"Future Generation" programme, run by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, is designed for young inventors, constructors, programmers and innovators, who will represent Poland in international contests and competitions. The programme's budget amounts to PLN 7 million. Students may receive up to PLN 100 000 (as part of individual grants) or PLN 500 000 (as part of group grants).

The money is to cover the costs related to the participation in international contests, including the cost of research, pre-contest training as well as acquisition of scientific-research apparatus, materials and reagents.

"Today's awards only confirm the fact that we are starting to learn how to benefit from our present economic situation resultant from the accession of Poland to the European Union and from additional funds that EU earmarked for research", said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Future Generation competition chose 31 projects, including 4 run in the Jagiellonian University at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science (1), Faculty of Medicine (2), and Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology (1).
 

• We compete with the best – Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science

The project is aimed at preparing the students of analytical computer science and mathematics to participate in international student competitions.

The project will involve buying computer equipment to prepare the students to participate in the most prestigious international computer science and mathematical competitions: ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (AMC ICPC), Central Europe Regional Contest (CERC), International Mathematics, Competition for University Students, and Jarnik International Mathematical Competition. The students' participation will be also funded from the grant.   

The JU students have gone through to the finals of ACM ICPC for the seventh time. They have also won the International Mathematics Competitions for University Students many times, both individually and as a team.  

• The impact of air pollution on endothelium dysfunction and the development of hypertension in young people aged 15-21 predisposed to hypertension – Faculty of Medicine, Medical College

As part of this project students prepare for the prestigious Young Investigator Awards competition as well as competitions and scientific conferences organised by International Society of Hypertension or American Heat Association.

The project, interdisciplinary in its nature, focuses on the problem of hypertension and air pollution. The students carry out research among 600 young people genetically predisposed to the development of hypertension. Members of the sample group reside in either Kraków or Lublin as the cities, though similar in many respects, have different levels of pollution.

The project is to include a campaign informing young people and their parents about hypertension.   
 

• Application of xylene electric potential distribution in detecting relations between individual trees in spruce groups – Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology

The aim of the project is to carry out student research into the electric phenomena occuring within plants. The results may prove useful in developing new measurement methods enabling quick analysis of a forest stand physiological condition.

The research results will be published in scientific journals and presented at competitions and scientific conferences, including the International Session of Forestry Students Societies and the 19th Congress of the Federation of European Societies of Plant Biology.

• Expression of microRNA in thoracic aortic aneurism - Faculty of Medicine, Medical College

The research project will enter the Young Investigator Awards competition as part of the European Human Genetics Conference 2014, which will be held in Milan.

The aim of the research is to determine the profile of microRNA espression in diseased tissues of the ascending aorta as well as in normal tissues, and demonstrating a considerable statistical difference between these segments.