From Centre of Excellence to International Institute
International Institute for Particle Astrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, (commonly called simply Astrocent) is a new institute dedicated to studying the Universe through its most elusive messengers, like neutrinos, dark matter, and gravitational waves – in other words, the invisible Universe.
Astrocent came to existence in July 2018 within the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences as a completely new autonomous centre of excellence with the funding of nearly 38 million PLN from the Foundation for Polish Science’s International Research Agendas Programme (IRAP). Based in Warsaw, it is open to to collaborations worldwide and is built for long-horizon cooperation and real-world impact.
Its current growth and transformation to a new institute is based on three main pillars: the Horizon Europe Teaming for Excellence project Astrocent Plus (since January 2025), which initiated the transformation, augmented by the complementary funding from the IRAP grant (since January 2026) and support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Together, these streams amount to €30 million over six years and provide a stable base to expand our human and research infrastructure capacity, partnerships, and training – aiming at making the invisible side of the Universe to become visible, and turning discovery into a value for society.
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Astrocent was founded with a vision to build a world-class research centre in particle astrophysics in Poland. With EU-funded Astrocent Plus, matched by complementary funding from Poland, we are taking a bold new step toward fulfilling this vision – expanding our capabilities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and ensuring a lasting impact on both fundamental science and innovative technologies by setting up a new institute that will eventually become a hub for our field in the region.
Exploring the hidden Universe
DARK MATTER SEARCH
Developing ultra-sensitive detectors and analysis methods to identify dark matter in the Universe through extremely rare and extremely faint signals.
NEUTRINO PHYSICS
Studying neutrinos arriving from the Sun and outer space, as well as neutrinos produced in Earth-based experiments, to probe extreme environments and the fundamental laws of nature.
GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
Using gravitational waves to study collisions of black holes and neutron stars and to test gravity in extreme cosmic events.
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FROM SCIENCE
Implementing science-borne innovative solutions in high-tech industry, health protection, climate and society.
PARTICLE ASTROPHYSICS AND COSMOLOGY THEORY
Seeking deeper understanding of the Universe, its origin, composition and processes, in terms of fundamental building blocks and interactions.
We focus on cooperating with leading national and international partners from science and industry to advance particle astrophysics and detector technologies, driving innovation through collaboration.
Global Team and Breakthrough Technologies
Our research is driven by an international team of scientists and engineers, including experienced researchers, postdoctoral fellows, PhD students and highly-skilled technicians.
Our shared mission is not only to explore the mysteries of the hidden Universe, but also to deliver innovations that may help improve everyday life. Some of the tools we develop for fundamental research have clear applications beyond the laboratory.
These technologies can help build more precise PET scanners for cancer diagnostics, more efficient solar cells, better environmental monitoring systems and safer critical infrastructure. By bridging fundamental science with practical solutions, we contribute to both global research and societal progress.
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