Apply for Prof. Zbigniew Pietrasiński Creative Scholarships!

What are the Creative Scholarships?

The Creative Scholarships have been awarded by the Pro Akademika Foundation since the 2017/2018 academic year. These are academic scholarships granted based on academic achievements and artistic and/or social engagement. The scholarships aim to support recipients in continuing their academic, artistic, or social activities and assist them in achieving their professional or artistic goals.

Who can apply for the Creative Scholarship?

The Creative Scholarship can be awarded to:

• students of the last year of undergraduate or graduate programmes;
• students from the third year of long-cycle master’s degree programmes, including those implemented according to individual curriculum;
• students of doctoral programmes.

All applicants must have student or doctoral status at SWPS University on the date of submitting the scholarship application.
Applicants must demonstrate both strong academic performance and involvement in artistic or social activities.
For the 2024/2025 academic year,a maximum of three scholarships will be awarded, each in the amount of PLN 10,000.

How to apply for the Creative Scholarship?

1. Please familiarise yourself with the Scholarship Regulations, as a well-prepared application is essential.
2. Read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section for valuable tips on preparing your application.
3. Gather the necessary attachments. Note: If any documents are in a language other than Polish or English, a translation must be provided.
4. Complete the scholarship application by March 28th, 23:59:59.

IMPORTANT! While preparing and submitting your application, please note that we will not respond to inquiries during weekends. Also, we kindly ask you not to postpone submitting your application until the last day. Firstly, website overload may prevent you from submitting the application on time. Secondly, our response time to emails is 1 to 3 business days, which means we may not answer your question in time.

In the scholarship application, the candidate will be asked to provide:

1. their average grades for the 2023/2024 academic year,
2. personal data required for the scholarship implementation (information on personal data processing can be found in the competition regulations),
3. description of academic achievements from October of the 2023/2024 academic year, such as active participation in conferences, research or development projects, scientific publications, work in scientific circles, participation in trips, international exchanges or research internships,
4. description of artistic activities (e.g., reportage, poetry, fiction writing, screenwriting, painting, sculpture, photography, graphics, theatrical activities: acting, directing, stage design, dance, etc.) or social activities (such as engagement in non-governmental organisations, informal groups or social movements, volunteering). The activities should relate to the period from October of the 2023/2024 academic year,
5. justification for the scholarship application,
6. attachments required:

• a certificate confirming the student or doctoral student status at SWPS University with a note on the average grades obtained for the 2023/2024 academic year (format: JPG or PDF, 5MB),
• documents confirming outstanding scientific, artistic, or social achievements mentioned in the application, such as certificates, references, certificates (format: PDF, RAR or ZIP, 20MB),
• at least one recommendation letter issued by a tutor, academic supervisor, or other academic employee of SWPS University, or another respected individual confirming the candidate's scientific, social, and artistic achievements and expressing support for their application (format: PDF, RAR or ZIP, 20MB).

Evaluation of applications, announcement of results

The evaluation of applications will be conducted by the Scholarship Committee in April 2025. Information about the awarding of the Creative Scholarship will be communicated to the recipients by May 31st, 2025 r.
The scholarship will be granted as a one-time payment. Details regarding the evaluation of applications can be found in the Regulations.

What happens after receiving the scholarship?

We value maintaining contact with our scholarship recipients. The Foundation's website will feature stories of creative scholarship recipients along with their photos. We will stay in touch with the laureates even after they receive the scholarship to learn about their journeys.

FAQ

I am not sure if my achievements are sufficient to apply for the scholarship. Should I submit my application?
Answer: Yes. We recommend submitting the application even if you have some concerns regarding your achievements.

I have achievements in the field of science and arts, but I can’t prove any social activity. Does it mean I can’t apply for the scholarship?
Answer: No. The candidate should be able to prove scientific achievements and one of two: either artistic or social activity.

I was a member of a scientific club 3 years ago. Does this achievement count?
Answer: No. You are asked to list achievements since October 2023/2024 until now.

I am a student of the first year of undergraduate programme. Can I apply for this scholarship?
Answer: No. The scholarship will be awarded only to students of the last year of undergraduate or graduate programmes, students from the third year of long-cycle master’s degree programmes, including those implemented according to individual curriculum, students of doctoral programmes.

Can I send screenshots of my grades from the student portal (Virtual University) instead of a certificate confirming my SWPS student status?
Answer: No. The certificate confirming student status must be obtained from the Centre for Student Affairs. Screenshots from VU, VDO, grade transcripts, etc. will not be accepted.

