INSTYTUT MEDYCYNY DOSWIADCZALNEJ I KLINICZNEJ IM MIROSLAWA MOSSAKOWSKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK

Their core work

The Mossakowski Medical Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences is a biomedical research institute in Warsaw specializing in experimental and clinical oncology at the molecular level. Their scientists investigate cancer cell biology — specifically how protein degradation systems (proteasomes) and immune mechanisms can be exploited to fight tumors. Their work sits at the intersection of basic cancer biology and translational research, aiming to identify targets and strategies that could improve cancer treatment outcomes. With two competitive EU grants won as sole coordinator, they operate as a focused research team rather than a large collaborative hub.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their earliest H2020 work (2018–2020) concentrated on the molecular machinery of protein degradation — specifically the proteasome system — as a potential cancer target, with no recorded thematic keywords suggesting a focused, mechanistic study. By 2019, with STIMUNO running through 2025, the focus broadened decisively toward cancer immunotherapy and the tumor microenvironment, incorporating metabolic aspects of immune response. This trajectory suggests a shift from intracellular molecular targets toward the intercellular and systemic context of immune-tumor interactions — a shift consistent with where the broader oncology field has moved over the past decade.

They are moving toward immunometabolism and the tumor microenvironment as a therapeutic frontier, positioning themselves for future collaborations in immuno-oncology and metabolic reprogramming of immune cells.

How they like to work

Both H2020 grants were won as sole coordinator with no consortium partners — which is fully consistent with the grant types used (ERC Starting Grant and MSCA Individual Fellowship), both designed for individual researchers or small groups rather than multi-partner consortia. This means their EU track record reflects scientific excellence and competitive grant-writing ability, not network breadth. A potential partner should expect a tightly focused, academically driven team rather than an organization experienced in managing large collaborative projects.

With zero recorded consortium partners and zero international co-participation in H2020, their formal collaboration network within these projects is nonexistent by design — both grants are individual-type instruments. Their real scientific network likely exists through publications, conferences, and informal academic ties rather than through EU project consortia.

What sets them apart

This institute holds a rare combination: it is a dedicated biomedical research institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences — not a university department — which typically means greater research focus and institutional stability than faculty-embedded groups. The ERC Starting Grant (STIMUNO) is one of the most competitive individual research grants in Europe, signaling that at least one research team here has passed the highest peer-review bar for scientific excellence in oncology. For consortium builders, they bring credible, independently validated cancer biology expertise from Central Europe, a geography often underrepresented in Western-led health research consortia.

Highlights from their portfolio

• STIMUNO
  An ERC Starting Grant — among the most competitive EU funding instruments — awarded for research into cancer immunotherapy and tumor microenvironment, running through 2025 with EUR 512,597 in funding.
• Proteasome in cancer
  An MSCA Individual Fellowship targeting proteasome machinery as a cancer vulnerability, demonstrating the institute's ability to attract competitive individual-researcher EU grants across two consecutive funding cycles.