# Prize of the Foundation for Polish Science

The Prize of the Foundation for Polish Science (Polish: Nagroda Fundacji na rzecz Nauki Polskiej) is the most prestigious scientific award in Poland given every year from 1992 by a non-governmental non-profit Polish organization, Foundation for Polish Science (Polish: Fundacja na rzecz Nauki Polskiej). The prize is widely regarded as the top scientific award in Poland. The Prizes awarded in 2013 equal PLN 200,000 (approximately $60,000).
Since 2011, the Prize is awarded in four categories: Life Sciences; Chemical and Material Sciences; Mathematics, Physics and Engineering Sciences; as well as Humanities and Social Sciences. Candidates can be either Polish scientists working in Poland or abroad, foreign ones working there, provided that their achievement has been realized within the territory of the Republic of Poland, as well as foreigners dealing with matters pertaining to Poland.
As of 2024, 121 individuals have been awarded the prize including 10 women. Among the notable winners are: Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Andrzej Tarkowski, Bohdan Paczyński, Timothy D. Snyder, Anna Wierzbicka, Maciej Gliwicz, Ryszard Gryglewski, Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, Aleksander Wolszczan, Andrzej Udalski, Tomasz Dietl, Andrzej Sobolewski, and Karol Modzelewski.

## Criteria

The prize honours renowned scientists for significant advancements and scientific discoveries which shift cognitive boundaries and open new perspectives for research, provide an exceptional contribution towards the advancement of our nation's progress and culture as well as assure Poland a significant position for undertaking the most ambitious challenges of the modern world. Subject of the Prize may include clearly defined and confirmed scientific achievements which have in the recent period opened new perspectives for further research.

