State’s Role in Funding Basic Research Studies

In a rapidly developing world, knowledge is the basic capital of individuals, because it is through knowledge that society makes changes, transformations and discoveries. Knowledge is the factor that motivates individuals to introduce changes, and these trigger the socio-economic development of the country. The basis for development is science and scientific research, especially basic research. This article assesses the financial support provided by the Polish in the period 2014-2019 for basic research studies against the background of funding for other areas of knowledge. A literature review, an overview of the found data, a desk research and statistical analysis were used to work on the article. An attempt was also made to identify the main factors influencing the success rate in the process of applying for funding for basic research. The potential reasons for the lack of funding for projects were determined on the basis of surveys carried out in the selected entity. The results of the study indicate a systematic increase in the level of funds allocated by the Polish government to basic research funded by competitions of the National Science Centre. This increase sends a clear signal to researchers, research entities and citizens that governments recognise the need and at the same time the necessity to invest in research without the commercial market pressure.