Advancing Polish research
Poland's IUNG, part of the State Research Institute in Pulawy, is one of the country's best research organisations. The EU has strengthened the Institute through effective partnerships. The EU-funded PROFICIENCY project managed changes at IUNG over five years to May 2014. Apart from fostering partnerships and exchanges with other European agencies, the undertaking aimed to reorganise IUNG's research around four integrated interdisciplinary fields. The priority fields converged on managing food production and quality under global climate change. Other goals included: upgrading research equipment; enhancing scientific knowledge and collaboration in the topic area; and IUNG's full integration with the European Research Area (ERA). Project activities included the purchase of 24 items of scientific equipment or software. To extend the capacity of IUNG's personnel, the project made four appointments of experienced researchers. Knowledge exchange was achieved through mobility training. A mixture of experienced and inexperienced IUNG research staff participated in 172 outbound visits, lasting from weeks to months. Similar learning opportunities were offered to IUNG researchers through participation in numerous national and international conferences and workshops. The team organised a total of 57 incoming visits from partner organisations. PROFICIENCY created various partnerships and collaborations with other European players in the field. The team launched a soil and land use platform. The project also formed an Advisory Board, which met four times. Furthermore, an Expert Panel review positively assessed the project. Overall, PROFICIENCY succeeded in expanding the research capability and connectivity of IUNG.
Keywords
Soil science, plant cultivation, equipment upgrades, food production, climate change
