The application system for the next, third edition of the Polytechnica Nova competition will be launched on 3 March. Students, doctoral candidates, and staff can submit their projects aimed at improving the functioning of our University.

The two previous editions resulted in the opening of the Let's GO biometric tools interdisciplinary laboratory and in the restoring of the DKF "Politechnika" cinema. This project was submitted by our scientist, Dr. Wojciech Wodo, and received a distinction in the category of "University Social Responsibility".

Other winning ideas which are currently in the implementation phase include the creation of relaxation spaces for students and staff, the Student Innovation Centre, and the Artificial Intelligence Applications Centre, designed by scientists from our Faculty.

Works on the university bike centre project and the central ATOM laboratory is also nearing completion.

– We are constantly seeking visionary projects for the development of Wrocław Tech and I am greatly counting on our community in this regard – says rector Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs. Therefore, I welcome everyone to participate. Think, discuss your ideas, build teams, and prepare proposals. And then we will be able to decide together about the look of Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

Several changes in the regulations

The winning projects will be selected by 23 May at the latest. Applications can be prepared beforehand.

This year, we also modified the areas in which you can submit your proposals. They are:

• community and sustainable development;
• education and popularisation of science;
• research and scientific potential.

The competition is divided into stages. In the first stage, the applicant (either individually or in a team of up to five members) must prepare a brief description of their idea, focusing on the project's vision. The document must not exceed two A4 pages, for both the text and possibly simple graphic materials.

The complete applications can be submitted from 3rd to 7th March, via a special form on the website polytechnicanova.pwr.edu.pl (visible during the application period). By 25 March, the jury will choose up to five projects from each of the three categories that will pass to the second round of the competition.

The authors of the selected ideas will have time until 30 April to prepare extended proposals, which should include, among others, estimated costs and the time required to complete their project. In the next step, at a date yet to be determined between 5 and 9 May, they will present their projects before the jury and the university community.

The modifications also include the university community's voting process (12-18 May). Starting with this edition, you can express your support by awarding points to individual projects.

The winners in each category will be announced after tallying the community votes and analysing jury evaluations, no later than on 23 May.

Support at every stage

The amendments to the competition regulations were prepared by Prof. Marta Rusnak (Faculty of Architecture) and Dr. Katarzyna Gwóźdź (Faculty of Fundamental Problems of Technology).

– The changes are the result of our analyses presented to the rector. They focused on the previous editions and the content of submitted proposals, and were also the result of discussions both with the participants and with those involved in the smooth implementation of the winning ideas – explains Prof. Marta Rusnak.

Participants should appreciate that they will be able to reach out to the programme coordinators all throughout this edition of the competition. “We know that quick and precise support is needed, especially in the second stage, which is why we encourage you to get in touch with us,” says Dr. Katarzyna Gwóźdź. “At the same time, we would like to remind you that answers to the most important competition issues, the detailed schedule, and the full regulations can be found on the website of the Polytechnica Nova competition.