Organizational Regulations and Management Rules
Regulations for the organization and management of the “Excellence Initiative – Research University” programme at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Pursuant to art. 52. 3 and art. 57.1 of the Resolution no. 37 of the Senate of the NCU of 16 April 2019 of Statutes of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (NCU Legal Bulletin of 2019, item 120 as amended).
It is provided as follows:
Chapter 1
General provisions
§ 1
Regulations for organization shall establish rules of organization and management under the Excellence Initiative – Research University” programme hereinafter referred to as “programme” at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, hereinafter referred to as “University”, in particular:
1) organizational structure specifying entities involved in realization of the programme and their mutual connections, including rules of cooperation and communication;
2) scope of activities specifying responsibility of each entity for realization of activities in the programme;
3) rules of expenditure on realization of the programme objectives.
§ 2
1. University authorities referred to in art. 56.1 point 1 of the Resolution no. 37 of the Senate of the NCU of 16 April 2019 of Statutes of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń,
hereinafter referred to as “Statute” shall make strategic decisions and exercise general supervision over the realization of the programme.
2. The chairman of the coordinating team referred to in Art. 7.1 shall present the University authorities: LEGAL BULLETIN NICOLAUS COPERNICUS UNIVERSITY IN TORUŃ Year 2021 ; item 3 74 2,
1) a verbal report on planned activities for the following month and realization of the programme at the end of each month;
2) a written report on planned activities for the following year and realization of the programme at the end of each calendar year.
Chapter 2
Organizational structure
§ 3
Organizational structure shall consist of:
1) University Centers of Excellence based on priority research areas;
2) scientific councils of University Centers of Excellence;
3) research teams of the Emerging Fields;
4) field councils;
5) coordinating team;
6) secretariat;
7) working groups.
§ 4
1. Under the programme, University Centers of Excellence shall operate as priority research areas, which include academic teachers conducting interdisciplinary research:
1) “Astrophysics and astrochemistry”;
2) “From fundamental optics to bio-photonics”;
3) “Dynamics, mathematical analysis and Artificial Intelligence”;
4) “Towards personalised medicine;”
5) “Interactions – mind, society, environment”.
2. The composition of the University Centre of Excellence, comprising a maximum of 60 individuals, shall be approved by 31 January of each year by the Coordinating Team at the request of the Director of the Centre in consultation with the Centre’s Scientific Council. Additionally, the University Centre of Excellence shall include doctoral candidates under the scientific mentorship of the Centre. Where the employee’s excused absence extends beyond three months continuously, the composition of the team may be increased by the addition of a replacement person for the duration of that absence.
3. Each member of the University Centre of Excellence shall be included in one of the research groups. The number of research groups shall be specified in organizational regulations of the Centre referred to in art. 9.
4. The University Centre of Excellence shall be headed by a director appointed and dismissed by the Rector at the request of the coordinating team.
5. The director of the University Centre of Excellence is responsible for the realization of the Centre’s objectives. The objectives include, in particular:
1) day-to-day management of the Centre’s scientific activities;
2) disposal of the funds designated for the Centre’s direct use;
3) implementation of scientific and personal policy at the Centre in consultation with heads of the organizational units in which members of the Centre are employed;
6. The scientific council, which shall include the di of the University Centre of Excellence and not more than 7 members, shall be appointed by the Rector at the request of the director of the Centre who is the chairman of the council.
7. The scientific council of the University Centre of Excellence shall establish directions of scientific development of the Centre and provide its opinion on organizational matters and financial and personal policy. In particular, the scientific council of the Centre shall:
1) review the requests submitted by the director for establishing or disbanding a research team at the Centre;
2) review the requests submitted by the director for the inclusion into or exclusion from the composition of the Centre of a university employee;
3) provide its opinion on the annual activity report submitted by the director of the Centre;
4) monitor indicators relevant to evaluation of the Centre’s activity.
8. The director of the University Centre of Excellence shall hold meetings of the scientific council at least once every six months.
9. Specific tasks, organization and regulations and mode of the activity of the University Centre of Excellence shall be specified in its organizational regulations provided by the Rector at the request of the director of the University Centre of Excellence after consulting the Rector’s Council.
§ 5
1. In the programme, in the emerging field selected in the course of competition, a research team shall be established, consisting of academic research staff and doctoral students.
2. The composition of a research team within an emerging research field shall be between 10 and 20 persons, including at least 1 research or research and teaching employee up to 7 years after the doctorate, employed at the University, and at least two doctoral students from the University’s doctoral schools. Additionally, i.e. above the upper limit of places, students of the University may be proposed to join a team. Changes in the composition of the team are approved by the coordinating team upon the proposal of the research field leader. The change in the composition of the team shall be approved by the Coordinating Team at the request of the person in charge of the research field. Where the employee’s excused absence extends beyond three months continuously, the composition of the team may be increased by the addition of a replacement person for the duration of that absence.
3. The research team shall be headed by the chairperson appointed and dismissed by the Rector at the request of the coordinating team.
4. The tasks of the chairman of the Emerging Field research team shall include:
1) day-to-day management of the team activity;
2) disposal of the funds made available for direct use by the research team.