## Recipients

Source: Foundation for Polish Science

### Life Sciences

| Year | Recipient | Institution | Justification |
| 1992 | Ewa Kamler | Institute of Ecology, Polish Academy of Sciences | for her Early Life History of Fish: An Energetics Approach published in London by Chapman and Hall |
| 1993 | Wiesław Wiktor Jędrzejczak | Medical University of Warsaw | for his series of studies on the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in blood-cell generation |
| 1994 | Krzysztof Selmaj | Medical Academy of Łódź | for his studies into new immunological mechanisms in autoimmune diseases of the nervous system, Multiple Sclerosis in particular |
| 1995 | Stanisław Konturek | Jagiellonian University | for his studies on the importance of local blood circulation in the mucous membrane of the stomach and the duodenum in the cyto-protective function of the mucous |
| 1996 | Aleksander Koj | Jagiellonian University | for a series of papers concerning the regulation of the acute phase protein synthesis |
| 1997 | Ryszard Gryglewski | Jagiellonian University | for a series of studies on the regulation of thromboresistance |
| 1998 | Andrzej Szczeklik | Jagiellonian University | for discovering the anti-thrombotic properties of aspirin, and studies on the pathogenesis and treatment of aspirin-induced bronchial asthma |
| 1999 | Maciej Żylicz | University of Gdańsk, Medical University of Gdańsk | for research on regulatory proteins constituting part of the system protecting cells against undesirable changes in their external environment |
| 2000 | Leszek Kaczmarek | Polish Academy of Sciences | for his work on the impact of stimuli on gene expression in selected brain structures of mammals |
| 2001 | Maciej Gliwicz | University of Warsaw | for revealing the role of predation in shaping animal demography, life histories and behaviour |
| 2002 | Mariusz Jaskólski | Adam Mickiewicz University | for explaining the mechanisms leading to the formation of amyloidal aggregates of human protein (cystatin C): an important factor in various brain disorders and diseases in humans |
| 2003 | Roman Kaliszan | Gdańsk Medical Academy | or applications of mathematical modelling and chromatography in defining the correlation between the chemical structure of drugs and their pharmacological properties |
| 2004 | Janusz Limon | Department of Biology and Genetics, Gdańsk Medical Academy | or his outstanding contribution to the development of cytogenetic methods used in the diagnosis of malignant tumours |
| 2005 | Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska | Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences | for a creative synthesis of research on the Mesozoic evolution of mammals presented in the fundamental work Mammals from the Age of Dinasours (2004) |
| 2006 | Mariusz Ratajczak | Pomeranian Medical University; University of Louisville | for discovering cells functionally resembling embryonic stem cells in bone marrow and umbilical blood |
| 2007 | Włodzimierz Krzyżosiak | Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences | for discovering the mechanism of selective silencing of genetic information that can lead to neurodegenerative diseases |
| 2008 | Jacek Oleksyn | Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Science | for his contribution to the discovery of the universal, bio-geographic correlations between plant characteristics, that are fundamental for understanding ecological processes on a global scale |
| 2009 | Andrzej Koliński | University of Warsaw | for development and practical application of unique methods for protein structure prediction |
| 2010 | Tomasz Guzik | Jagiellonian University | for demonstrating the importance of the immune system in the pathogenesis of hypertension |
| 2011 | Jan Potempa | Jagiellonian University; University of Louisville | for the characterization of a new family of bacterial proteases and for demonstration of their role in the development of periodontal disease |
| 2012 | Krzysztof Palczewski | Case Western Reserve University | for characterizing crystal structures of native and activated G protein-coupled receptor, rhodopsin, involved in eyesight |
| 2013 | Andrzej Tarkowski | University of Warsaw | for discoveries explaining the fundamental mechanisms responsible for the early development of mammalian embryos |
| 2014 | Tomasz Goslar | Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań | for his contribution to determining the chronology of changes in C14 carbon isotope concentration in the atmosphere during the last ice age, which is of key importance for contemporary climate research |
| 2015 | Prize not awarded | Prize not awarded | Prize not awarded |
| 2016 | Jan Kozłowski | Institute of Environmental Sciences at Jagiellonian University | for formulation and experimental verification of a theory explaining the diversity of life strategies of organisms resulting from optimal allocation of resources |
| 2017 | Piotr Trzonkowski | Gdańsk Medical University | for studies on regulatory T cells and their pioneering use in cell therapy of human diseases |
| 2018 | Andrzej Dziembowski | Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences | for explaining the function of key enzymes involved in RNA degradation, the dysfunction of which leads to pathological states |
| 2019 | Prize not awarded | Prize not awarded | Prize not awarded |
| 2020 | Jacek Radwan | Adam Mickiewicz University | for demonstrating the role of evolutionary mechanism for optimizing genetic variability in shaping resistance to pathogens and tolerating own antigens |
| 2021 | Bożena Kamińska-Kaczmarek | Marceli Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences | for the discovery of mechanisms that cause malignant gliomas to reprogram immune cells in such a way that they support the development of these brain tumors |
| 2022 | Marcin Nowotny | Medical University of Warsaw | for the explanation of the molecular mechanisms of DNA damage recognition and its repair |
| 2023 | Krzysztof Liberek | University of Gdańsk, Medical University of Gdańsk | for demonstrating the role of chaperone proteins in recovering proteins from aggregates and folding them into the active form |
| 2024 | Sebastian Glatt | Jagiellonian University | for the determination of the structure and function of the Elongator complex, which affects the accuracy of protein biosynthesis |

