The aim of the "Pearls of Science" competition is to support exceptionally talented first-degree graduates or students who have completed their third or fourth year of uniform master's studies. It is the successor of the “Diamond Grant” program implemented between 2012 and 2019.

Among the winners of the competition’s first edition is Juliusz Bojarczuk – a telecommunications student at the WUT’s Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology. He is also the co-founder of the FiberTeam Research Group and its current chairman. Our student has received funding for the implementation of the "Advanced techniques of signal processing in fiber optic sensor networks" project.

– We know optical fibers mainly from telecommunications. However, they can be used to measure various non-electrical quantities, such as deformation or temperature. Although methods for reading this type of data already exist, they are characterized by relatively slow frequencies and small resolutions – says Juliusz Bojarczuk. – In my project, I want to apply advanced signal processing known mainly from telecommunications to improve fiber optic sensor network operational reliability and measurement speed. I am also interested in the theory of orthogonal and quasi-orthogonal codes, which I want to develop and present a complete mathematical model describing the sensor systems that I examine – he explains.

The same degree program at the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology was finished by another winner – Piotr Araszkiewicz, who is currently our doctoral student. He is also the co-founder of the FiberTeam Research Group. A platform for reading data from optical fiber sensors will be developed as part of the "Hardware and programmable optical spectrum analyzer using HCG-VCSEL and chirp signals" project.

– Solutions that are currently available and recognized are based on approaches known both from spectroscopy and optical signal analysis – says Piotr Araszkiewicz. – In my project, I want to propose a new technological solution that will allow for a change in the paradigm of reading the data from optical fiber sensors – he emphasizes. 

Piotr Araszkiewicz and Juliusz Bojarczuk in one of the WUT’s laboratories

Hubert Baniecki, a graduate of the Data Science program at the WUT's Faculty of Mathematics and Information Science and a current doctoral student at the University of Warsaw, was also one of the winners of the "Pearls of Science" competition. He received funding for the "Interpretable machine learning models for prediction in medical applications" project.

– Its main objective is the development of algorithms and software used to understand how predictive models of machine learning work – explains Hubert Baniecki. – The developed methods will be used, among other areas, in medical sciences, where being able to accurately explain the prediction to a person is as important as the model's high efficiency – he emphasizes.  

In the first edition of the competition, 335 applications were received, and 98 projects received funding.