MNiSW Award for Our Scientists for Significant Achievements in Implementation Activity

23 02 2026

On 20 February, on the occasion of Polish Science Day, the Ceremonial Polish Science Gala took place at the Polish Theatre in Warsaw, with the participation of Minister Marcin Kulasek. During the event, outstanding scientists were honored with awards from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and their achievements help shape the country’s development. The awards were granted in five categories: lifetime achievement, scientific activity, teaching activity, implementation activity, and organizational activity.

In the implementation activity category, in the field of exact and natural sciences, a research team from the Faculty of Biology at the University of Warsaw was awarded, consisting of: Dr Klaudia Dębiec-Andrzejewska (team’s leader), Prof. Łukasz Drewniak, Dr Namrata Joshi, Marcin Musiałowski, MA, and Maria Dąbrowska-Zawada, MA. The award was granted for the development and implementation into the agricultural market and industrial sector of a series of innovative microbiological preparations based on secondary metabolites (siderophores, organic acids, and phytohormones), as well as bacterial and fungal cells (promoting plant growth, protecting against phytopathogens, and degrading petroleum-derived compounds). The developed products resulted from the implementation of the LIDER (NCBR) and Team Net (FNP) projects and have been commercialized through direct sales by the University of Warsaw, as well as indirectly via BHUMI Sp. z o.o., a spin-off company established for this purpose. The inventions have reached the final stage of technological readiness (TRL 9), are produced on an industrial scale, and are offered as ready-to-use commercial products.

We sincerely congratulate them on this exceptional distinction and keep our fingers crossed for the further development of their research in the area of implementation activity. Taking all categories into account, a total of 150 laureates were awarded, including representatives of SWPS University, the University of Wrocław, Warsaw University of Technology, the University of Zielona Góra, Poznań University of Economics and Business, Koszalin University of Technology, Lodz University of Technology, and institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Polish Science Day, as a national holiday, was established in 2020 and is celebrated on 19 February, on the anniversary of the birth of Nicolaus Copernicus, the revolutionary astronomer who “stopped the Sun and moved the Earth.” Among the special guests was astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. This holiday is an opportunity to celebrate the rich history of Polish science, and the ceremonial gala is a form of gratitude to those who work every day to improve our reality.