### Chemical and Materials Sciences

| Year | Recipient | Institution | Justification |
| 1993 | Kazimierz Sobczyk | Polish Academy of Sciences | for his studies on the stochastic dynamics of systems and construction materials |
| 1995 | Maksymilian Pluta | Institute of Applied Optics in Warsaw | presenting pioneering ideas related to phase-contrast microscopy and interference polarisational microinterferometry as applied in the construction of optical tools |
| 1997 | Antoni Rogalski | Military University of Technology in Warsaw | or his studies on infrared radiation detectors using triple semiconductive compounds |
| 1998 | Leszek Stoch | AGH University of Science and Technology | for explaining the phenomenon of multi-stage crystallisation of vitreous materials and developing a method for the production of new forms of glass for pro-environmental applications |
| 1999 | Zdzisław Kowalczuk | Gdańsk University of Technology | for research in the field of automation concerning the design of continuous time control systems |
| 2000 | Jan Węglarz | Poznań University of Technology | for developing a variety of methods for designing IT systems for production management and control, using discrete-continuous scheduling |
| 2001 | Michał Kleiber | Polish Academy of Sciences | for describing new computational methods of analysis and optimisation in non-linear thermomechanics of deformed bodies |
| 2002 | Adam Proń | Warsaw University of Technology | for his contribution to research on electroactive polymers and the development of processible conducting polymers |
| 2004 | Krzysztof Matyjaszewski | Carnegie Mellon University | for developing new methods for controlled radical polimerisation and their application in industry |
| 2005 | Roman Słowiński | Poznań University of Technology | for developing a methodology for computer-aided decision-making based on incomplete data |
| 2006 | Leon Gradoń | Warsaw University of Technology | for developing the theory of aerosol and microparticle transport processes in gases and liquids and its application in technical and medical equipment |
| 2007 | Andrzej Nowicki | Polish Academy of Sciences | for developing the theoretical foundation and production implementation of ultrasound scanners with colour imaging of blood flow |
| 2008 | Andrzej Jajszczyk | AGH University of Science and Technology | for his research in the theory of high-speed telecommunication network nodes as the basis for building the next generation Internet |
| 2009 | Bogdan Marciniec | Adam Mickiewicz University | for discovery of new reactions and new catalysts for processes leading to synthesis of organosilicon materials for industrial applications |
| 2011 | Elżbieta Frąckowiak | Poznań University of Technology | for research on new materials, carbon composites and their use for electrochemical energy storage and conversion |
| 2012 | Mieczysław Mąkosza | Polish Academy of Sciences | for discovery and introduction of vicarious nucleophilic substitution into the canon of organic chemistry |
| 2013 | Sylwester Porowski | Institute of High Pressure Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences | for developing a high-pressure method for producing gallium nitride monocrystals |
| 2014 | Karol Grela | Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences; University of Warsaw | for developing new catalysts for olefin metathesis reactions and applying them in industrial practice |
| 2015 | Stanisław Penczek | Centre for Molecular and Macromolecular Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences | for elaboration of the theory of ring-opening polymerization and its use for synthesis of biodegradable polymers |
| 2016 | Marek Samoć | Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology | for research on nanostructural materials for nonlinear optics |
| 2017 | Daniel Gryko | Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences | for the development of an original method for synthesis and characterization of porphyrinoids |
| 2018 | Andrzej Gałęski | Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Łódź | for developing a new mechanism for plastic deformation of polymers |
| 2019 | Marcin Drąg | Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology | for developing a new technological platform for obtaining biologically active compounds, in particular proteolytic enzymes inhibitors |
| 2020 | Ewa Górecka | University of Warsaw | for obtaining liquid crystal materials with a chiral structure made of non-chiral molecules |
| 2021 | Jacek Jemielity | University of Warsaw | for developing chemical modifications of mRNA as tools for therapeutic applications and studies on cellular processes |
| 2022 | Bartosz Grzybowski | Polish Academy of Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology | for the development and empirical verification of an algorithmic methodology for planning chemical synthesis |
| 2023 | Marcin Stępień | University of Wrocław | for designing and obtaining new aromatic compounds with unique structures and properties |
| 2024 | Janusz Lewiński | Warsaw University of Technology, Polish Academy of Sciences | for the development of mechanochemical methods for the synthesis of perovskites, improving their photovoltaic properties |

### Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences

| Year | Recipient | Institution | Justification |
| 1992 | Aleksander Wolszczan | Pennsylvania State University | for discovering the first extrasolar planet system |
| 1993 | S. L. Woronowicz | University of Warsaw | for his studies on quantum groups and their relations with C*-algebra |
| 1994 | Zbigniew Ryszard Grabowski | Polish Academy of Sciences | for developing new methods for molecule generation in states with significant electron charge dislocation |
| 1995 | Adam Sobiczewski | Andrzej Sołtan Institute of Nuclear Studies | for his studies predicting the existence of unexpectedly stable nuclei of the heaviest elements, later confirmed in laboratory tests conducted in 1993 |
| 1996 | Bohdan Paczyński | Princeton University | for the development of a new method of detecting space objects and establishing their mass using the gravitational lenses effect |
| 1997 | Tomasz Łuczak | Adam Mickiewicz University | for his work on the theory of random discrete structures |
| 1998 | Lechosław Latos-Grażynski | University of Warsaw | for his studies on porphyrines and metalporphyrines with specific molecular and electronic structures |
| 2000 | Bogumił Jeziorski | University of Warsaw | for developing a new formulae of exact quantum calculations of interatomic and intermolecular interactions |
| 2001 | Ludomir Newelski | University of Wrocław | for his work in the field of mathematical logic, being a breakthrough in model theory and algebra |
| 2002 | Andrzej Udalski | University of Warsaw | for his work concerning the revision of the distance scale of the Universe and discovering many planetary low-luminosity companions to solar-type stars |
| 2003 | Marek Pfützner | University of Warsaw | for experimental confirmation of a new type of radioactivity – the two-proton decay |
| 2004 | Wojciech Stec | Polish Academy of Sciences | for obtaining new biologically active compounds with a high treatment potential, using his own innovative method for the synthesis of thiophosphate DNA analogues |
| 2006 | Tomasz Dietl | Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences | for developing the theory, confirmed in recent years, of diluted ferromagnetic semiconductors, and for demonstrating new methods in controlling magnetization |
| 2007 | Andrzej Sobolewski | Polish Academy of Sciences | for explaining the photostability of biological matter by discovering a new mechanism of radiationless deactivation of electron-excited states of DNA and proteine |
| 2008 | Ryszard Horodecki | University of Gdańsk | for his contribution to creating the foundations of quantum information technology and the development of the basics of quantum physics |
| 2009 | Józef Barnaś | Adam Mickiewicz University, Polish Academy of Sciences | for development of the theoretical foundations of spintronics, particularly explanation of the phenomenon of giant magnetoresistance |
| 2010 | Tadeusz Marek Krygowski | University of Warsaw | for creating a method for quantifying the aromaticity of organic compounds |
| 2011 | Maciej Lewenstein | ICFO | for achievements in the area of quantum optics and the physics of ultra-cold gases |
| 2012 | Maciej Wojtkowski | Nicolaus Copernicus University | for developing and introducing Fourier domain optical coherence tomography into clinical ophthalmology |
| 2013 | Marek Żukowski | University of Gdańsk | for research on multi-photon entangled states, which led to formulation of information causality as a principle of physics |
| 2014 | Iwo Białynicki-Birula | Polish Academy of Sciences | for fundamental electromagnetic field research that has led to the development of the Uncertainty principle for photons |
| 2015 | Kazimierz Rzążewski | Centre for Theoretical Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences | for discovery of the phenomenon of magnetostriction in ultra-cold gases with dipole forces |
| 2016 | Józef Spałek | Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University | for research on strongly correlated electron systems, in particular derivation of the T-J model |
| 2017 | Andrzej Trautman | University of Warsaw | for the theoretical demonstration of the reality of gravitational waves |
| 2018 | Krzysztof Pachucki | University of Warsaw | for precise quantum electrodynamic calculation of spectroscopic parameters of lightweight atoms and molecules |
| 2019 | Andrzej Kossakowski | Institute of Physics at Nicolaus Copernicus University | for developing of the theory of open quantum systems |
| 2020 | Krzysztof M. Górski | University of Warsaw and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | for the development and implementation of the methodology of analysis of the relic radiation maps, crucial for understanding the early stages of evolution of the universe |
| 2021 | Grzegorz Pietrzyński | Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences | for the precise distance determination to the Large Magellanic Cloud |
| 2022 | Prize not awarded | Prize not awarded | Prize not awarded |
| 2023 | Rafał Latała | University of Warsaw | for developing mathematical tools which led to the proof of Talagrand’s Bernoulli Conjecture |
| 2024 | Krzysztof Sacha | Jagiellonian University | for the formulation of the theory of time crystals |

