In a communiqué dated 29 December, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education announced its support for the project “Astrocent Plus – Particle Astrophysics Science and Technology Centre (Astrocent Plus)”. The aim of this initiative is to develop the Astrocent Centre of Excellence in the area of fundamental research combined with innovative applied research and development activities in particle astrophysics.
The Ministry will allocate a total of PLN 29.7 million (the equivalent of EUR 7 million) to the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CAMK PAN). The funds will be disbursed in annual instalments through 2030.
The main objective of the Astrocent Plus project is to conduct scientific research in the field of particle astrophysics. The work will focus on topics such as dark matter, gravitational waves, and neutrinos.
“This is a relatively new field of research: a combination of astronomy and astrophysics with particle physics, focused on studying quantum phenomena and processes related, among other things, to the very early Universe shortly after the Big Bang, including dark matter and dark energy. This involves, among other things, the detection of various types of so-called messengers—particles that carry information about the ‘invisible Universe’,” commented Prof. Rafał Moderski, Director of CAMK PAN, in an interview with Polish Press Agency (PAP).
The funding will be allocated to unique scientific and technological research, as well as to the creation and further development of research infrastructure. The Ministry will also support the development of researchers’ competencies through training and study visits. An important element of the project is commercialisation — that is, the process of bringing research results and new technologies to market — which includes, among other things, intellectual property protection.
The six-year Astrocent Plus project, led by Prof. Leszek Roszkowski, officially started on 1 January 2025 and is part of the prestigious EU Teaming for Excellence initiative under the Horizon Europe programme.
