We are delighted to announce that three more researchers from the Jagiellonian University Medical College (JU MC) have joined the laureates of the MINIATURA 9 competition, organized by the National Science Centre (NCN) in Poland. The grants will enable them to conduct preliminary research, a crucial step in the development of their scientific projects.

MINIATURA 9 is a competition aimed at young researchers who obtained their doctoral degree after 2012 and have not previously received NCN funding. The program supports scientific activities—such as preliminary or pilot studies, queries, internships, or research visits—lasting up to 12 months, with a budget ranging from PLN 5,000 to 50,000.

The latest ranking list includes:

• Kinga Sałaciak, PhD (Faculty of Pharmacy) with the project: “Targeting D2 Receptor Signaling Pathways in Mice as a Chance to Improve Cognitive Plasticity in Neuropsychiatric Disorders.”
• Krzysztof Szymoński, PhD (Faculty of Medicine) with the project: “Mapping Environmental Influences on Neurodegeneration – Insights into Neuroinflammation and Epigenetic Modifications.”
• Natalia Habik-Tatarowska, PhD (Faculty of Health Sciences) with the project: “Assessment of Determinants of Parental Attitudes Towards Mandatory Vaccinations Based on the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) Scale.”

In the third round of the competition, the NCN has awarded a total of nearly PLN 2.9 million to 74 researchers from across Poland.

We extend special congratulations to Kinga Sałaciak, PhD, from the JU MC Faculty of Pharmacy. Her project is an excellent example of the innovative research that is shaping the future of pharmaceutical sciences and neuropsychopharmacology.

The call for proposals for MINIATURA 9 is still open! We encourage young researchers to submit their applications by July 31, 2025, at 4:00 PM CEST. It is an excellent opportunity to secure funding for research development.