The final sitting of the Scientific Council for the term 2015-2018
The final sitting of the Scientific Council for the term 2015-2018 took place on December 7th, 2018, during which a summary of Council activities was completed. During this time, the Council was chaired by Prof. Andrzej Wróbel, who was supported mainly by Prof. Maria Jolanta Rędowicz (Vice-Chair) and Prof. Katarzyna Łukasiuk (Secretary).
Over the last four years, the Scientific Council held 21 gatherings. There were 84 granted PhD degrees (42 cum laude) in biology (70) and biochemistry (14), as well as 21 DSc degrees (habilitations) in biology. Moreover, the Council supported eight motions for professorship titles (all the recommended persons obtained the title from President of the Republic of Poland).
The Council supported motions for several prizes and distinctions for scientists and PhD students of the Institute, including: the Prime-Minister Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievements (awardee Prof. Agnieszka Dobrzyń, 2016), the Prime Minister award for PhD thesis and habilitation thesis, fellowships of Ministry of Science and Higher Education for young researchers (awardee Dr. Michał Bola, 2016), the Research Team Award of the Department II for Biological and Agricultural Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences (awardees: 2015, Dr. Jakub Włodarczyk and Dr. Magdalena Dziembowska; 2017, Prof. Ewa Sikora and in 2018 and Prof. Katarzyna Kwiatkowska) as well as Fellowship of President of the Polish Academy of Sciences (awardees: 2017, Małgorzata Wierzba; 2018, Katarzyna Chyl)
The Scientific Council gave a positive opinion on the opening of two new research laboratories (Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, headed by Dr. Dorota Włoga and Laboratory of Spatial Memory, headed by Dr. Rafał Czajkowski), and the closure of six laboratories due to the retirement of their leaders.
Moreover, the Scientific Council expressed its opinions on numerous important matters for the scientific community via open letters and resolutions. Among others, the Council has protested against the article in Gazeta Wyborcza on work with laboratory animals, and the proposal of the parliamentary bill on higher education and science, with the possibility of the incorporation of the Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences into a public university without the consent of the interested parties.
Also, the Council undertook several activities to improve its functioning (for example electronic voting between the sittings), or to support the reforms implemented by the new Director's board.
During this gathering, both the Council members and the Director of the Institute, Prof. Agnieszka Dobrzyń, have said goodbye with thanks, to three Institute researchers who are due to retired by the end of this year. Prof. Andrzej Wróbel, the Council chairman (up to 2016 as the head of the Laboratory of Visual System), Prof. Anna Grabowska, the long-standing Council member (up to the end of 2018 as the head of the Laboratory of Psychophysiology) and Prof. Andrzej Kasprzak, up to the end of 2018 as the head of the Laboratory of Motor Proteins. Each received flower bouquets and congratulatory letters.
The new term (2019-2022) of Scientific Council will start on January 18th, 2019, during the constituting gathering.