I have a certificate confirming my student status obtained from the Centre for Student Affairs, but I forgot to request the inclusion of my GPA for the previous academic year. In such a case, can I send a screenshot of my grades instead of requesting another certificate?
Answer: No. The only possible way to confirm the GPA is by attaching the certificate obtained from the office.

I have a certificate confirming my student status obtained from the Centre for Student Affairs a year ago. Will such a document be acceptable?
Answer: No. According to the scholarship regulations, individuals eligible for the scholarship must have student status or be pursuing a doctoral degree on the application submission date, so the certificate must be current. Ideally, it should be dated within the scholarship application period.

Can I include in my application a recommendation letter I received from a lecturer two years ago for another project?
Answer: No. The recommendation must be current, prepared for this year's scholarship application, and, according to the regulations, must directly support the candidacy of the individual for the scholarship.

I helped organise a scientific conference, but I did not participate in it as a presenter. Can I include this in my "scientific achievements"?
Answer: No. A scientific achievement would involve active participation in the conference - as a presenter or speaker. Assistance in organising the event should be listed under the section concerning social activities.

Over the past year, I have published numerous reports and materials in opinion weeklies. Will this be considered as scientific achievements?
Answer: No. The section on scientific achievements should only include articles of a scientific nature published (or submitted) in scientific journals. Articles, reports published in media of a different nature should be described in the section concerning social or artistic activities (depending on the topic).

I implemented a project that was not research or scientific in nature. As part of the project, I provided support for individuals experiencing homelessness crisis. Should I describe such a project in the section on scientific achievements?
Answer: No. Projects with a social focus should be listed in the section concerning social activities. Artistic projects should be listed in the section concerning artistic activities.

Can involvement in student government be counted as social activity?
Answer: Absolutely ;) If you also hold a position in the student government, please specify it.

The appendices I want to submit are not in Polish or english. Should I provide a translation prepared by a professional translator?
Answer: No. We do not require translations prepared by a professional translator. The documents can be translated by the person who applies for the Scholarship. You can even use Google Translate or any other application which allows you to translate documents online. The translation must stay true to the original text and confirm the candidate's achievements.

What if I don’t attach any letter of recommendation, or any other appendix?
Answer: In such a case, the Scholarship Committee may request the applicant to supplement the application. It may happen that the scholarship application will be rejected for not meeting the formal criteria.

I’ve filled in the application, but I am not able to send it. Is there any technical problem with the form?
Answer: First of all check if you’ve filled in all the obligatory boxes. All the boxes regarding your personal data, and the reasons justifying the application are obligatory. Next, check if your appendices have the correct file format and size. We require:

• a certificate confirming the status of a SWPS University student or doctoral student, with an annotation of the average grade obtained for the academic year 2023/2024: JPG or PDF, 5 MB,
• documents confirming outstanding scientific and research achievements and artistic or social activities listed in the application, e.g., certificates, reference letters, diplomas: PDF, ZIP or RAR, 20 MB,
• at least one letter of recommendation written by the tutor of the year, research supervisor or other academic employee of the SWPS University, or other recognized person confirming the candidate's scientific, social and artistic achievements and expressing support for his or her application: PDF, ZIP or RAR, 20 MB.

If in your opinion you completed the form correctly, please contact us: [email protected], and describe the problem (you can attach print screens to fully describe the issue).

I applied twice. Which application will be assessed?
Answer: During the Assessment, the Scholarship Committee will take into consideration only the first submitted application.

I am on the scholarship application page, but I don't see the entire application form to fill out, only its header: "Application for awarding prof. Zbigniew Pietrasiński scholarships for learning achievements for students and scholarships for research results for doctoral students in the academic year 2024/2025". What should I do?
Unfortunately, sometimes to ensure the proper functioning of the form, you need to give consent for optional - marketing cookies. Once you accept the optional cookies, the form will function again.

I am on a dean's leave this academic year. Can I still apply for a scholarship?
Answer: No. Individuals applying for a scholarship cannot be on a dean's leave.

I was on a dean's leave during the academic year 2023/2024. Can I present an annotation of the average grade for the academic year 2022/2023?
Answer: No. In evaluating applications, the scholarship committee will not consider grades from years prior to 2023/2024.

You haven't found your answer in the FAQ section?

Please mail to [email protected].
We will respond within 1-3 business days.