Awards & Recognition

SWPS University receives nearly EUR 378K from the National Science Centre

18 May 2022

Experts from the National Science Centre (NCN) selected 97 out of 228 proposals for the recent edition of the PRELUDIUM BIS 3 funding scheme, aimed to support research of doctoral students. Among them are projects led by Associate Professor Agata Gąsiorowska, Professor Aleksandra Łuszczyńska and Associate Professor Aneta Brzezicka from SWPS University. The research will be carried out by Ph.D. students.

Success of SWPS University researchers

Researchers from SWPS University submitted seven proposals for the PRELUDIUM BIS 3 competition. Three of them have been awarded a total of nearly PLN 1.8M (nearly EUR 378K) in research grants.

The projects were ranked as the top three research projects submitted in the Human Nature and Human Society panel, in the discipline of psychology.

Research projects awarded in PRELUDIUM BIS 3 funding scheme:

Market mindset as a result of attachment insecurity. Exploration of the relation and its psychological mechanisms
Project leader: Agata Gąsiorowska, Ph.D. / Associate Professor, Faculty of Psychology in Wrocław
Grant amount: PLN 668,031 (EUR 142,912)
Self-regulation, physical environment, or public health containment policies Explaining physical activity and sedentary behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic
Project leader: Aleksandra Łuszczyńska, Professor, Faculty of Psychology in Wrocław
Grant amount: PLN 549,207 (EUR 117,500)
The impact of an anti-inflammatory probiotic supplementation on cognitive functioning in the elderly population – the moderating role of the dietary pattern and gut microbiota
Project leader: Aneta Brzezicka, Ph.D. / Associate Professor, Head of the Neurocognitive Research Center at SWPS University
Grant amount: PLN 549,207 (EUR 117,489)

Learn more about PRELUDIUM BIS 3 grants

PRELUDIUM BIS

PRELUDIUM BIS is a funding opportunity launched by the National Science Centre addressed to institutions operating doctoral schools. It aims to support the education of Ph.D. students and fund research projects carried out by doctoral students as part of their dissertations. The scheme also promotes international mobility. Each grant holder needs to complete an overseas research fellowship funded by the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA).

Researchers may receive up to PLN 300K (EUR 64,175) per research project. The project budget includes the cost of scholarships for Ph.D. students and indirect costs of up to 20 percent. The total budget earmarked for the third round of the PRELUDIUM BIS 3 competition, amounted to PLN 60M (close to EUR 12.85M).

Leaders of the awarded projects

Agata Gąsiorowska

Ph.D. / Associate Professor

Is a psychologist specializing in economic psychology. She studies various aspects of consumer behavior, including the psychological value of money and impulse buying. Her research interests include the usage of money other than currency for purchasing goods and services and the influence of money on human behavior. She also studies individual differences in attitudes towards money.

Aleksandra Łuszczyńska

Professor

Is a psychologist and a prominent researcher in the field of health psychology and clinical psychology. She is interested in determinants of health, such as diet, physical activity and risky behaviors, as well as factors improving the quality of life for people who experienced traumatic life events or suffer from a chronic illness. She develops psychological interventions, which help to change behaviors and attitudes as well as support improvements in health. She also assesses the effectiveness of these interventions. She was the Principal Investigator of TEMPEST research project, which aimed to develop a program for prevention and prophylaxis of overweight and obesity in children and youth in Europe.

Aneta Brzezicka

Ph.D. / Associate Professor

Is a psychologist and Head of the Neurocognitive Research Center at SWPS University, where she currently researches the impact of the microbiome on the cognitive functions of the brain. Additionally, she studies intracranial signals in patients performing tasks requiring the use of the short-term and long-term working memory, to better understand the electrophysiological foundations of memory. She is a member of the European Dana Alliance for the Brain (EDAB).