IDUB – Initiative for Excellence – Research University
The first edition of the IDUB programmed was launched by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education in 2019. The goal of the programme is to identify and support universities that are capable of effectively competing with the best academic centers in Europe and around the World. The 10 winning Universities receive an annual subsidy increased by 10% between 2020 and 2026. Other universities that participated in the competition but were not ranked in the top ten also receive support in the form of a 2% increase in their subsidies. The programme contributes to raising the quality of scientific research and education, and it also aims to enhance the international significance of the universities’ activities. The final evaluation of the first edition of the program and the second competition under the IDUB program will take place in 2026.
IDUB Competition Winners
An international panel of experts in the field of science and higher education selected 10 universities that will become research universities in the future. These institutions (listed in the order they were ranked) are:
The structure of the IDUB program makes it possible to state that all 20 universities that took part in the competition are, in a sense are winners. Each university met the strict requirements for participation, which were related to the quality of scientific research and the diversity of institutional profiles.
Universities that were not among the winners still receive additional annual financial support. These institutions are:
Evaluation of Plan Implementation
The implementation of the plans submitted by universities in the competition is subject to evaluation. The first mid-term evaluation was conducted in 2023, and the final evaluation will be held in 2026.
At least two universities that receive a negative result or rank at the bottom of the list after the evaluation will no longer receive funding. The vacated positions may be filled by universities or university federations that win the next competition under the "Initiative for Excellence – Research University" program. This next competition will be held in 2026 and will be open to academic institutions that were not funded in the first edition.
Monitoring Plan Implementation
An international panel of experts has recommended the launch of an advisory mechanism to monitor the implementation of the universities’ plans. As part of this mechanism, annual reporting conferences are planned, focusing on selected aspects of the implementation process (for all 20 universities participating in IDUB), as well as site visits by members of the international expert team to IDUB universities.
The organization of these reporting conferences is one of the methods for implementing recommendations related to the regular monitoring of progress in the program’s execution.