§ 6
1. The programme shall involve field councils which shall perform consultative and advisory functions and supervise the implementation of tasks specified in the programme:
1) Council for the Field of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts;
2) Council for the Field of Natural Sciences and Technology;
3) Council for the Field of Life Sciences.
2. The councils for fields of science shall be made up of 4 to 8 academic staff, at least half of whom are not employed at the University and shall be appointed by the Rector at the request of the coordinating team.
3. The works of the council for the field of science shall be managed by an academic teacher who shall act as its chairman and be appointed and dismissed by the Rector at the request of the coordinating team.
§ 7
1. The implementation of the programme shall be coordinated by the coordinating team consisting of:
1) Vice-Rector for the implementation of the research university strategy as its chairperson;
2) coordinator for sustainable development in the Toruń part of the University;
3) coordinator for sustainable development in the Bydgoszcz part of the University
4) leader of working groups referred to in art 9.
2. Members of the coordinating team referred to in art.7. 1 points 2 and 3 shall be appointed and dismissed by the Rector at the request of its chairperson.
3. The Rector, at the request of the coordinating team’s chairperson shall appoint the deputy chairperson from among members of the team referred to in art. 1 points. 2-4.
4. The chairman of the coordinating team shall make use of resources not allocated for the direct use of the University Centres of Excellence and emerging fields research teams.
§ 8
1. Administrative and office support for the programme shall be provided by an office with at least two employees.
2. Secretariat shall be a university administrative unit subordinate directly to the Vice Rector for Research.
§ 9
Working groups are the executive body for substantive tasks as specified in the programme plan involving:
1) impact of the university activity on the development of world science and research collaboration with renowned universities;
2) quality of education provided to students and doctoral students;
3) professional development of the University employees and quality of management of the University;
4) innovation and collaboration with business environment; shall be appointed and dismissed by the Rector and made up of the University employees including their chairpersons.
Chapter 3
Scope of objectives
§ 10
The tasks of the University Centres of Excellence within priority research areas and of the research teams within emerging fields shall include conducting high quality research aimed at improving the international standing of the university bearing in mind the indicators defined by the Minister of Education and Science in the competition announcement and the indicators 5 selected when making the University’s application proposal in the above mentioned competition.
§ 11
The tasks of the councils for the fields of science shall include in particular:
1) monitoring scientific activities of emerging fields research teams;
2) preparing a ranked list in the competitions for emerging fields research teams;
3) preparing a ranked list in the competitions addressed to emerging fields research teams and in the competitions financed from funds for the sustainable development of the University;
4) reviewing the requests of the head of the research team to include an employee of the University in the team or to exclude them from the team composition.
§ 12
The tasks of the coordinating team shall include in particular:
1) organizational and substantive supervision over the whole programme;
2) development and coordination of the drafting of documents relating to the operation of the programme, including in particular mid-term evaluation;
3) preparation of the three-year project (on a year-by-year basis) of budget for the programme (by the date of mid-term evaluation), taking into account the distribution of funds for the University Centres of Excellence, emerging fields research teams, and funds for the sustainable development of the University;
4) reviewing decisions in the competitions announced within the research university unless specific provisions provide otherwise.
Chapter 4
Rules for expenditure
§ 13
1. Funds earmarked for the implementation of the programme shall be divided into general programme funds and between the University Centres of Excellence, emerging fields research teams, and funds for the sustainable development of the University.
2. In the course of the programme implementation, university centers of excellence and research teams in emerging research fields shall allocate 15% and 8% of funds, respectively, to finance the activities of University employees who are not members of centers or teams. These funds shall be allocated from the budgets of university centers of excellence and research teams within emerging research fields and shall remain at the disposal of the chairman of the IDUB coordination team.
§ 14
1. The budget project referred to in art. 12 point 3, shall be approved by the Rector.
2. In accordance with the approved budget, the coordinating team shall allocate funds for the implementation of tasks by the University Centres of Excellence and emerging fields research teams and for the sustainable development of the University.
3. Directors of the University Centres of Excellence and heads of research teams shall prepare a budget setting out the annual breakdown for the whole grant period, which shall be approved by the coordinating team.
4. The coordinating team shall monitor the implementation of the programme and, if necessary, send a proposal to the rector for amending the programme budget in order to ensure the most
effective use of funds in a given period.
§ 15
1. The University shall spend public funds within the framework of the research university pursuant to public finance legislation and internal regulations.
2. The University may earmark funds only for the eligible costs of the programme, i.e. costs that fulfil the following cumulative conditions:
1) the costs were incurred in the period from the start date of the implementation to the end date of the programme and are directly related to the activities carried out under the programme;
2) the costs are necessary for the implementation of the programme and the achievement of its outcomes;
3) the costs are directly linked to the activities set out in the application;
4) the costs meet the requirements of effective finance management;
5) the costs meet the requirements resulting from separate legal provisions, in particular those on public finance, tax law and social security.
