programme also concerns representatives of arts programmes – they can receive up to PLN 8,000 for outstanding achievements in the field of arts. Detailed information on the amount of bonus and types of activity is included in the following table: maximum value of one-off bonus for quality actions. There is also a special website dedicated to the quality-focused programme available on: us.edu.pl/pracownik/sprawy-naukowe/dzialania-projakosciowe/.

Importantly, researchers from the University of Silesia do not have to submit special applications for bonus (with one exception). However, they need to comply with certain formal requirements, namely: 1) have ORCID number (Open Researcher and Contributor ID); 2) be included in the so-called N-number of employees running scientific activity at our University (this requirement does not apply to other employee groups, who can also receive a bonus); 3) have an updated profile in “Ja w sieci” (Me online) tab in Employee Portal, including public scientist’s profiles in ORCID and Google Scholar, Research Gate or most relevant website for the represented discipline (the data included that should be updated on an ongoing basis).

The exception which has already been mentioned is the case of applying for the quality bonus due to social impact of the conducted activity – in such a case, the applicant should complete the application which constitutes Annexe no. 2 to Ordinance no. 186/2020 of the Rector of the University of Silesia.

It is worth fulfilling the above conditions, because the incentive bonuses for quality-focused activity in 2018 were awarded to almost 300 scientists of the University of Silesia, and the total amount of granted bonuses was over PLN 1 million.

The quality-focused programme was developed not only to award the researchers who already have great scientific achievements, but also to motivate those who have equally high ambitions and want to get to the top in the future. All those who care for the high level of conducted research are also recommended to become familiar with another University programme – „Research Excellence Initiative”: us.edu.pl/inicjatywadoskonalosci.

Finally, one more important remark: the quality bonus is granted for achievements in the calendar year which precedes the year of awarding the bonus (so activities from 2019 will be taken into consideration at the moment), but in the case of the articles with the highest number of points, it is awarded on an ongoing basis.

Graphics promoting the quality-focused programme at the University of Silesia