In 2024, the Medical Research Agency received two to three times more applications than usual. This was due to five competitions under the National Recovery Plan, particularly focusing on biomedical research. Due to staff shortages and the complexity of the applications, the agency recently decided to extend the evaluation deadline for one of the competitions. However, this extension means that beneficiaries will have very little time to implement their projects.
“2024 was probably the most challenging year for the agency. We started on a high note with a parliamentary committee questioning the agency’s existence, followed by planned competitions, and then we were hit with five National Recovery Plan competitions while operating with essentially the same staff. It was a huge challenge. We feel like we’re managing it, with minor delays, all competitions and planned activities are being carried out,” assures Professor Wojciech Fendler, President of the Medical Research Agency, in an interview with Newseria.
In addition to its regular calls, the Medical Research Agency announced five competitions under the National Recovery Plan this year. These included calls for application-based research in the biomedical field, the creation and development of Clinical Research Support Centers (CWBK), the improvement of the research potential of existing CWBKs, research on drug safety, innovative therapies and future medicines, and research on medical devices and in vitro diagnostics solutions. According to ABM representatives, these competitions received a record number of applications, especially the first one for scientific institutions conducting biomedical research.
“Typically, the agency receives around 75–80 applications per call. In the first National Recovery Plan competition for research and development projects, we received 224 applications. Additionally, there were about 80 applications for medical devices, CWBKs, drugs, and CWBK support. So, we actually received two to three times more applications, which the agency must process within a much tighter timeframe, using a more challenging IT system, and with unchanged staff numbers. The agency handles National Recovery Plan funds as a supporting institution, but this does not come with additional staffing resources,” notes the ABM President.
The thematic scope of these projects also extends beyond ABM’s usual focus on clinical research. In the particularly popular competition with a budget of 450 million PLN, 224 applications were submitted, and 156 were qualified for substantive evaluation. The agency recently announced an extension of the formal and substantive evaluation period from 100 to 150 days.
“This extension was due to numerous formal issues reported by beneficiaries. We tried to resolve all doubts in favor of applicants, which required multiple evaluations, revisions, verifications, and requests for additional information. This, in turn, delayed the start of the substantive evaluation. Moreover, the process coincided with holidays, making delays inevitable. Ultimately, the resolution time for this competition will align with our standard of around 150 days for typical agency competitions,” explains Professor Wojciech Fendler. “In other competitions with fewer applications and simpler evaluations, we aim to meet the planned 100-day timeframe.”
The extension means that agreements with beneficiaries will likely be signed in March 2025 or later. The issue is that projects under the National Recovery Plan must be completed by the end of March 2026, leaving little time for implementation. The Polish Monitoring Committee for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan announced ongoing discussions about extending the investment settlement deadline. The next program review is planned for early 2025.
“The best solution would be a decision to extend the project implementation period. However, such a decision needs to be made quickly because by 2026, when projects are ending, an extension may not have much impact,” notes the ABM President. “We realize there might not be enough time to complete these projects. These are very complex projects, involving significant funds in a short timeframe. We hope that beneficiaries are prepared and have initiated preparatory work, such as tenders.”
He emphasizes that staffing issues will not end with the evaluation phase.
“Due to National Recovery Plan projects, the agency will have twice as many projects to monitor next year. The monitoring department currently has 18 people and should be doubled. This is just one aspect of the agency’s work; in addition to National Recovery Plan projects, we have standard competitions, a translational medicine competition, medical data handling activities, and internal research projects. We are short by about one-third of our workforce,” calculates Professor Wojciech Fendler.
In 2022, ABM estimated a need for around 25 additional positions to handle National Recovery Plan programs. Later, they reduced this estimate to 10–15 positions, which would still significantly help with operations.
“This is not a radical increase, as it represents about 10% of the agency’s staff,” says the expert. “The simplest solution is, of course, more staff and more funding, but we understand that every public institution needs this. However, considering the return on investment in scientific and clinical research, the agency is a good place for such investment, whether from National Recovery Plan funds or other available resources. Increasing the security of these projects safeguards the entire initiative, and failing to meet any indicators can disrupt overall settlement. Minimizing risk requires additional staff to handle National Recovery Plan projects.”
In total, 1.2 billion PLN will be distributed to beneficiaries through National Recovery Plan competitions. Planned projects, including non-commercial research, experimental research, and the translational medicine competition (to be announced this year), will receive over 500 million PLN.
“Next year, we will conclude all National Recovery Plan competitions, and we hope it will be a time to complete these projects safely and consider plans for the following year,” emphasizes the ABM President. “We also hope that the competitions planned for 2025 will be well-received by our applicants and beneficiaries.”
