In 1992, Professor Maciej Nowicki established the Eco-Fund Foundation and held the Presidency there until October 2007.

His other prominent functions include: membership in the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in Salzburg; Poland's Representative to the European Commission (European Economic and Social Committee's Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI)); membership in the "Man and Environment" Scientific Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences and membership in the State Council of Environmental Protection.

The amount of 350,000 DM of this prize was assigned by Nowicki to establish foundation, to support personal curricula of outstanding graduates from Polish universities and colleges in the field of environment.

In the period of 1997–2007 several-month international scholarships were financed by this way to more than 160 Polish graduates in co-operation with the German DBU Foundation.

Professor M. Nowicki wrote more than 170 publications and 6 books dedicated to environmental protection and sustainable development.