Dr hab. Michał Bogdziewicz is the laureate of this year's National Science Center Award. He was appreciated for his groundbreaking research into the ecology of tree reproduction within the context of climate change. 

Dr hab. Michał Bogdziewicz won the National Science Center Award in the "Life Sciences" category. His main research interest is forest ecology, in particular the mechanisms responsible for the regeneration of trees. He is the author of a groundbreaking discovery explaining how climate change is reshaping the reproductive patterns of trees.  

Dr hab. Bogdziewicz is a member of the Polish Young Academy. On a daily basis he works at the Adam Mickiewicz University, where he holds the position of a Professor. At the University he runs the "ForestFuture" project under the prestigious ERC (European Research Council) grant.  

About the award  

The National Science Center Award is granted to young scientists under 40 years for their significant achievements in research. Established in 2013, it has been awarded in the following three categories: life sciences, physical sciences and engineering, and humanities and social sciences.  

59 researchers were nominated in this edition. The winners in two other categories are:  

• Dr hab. Karolina Safarzyńska, Professor at the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the University of Warsaw (for innovative theoretical models allowing to study the impact of limited rationality, diversity of preferences, and social interactions on climate policies) 
• Piotr Wcisło from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (for working on a new method of searching for dark matter using optical atomic clocks and using ultra-precise laser spectroscopy to test quantum theory and search for new physics going beyond the standard model)

The awards were presented on October 12 during a ceremonial gala in Cracow. The winners received PLN 50 000 grant each. 

Source of information and photos: National Science Center