3. Funds earmarked for the implementation of the programme may be spent in particular on:
1) employing academic staff in research and teaching positions, and in research positions (the Statues of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń provided that
a) in case of employing for the funds of University Centres of Excellence – the members of a call selection board referred to in art.102.2.3 are appointed from among members of the relevant University Centre of Excellence that operates within the priority research area and members of a call selection board referred to in art.102.2.4 are appointed from among members of the relevant council for the field of science),
b) in case of employing for the funds of emerging fields – at least one member of call selection board referred to in art.102.2.3 is appointed from among members of the relevant emerging field);
2) employing academic staff in teaching positions in order to reduce the workload of other scientifically active staff (Resolution No. 37 of the Senate of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń of 16 April 2019 of the Statues of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń) provided that the request to employ should designate staff from the University Centre of Excellence that operates within a priority research team, or employees who are part of an emerging field research team and whose workload has been reduced to the workload that justifies employment pursuant to art.5 of order No. 166 of the NCU Rector of 4 November 2019 –Work Rules of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń);
3) employing administrative or engineering and technical staff necessary for the implementation of the programme or its objectives (art. 16);
4) periodic payment increase, Rector’s allowances, task-based allowances (the director of the University Centre of Excellence or head of emerging fields research team shall submit a request to the Rector);
5) funding of contracts for specific tasks and contracts of mandate for persons who are not employees of the University, in accordance with separate legal regulations;
6) reimbursement of travel expenses incurred by the employees and non-employees of the Nicolaus Copernicus University, in accordance with separate legal regulations;
7) University grants for researchers from abroad, in accordance with separate legal regulations;
8) internship mobility of University employees, in accordance with separate legal regulations;
9) doctoral scholarships financed from the funds of the programme, in accordance with separate legal regulations;
10) increasing the amount of doctoral scholarships from the funds of the programme, in accordance with separate legal regulations
11) scientific activities (including conference and internship mobility) of students of doctoral schools and doctoral students of the University (art.17);
12) scholarships for first-year students in the fields of study within priority research areas, in accordance with separate legal regulations;
13) purchase of apparatus, other fixed assets, materials, and services provided by external entities necessary to implement the programme, in accordance with separate legal regulations;
14) participation in the costs of faculty renovation tasks up to 5% of the annual budget of the University Centre of Excellence or an emerging fields research team;
15) funding of publications (in particular translation, adjustment, and Open Access fees);
16) funding the organization of and participation in international conferences;
17) funding dissemination and implementation of research;
18) trainings and summer schools;
19) expense account (University Centres of Excellence -PLN 12 000 and a research team within emerging field–PLN 6 000 annually);
20) membership fees in scientific organizations and networks of the University; membership fees of members of University Centres of Excellence within priority research areas of research teams within emerging fields, and of their individual employees;
21) payment for the directors of the University Centres of Excellence in the gross amount of PLN 2 200 per month;
22) payment for the heads of research teams within emerging fields in the gross amount of PLN 1 000 per month.
§ 16
1. Directors of the University Centres of Excellence, heads of research teams within emerging fields and a project coordinator shall submit a substantiated request to approve the employment of a staff member and to set out the procedure to be followed. The request shall be submitted to the Rector in case of engineering and technical staff and to the Chancellor in case of administrative staff (competition or non-competition procedure).
2. A candidate for employment shall be selected either by way of a competition announced by the Rector or the Chancellor respectively or by following other recruitment procedure. The announcement of a competition or recruitment under any other procedure shall state the requirements for candidates, the list of documents required, the deadline for submitting the 8 required documents and the expected date for the outcome of the competition or recruitment under a different procedure;
3. Directors of University Centres of Excellence, heads of research teams within emerging fields shall submit to the Rector, in case of and engineering and technical staff member, and to the Chancellor in the case of administrative staff, using a relevant form, a request to approve the employment of a candidate selected under the procedure referred to in art. 2.
4. Department of Human Resources shall refer the candidate approved by the Rector or the Chancellor, respectively, for medical examinations and health and safety training and shall prepare all employment-related documents.
§ 17
1. Students of doctoral schools and doctoral students of the University may obtain, by way of a call for proposals, funding for scientific activities under emerging fields and sustainable development budgets in the form of:
1) mobility programme;
2) training programmes and courses delivered in English;
3) funding of publications, including costs of linguistic proofreading, translations, publications in Open Access journals.
2. The relevant council for the field of science shall be the coordinating unit for the programmes related to the development of research activities of students and doctoral students referred to in art. 1.
3. The competitions referred to in art. 1 shall be held annually by the Rector, at the request of a working group in charge of quality of education of students and doctoral students, specifying their rules, prepared by the relevant working group.
Chapter 5
Final provisions
§ 18
The coordinating team shall review the functioning of this order after each year of the programme implementation and shall request the Rector to make the necessary changes.
§ 19
Order No. 239 by the NCU Rector of 2 November 2020 Organizational rules and the regulations for managing „Excellence Initiative – research university” at Nicolaus Copernicus University
in Toruń (NCU Legal Bulletin of 2020 item 392 as amended) is hereby repealed
§ 20
The order becomes effective as of 16 November 2021.
R E C T O R
prof. dr hab. Andrzej Sokala
Regulatory Acts: