Abstract
Before World War II, the research management and funding system in Poland was based on freedom of research and the autonomy of science. During the communist regime, it was subordinated to the state's planned and command system of government. After the political turnover, the reforms undertaken in 1991 included the establishment of a Committee for Scientific Research which gave to democratically elected representatives of the scientific community (which constituted the majority of its members) the responsibility for elaborating and implementing science policy. A grant system was also introduced, with direct competition between all institutions and researchers applying for research money. This covers the whole research sphere, despite the subordination of research institutions to different administrative sectors — the Polish Academy of Sciences, higher education or government units. Four theoretical models of research coordination are introduced to help explicate these changes and the views surrounding them. How were the principal changes perceived by the community of grant applicants, and what factors differentiated their opinions? This paper presents results from a survey conducted in 1993, among more than 700 applicants.
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