Dr Maciej Konacki, an astronomer at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre PAS (CAMK) was just awarded in a prestigious competition of the European Research Council. The grant of EUR 1.5 million Konacki and his team received will fund building a network of telescopes in the southern hemisphere. Konacki’s project aims to explore the planets that eclipse binary stars (its title is: "Eclipsing binary stars as cutting edge laboratories for astrophysics of stellar structure, stellar evolution and planet formation"). In the competition " Starting Independent Researcher Grant" conducted by the European Research Council (ERC) the panel of 17 Europe's leading astronomers and astrophysicists awarded maximum scores to the project.

Poland's Professor Ryszard Badura has received honorary doctor's degree from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Badura, a retired veterinary doctor is highly valued expert in veterinary surgery, former rector of the Agricultural Academy in Wroclaw and dean of the Veterinary Medicine Department.

Dr Piotr Sankowski of the Institute of Informatics, University of Warsaw (UW), is among the winners of the third edition of "Starting Independent Researcher Grant" competition organized by the European Research Council (ERC). His project "PAAL - Practical Approximation Algorithms" was very highly rated by reviewers and recommended for a grant.

Polish scholar, an eminent archaeologist from the Jagiellonian University, Prof. Janusz K. Kozłowski, was elected president of the International Union of Academies.

Professor of Polish origin, Adam Przeworski of New York University will receive Johan Skytte Prize called Political Science Nobel - informed the Foundation at the University of Uppsala. The prize is awarded for achievements in the field of political science.

President of the European Parliament Prof. Jerzy Buzek will receive an honorary doctorate from the Wroclaw University of Technology - decided the university senate. The ceremony of awarding the title is scheduled for Nov. 15 during the Science Day in Wroclaw.

German Research Community (DFG) announced on Friday that this year's Copernicus Award goes to the physicists, Prof. Jan Misiewicz from Wrocław University of Technology and Prof. Alfred Forchel from the University of Wuerzburg. Copernicus Award subsidized with a bonus of EUR 100 thousand is awarded to the scientists for their contribution to Polish-German cooperation in the field of physics.

The Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) awarded 159 brightest young scientists awarded in the eighteenth edition of the stipend programme "Start". Winners will receive from the FNP one-year stipends of PLN 24 thousand.

On March 31 an international team of scientists analysing data from the Japanese satellite AKARI published the view of the entire sky in infrared light. Polish scientists, who developed a new method to distinguish between types of astronomical objects in infrared, participated in the data analysis.

Research success of hundreds-strong team of programmers employed by Intel Research Centre in Gdańsk has contributed to the global success of the company. Intel Chairman Craig Barrett, was awarded the Minister of Foreign Affairs medal at the meeting of network of world-class experts in the field of advanced technology - 7 Global Technology Symposium at Stanford University. The medal was given by Joanna Kozińska-Frybes, general consul of Poland in Los Angeles.