### Humanities and Social Sciences

| Year | Recipient | Institution | Justification |
| 1992 | Marian Biskup | Polish Academy of Sciences | for his study The Prussian War, or Poland's Fight with the Teutonic Order 1519–1521 |
| 1994 | Roman Aftanazy | The Ossolinski's National Institute | for his eleven-volume work under the collective title Materiały do dziejów rezydencji (Materials for the History of Residences) |
| 1995 | Teresa Michałowska | Polish Academy of Sciences | for her fundamental work Średniowiecze ("The Middle Ages", 1995), presenting Polish and Latin writings of the first half of the Second Millennium and their role in Polish culture in a new perspective |
| 1996 | Jerzy Gadomski | Jagiellonian University | for his three-volume work, Gothic Tabular Paintings of the Little Poland Region" |
| 1997 | Andrzej Paczkowski | Polish Academy of Sciences | for his work Pół wieku dziejów Polski 1939–1989 ("Half a Century of Polish History 1939–1989") |
| 1998 | Janusz Sondel | Jagiellonian University | for his Latin-Polish Dictionary for Lawyers and Historians, constituting a significant contribution to the knowledge about Latin sources of Polish culture |
| 1999 | Mieczysław Tomaszewski | Academy of Music in Kraków | for his publication Chopin: The Man, the Work, the Resonance, an innovative synthesis of knowledge about the great composer |
| 2000 | Jan Strelau | University of Warsaw | for his innovative regulative theory of temperament, and in particular for his work Temperament: A Psychological Perspective (1998) |
| 2001 | Stefan Swieżawski | John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin | for his work A History of European Classical Philosophy, being decisive in the research upon the changes in European philosophical thought in antiquity and the Middle Ages |
| 2002 | Lech Leciejewicz | University of Wrocław, Polish Academy of Sciences | for his work The New Shape of the World: The Birth of Medieval European Civilisation |
| 2003 | Jerzy Szacki | University of Warsaw | for his fundamental work Historia myśli socjologicznej ("A History of Sociological Thought") (2002), a comprehensive and innovative diachronic presentation of the various perspectives and perceptions of social phenomena |
| 2004 | Jadwiga Staniszkis | University of Warsaw | for her studies aimed at developing a theoretical framework for, and interpreting the current transformation process in Poland and elsewhere in the world, presented in her books Postkomunizm ("Post-Communism", 2001) and Władza globalizacji ("The Power of Globalisation", 2003) |
| 2005 | Karol Myśliwiec | Polish Academy of Sciences | for the discovery of the tomb of Vizier Merefnebef in the necropolis of Saqqara (Egypt), documented in the monograph The Tomb of Merefnebef (2004) |
| 2006 | Piotr Sztompka | Jagiellonian University | for an original overview of the ideas of contemporary sociology, allowing for a better understanding of the determinants and dynamics of complex changes in modern societies documented in such books as: Socjologia. Analiza społeczeństwa ("Sociology. An Analysis of Society") and Socjologia zmian społecznych ("Sociology of Social Change") |
| 2007 | Karol Modzelewski | University of Warsaw | for his research on the emergence of the European identity revealing the importance of pre-Christian and multicultural tradition for the contemporary concept of Europe, presented in his work Barbarzyńska Europa ("Barbarian Europe") |
| 2008 | Stanisław Mossakowski | Polish Academy of Sciences | for his comprehensive, interdisciplinary monograph on the Sigismund Chapel of the Wawel Cathedral – a leading historic building of Polish and Italian Renaissance art |
| 2009 | Jerzy Strzelczyk | Adam Mickiewicz University | for the dissertation A Pen in Slender Hands, which takes a fresh look at the contributions made by creative works by women to the development of European civilisation from antiquity through the first millennium AD |
| 2010 | Anna Wierzbicka | Australian National University | for developing the theory of the natural semantic metalanguage and discovering a set of elementary meanings common to all languages |
