The Czech Science Foundation (GACR) receives approximately 3,000 project proposals each year for its tenders and calls in all areas of basic research. More than 400 distinguished experts from the Czech Republic and other countries help to select the best ones. With the terms of office of a large number of them coming to an end, the Czech Science Foundation is looking for outstanding scientists to serve on the evaluation panels starting in April 2025. We accept applications until 16 December 2024.
„The work of the panel members is crucial for the Czech Science Foundation, much the same as it is for science foundations in other countries. Through panel reviews and discussions, expert scientists evaluate the quality of project proposals submitted to our tenders, and recommend those that deserve funding. It is thanks to our well-established system of expert evaluation of projects, inspired by the ERC evaluation, that the Czech Science Foundation preserves its credibility and the high standard of the projects funded,“ says prof. Petr Baldrian, GACR President.
Starting next year, the Czech Science Foundation will operate 38 evaluation panels grouped into 5 Discipline Committees based on 5 fields of science. In total, there are over 400 experts in their respective fields, who evaluate proposals for basic research projects in the Standard Projects, POSTDOC INDIVIDUAL FELLOWSHIP, and International Projects tenders each year. Both individual scientists and their institutions can submit nominations to the Czech Science Foundation panels by filling in the online form below. The panels are mostly composed of Czech and international experts from Czech scientific institutions.
Please note the changes in panels for tenders published in 2025.
What are the main responsibilities of a panel member?
- Being an impartial evaluator abiding by the Code of Ethics
- Writing reviews for an average of 12-17 project proposals each year, and evaluating additional ones
- Recommending independent external reviewers for the second phase of the evaluation
- Monitoring the progress of the projects funded, and preparing on average 5-7 reports after project completions
- Attending four panel meetings each year where projects are discussed
What are the minimum requirements?
- Excellent communication in English
- Academic qualifications at the level of a Ph. D. or higher
- Active scientific activity in basic research
- Experience with basic research projects as a principal investigator or co-investigator
- Ability to assess scientific problems in the broader context of the development of the discipline internationally
What we offer
- Opportunity to actively facilitate the development of scientific excellence in the Czech Republic
- Exposure to evaluating and preparing grant proposals
- Opportunity to become familiar with current trends in the field
- Financial remuneration proportionate to the level of involvement in the evaluation process
BECOME A MEMBER OF AN EVALUATION PANEL – send your application by 16 December 2024
Important note: If you do not receive confirmation of your nomination within one working day, please contact our helpdesk.
The nominations are valid for two years – if you wish to update your nomination, please fill in the form one more time; only the latest version of the form submitted by you will be taken into account.
Panel members are selected from among the nominations submitted by a task force consisting of a member of the GACR Presidium responsible for the relevant area of research, a representative of the Research, Development and Innovation Council (RDC) and a representative of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Czech Science Foundation. In addition to the professional qualifications of the nominees, the panels are composed taking into account the discipline, gender, and regional balance of the panel and the representation of panelists from various institutions.
- Find out more about the evaluation panels at GACR
- Find out more about the evaluation processes at GACR