Today's scientific work of the Polish Academy of Arts and Scinces is focused mainly on Commissions' and Subcommissions' work.  There are more than twenty subject Commissions in different Classes and all of them publish their own series of Works, periodicals or other publication series according to their respective specialties.  The result is a serious publishing activity: dozens of volumes yearly.

   The PAU owns important elements of scientific background for humanistic research.  The Library, completed since nearly 200 years, include many exeptional historical and scientific materials, among them newspapers and journals of 19th and 20th century as well as old prints, manuscripts, graphics and drawings.  The Archives, that origins also go back to the Cracow Learned Society, is an invaluable source for history reasearchers.  Lately, as the result of agreement with the Historical and Literature Society in Paris, the PAU got back its rights to the Polish Library collection.  At present the reorganization works of this so meritorious for Poland institution are in progress.

   Another role of the PAU, beside strictly scientific works, is creating discussion forum for scholars of different specializations.  In today's world of wide specializations it has significant value.  In this field some interfaculty Commissions work, having broadened character. 

The PAU Commission on the History of Science publishes many very interesting works, including series about great representatives of science, and - based on the Archives collections - organises exhibitions and sessions dedicated to them.  The PAU Commission on Threats to Civilization, gathering humanists and natural sciences scholars, discuss problems of present world: starting from technical threads up to - ideological ones. 
The PAU Commission on the Evaluation of Textbooks review most of textbooks published recently.  It focuses the opinion of society and authorities on this important subject, and tries to improve current, nearly catastrophic situation. 
The PAU Commission for European Matters discuss about the issues connected with Poland membership within united Europe, as well as the structure and future of the European Union.
The Interfaculty PAU Commission of Technical Sciences and the PAU Commission for Economic Sciences have started their work lately.
There is also the PAU and PAN Commission for the Development of the City of Cracow, funded together with Cracowian Section of PAN (Polish Academy of Sciences).  Its gole is to present common view of scientific representatives of Cracow about the matters valid for the city development.

   Since 2002 monthly Seminars of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences have been organised and attracted attendance of 100–200 participants. Currently, the leading topic is Patriotism yesterday and today.
The first two volumes of scientific papers appeared in 2003 and 2006 and included lectures delivered by Józef Gierowski, Henryk Samsonowicz, Władysław Stróżewski, Bishop Alfons Nossol, Piotr Wandycz, Bishop Józef Życiński, Jan Nowak­-Jeziorański, Jacek Woźniakowski, Jerzy Kłoczowski, Jerzy Michał Głowiński, Maciej W. Grabski, Władysław Bartoszewski, Jerzy Szacki, Tomasz Węcławski, Janusz Tazbir, Witold Cęckiewicz.  The Seminars are slowly becoming an important fragment of Cracowian intellectual environment and a forum of discussion on our epoch challenges.

   By the tradition of Open Lectures, the PAU have also started - in co-operation with 'Dziennik Polski' - a series of scientific endavours named 'Kawiarnia Naukowa' [Scientific Cafe].  These are discussions open for wide audience. 
This initiative has gained significant position among many other cultural events taking place in Cracow.

   The PAU also awards some prizes for outstanding scientific achievements. The Tadeusz Browicz Prize, awarded annually since 1998 for outstanding achievements in the field of medicine. The Marian Mięsowicz Prize, awarded every two years for outstanding achievements in the field of physics. This Prize was awarded for the first time in 1997.
In addition, the Marian Kukiel Prize, which is awarded for outstanding achievements in the field of military history.
The Prize, funded by the City of Cracow and by virtue of a resolution of the City Council, the PAU's President is asign as the President of Commission of City of Cracow Awards and nominates three (of twelve) members of the Commission. Finally, every five years the PAU awards 9 Prizes of the Nicholas Copernicus Prize, funded by the City of Cracow by virtue of a resolution of the City Council.

   Further plans concerns systematical widening of scientific research, mainly in fields of humanistic and social sciences. 
In a longer perspective, there is also necessary to enlarge and extend the Library of PAU, which obviously requires collecting adequate resources.
The most important goal though is gathering at the PAU the environment of scholars and intellectualists to make it the place of discussion over important matters of today.  And also suggesting solutions.
Thanks to that all - by calling to the tradition - the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences would like to win back its historical position as a National Institution.