| 2011 | Tomasz Giaro | University of Warsaw | for an interdisciplinary analysis of the category of truth in the doctrines of law from antiquity to the present – opening new prospects for understanding of the law as one of the foundations of European civilization |
| 2012 | Ewa Wipszycka | University of Warsaw | for her wide-reaching reconstruction of the functioning of monastic communities in Egypt during the late antiquity |
| 2013 | Jan Woleński | Jagiellonian University | for a comprehensive analysis of the work of the Lwów–Warsaw school and for placing its achievements within the international discourse of contemporary philosophy |
| 2014 | Lech Szczucki | Polish Academy of Sciences | for explaining the cultural ties between Central and Western Europe in a monumental edition of the correspondence of Andrzej Dudycz, the 16th-century thinker, religious reformer and diplomat |
| 2015 | Jerzy Jedlicki | Tadeusz Manteuffel Institute of History, Polish Academy of Sciences | for fundamental studies on the phenomenon of the intelligentsia as a social stratum and its role in modernization processes in Central & Eastern Europe |
| 2016 | Bogdan Wojciszke | SWPS University | for developing a model of agency and communion as basic dimensions of social cognition |
| 2017 | Krzysztof Pomian | CNRS; Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń | for pioneering research on the history of collecting and the influence of science and art on the development of European culture |
| 2018 | Timothy Snyder | Yale University | for analysis of the political and social mechanisms that led to national conflicts and genocide in Central Europe in the 20th century |
| 2019 | Andrzej Wiśniewski | Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Adam Mickiewicz University | for developing the concept of inferential erotetic logic |
| 2020 | Romuald Schild | Institute of Archeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences | for explaining the climatic and environmental determinants of sociocultural processes during the Stone Age in North Africa and the Great European Plain |
| 2021 | Cezary Cieśliński | Faculty of Philosophy, University of Warsaw | for solving the key problems of the deflationary theory of truth |
| 2022 | Adam Lajtar | University of Warsaw | for the interpretation of epigraphic sources explaining the religious-cultural functioning of medieval communities living in the Nile Valley |
| 2023 | Maria Lewicka | Nicolaus Copernicus University | for formulating and verifying a psychological model of place attachment and place memory |
| 2024 | Marcin Wodziński | University of Wrocław | for an innovative study of Hasidism that explains the role of culture, politics, and geography in shaping religious identities and interethnic relations |

## Laureates by institution

| Institution | Number |
| Polish Academy of Sciences | 33 |
| University of Warsaw | 23 |
| Jagiellonian University | 14 |
| Adam Mickiewicz University | 8 |
| Medical University of Gdańsk | 3 |
| Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń | 3 |
| Poznań University of Technology | 3 |
| University of Gdańsk | 3 |
| Warsaw University of Technology | 3 |
| AGH University of Science and Technology | 2 |
| University of Louisville | 2 |
| University of Wrocław | 2 |
| Wrocław University of Science and Technology | 2 |
| Academy of Music in Kraków | 1 |
| Andrzej Sołtan Institute of Nuclear Studies | 1 |
| Australian National University | 1 |
| California Institute of Technology | 1 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 1 |
| Case Western Reserve University | 1 |
| CRNS | 1 |
| Gdańsk University of Technology | 1 |
| ICFO | 1 |
| John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin | 1 |
| Medical Academy of Łódź | 1 |
| Medical University of Warsaw | 1 |
| Military University of Technology in Warsaw | 1 |
| The Ossoliński's National Institute | 1 |
| Pennsylvania State University | 1 |
| Pomeranian Medical University | 1 |
| Princeton University | 1 |
| SWPS University | 1 |
| Yale University | 1 |