The Czech Science Foundation (“GACR”) has selected 16 EXPRO and 30 JUNIOR STAR projects to fund, starting next year. Both grant categories aim to support excellence in all areas of basic research. JUNIOR STAR grants are designed to give young scientists in their early careers the opportunity to carry out their own research. The EXPRO grants target innovative projects run by seasoned scientists.
Top research projects in a position to substantially enhance the development of their fields of science need special conditions. The Czech Science Foundation makes those projects happen by publishing calls for exactly such projects. When defining the conditions, the Czech Science Foundations has also taken inspiration from conditions set out for European Research Council (ERC) projects. The objective of EXPRO and JUNIOR STAR projects is not only a substantial improvement in the research environment of the Czech Republic but also a tangible scientific impact on a global scale.
“The call for JUNIOR STAR tenders was made for the first time ever this year. We were overwhelmed by the enormous interest in these grants, which are supposed to be just as selective as EXPRO grants. We are delighted to see that scientists in their early careers find it attractive to start their own research teams – the interest exceeded the original, less selective junior grants, but unfortunately, we are unable to fund more projects given the amount of funds assigned to the Czech Science Foundation from the government’s budget. Nevertheless, we have decided to fund five more projects than planned originally,” says RNDr. Alice Valkárová, DrSc., the President of the Czech Science Foundation.
EXPRO
The objective of the EXPRO grants is to facilitate excellence in research, set the standard of excellence in science, and also help overcome the barriers which hamper the success of project proposals in the prestigious ERC grant competition. “Within the EXPRO calls, we also fund what is called ‘high risk – high gain’ projects bringing radically innovative ideas with the potential to make a breakthrough in their fields of science,” adds Alice Valkárová. The costs of the EXPRO projects, ear-marked primarily for seasoned scientists, may amount up to CZK 50 million. The calls for EXPRO tenders will now be made in even-numbered years only, i.e. there will be no call in 2021.
A total of 123 EXPRO proposals were received in this year’s call, of which 16 will receive funding. The highest number of projects – 6 each – will be carried out at the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Masaryk University in Brno.
Projects Funded within EXPRO
JUNIOR STAR
JUNIOR STAR grant projects give young explorers the opportunity to implement their own, original ideas in the early stages of their careers and, if needed, to also develop new scientific teams. Grant applications may be submitted by applicants who completed their Ph.D. programmes no more than 8 years ago (this deadline may be extended because of parent duties). The amount assigned to junior scientists will be up to CZK 25 million.
A total of 355 JUNIOR proposals were received in this year’s call – the first ever – of which 30 will receive funding. The highest number of projects – 13 – will be carried out at the Czech Academy of Sciences, and another 10 at the Charles University in Prague.
Projects Funded within JUNIOR STAR
Evaluation Process
Only international experts, recommended by Science Connect, an international agency, took part in the evaluation of all the proposals submitted in the EXPRO and JUNIOR STAR tenders. There was a two-stage evaluation. Each project proposal was evaluated by at least four professionals from various countries in the given field of science.
The list of the standard projects to be launched in 2021 will be published on 1 December 2020.
Research dealing with the improvement of the properties of fine-grained advanced ceramics using cold plasma was rated as excellent by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic. Group of experts from CEITEC BUT and the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University participated under the leadership of professor Karel Maca. The basic three-year research has discovered completely new contexts and researchers would therefore like to build on the success with follow-up projects.
The three-year project under the auspices of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic named Physical surface activation of ceramic particles as a tool for improving the properties of fine-grained advanced ceramics was solved between years 2017-2019. The team of the Applied Plasmochemistry from Masaryk University first had to solve the issue of how to put the fine powders, which are necessary for the advanced ceramics production, into the proper contact with plasma. “Subsequently, we were solving how to characterize the changes that occur on the particles. We didn’t know what the plasma would do with the fine powders. And standard techniques such as infrared spectroscopy have proven unsuitable in this case. However, thermoluminescence and thermal desorption spectroscopy proved to be very useful, “described associate professor Jozef Ráheľ from Masaryk University
Experts from CEITEC BUT subsequently used the modified particles in combination with classical and modern ceramic technologies and investigated the possible benefits of this as yet untested procedure. Part of the research, led by Dr. Daniel Drdlík, was devoted to experiments with electrophoretic deposition of ceramic particles. “It turned out that thanks to the surface treatment of the particles, we can eliminate some of the necessary components in the suspensions used, which may be inherently unsuitable for the environment. We have also found that electrophoresis can serve as a diagnostic tool for examining the extent to which particles are affected. Thanks to this, we were able to determine how many particles were processed by the plasma,” specified Daniel Drdlík, stating that this finding may lead back to a modification of the design of the plasma technology.
Another group of researchers and students, led by Dr. Václav Pouchlý, tested how ceramics would behave during high-temperature firing. “We found that when we treat the surface of the particles, the material behaves differently when fired. In particular, when fired at normal temperature, it achieved better properties. In other words, in order to achieve the standard properties of ceramics, it was enough for us to burn them at lower temperatures, which is of course economically and energetically beneficial,“ Václav Pouchlý explained.
According to professor Maca the most important thing that the whole project showed is the fact that even a small change in surface properties can bring a macroscopic effect. “We are now working with this knowledge further,” concluded Maca. The researchers have therefore already applied for a follow-up project and hope to be able to develop their knowledge even further
Author: CEITEC VUT
(Prague, 23 September 2020) Alice Valkárová, President of the Czech Science Foundation (“GACR”) presented her awards to five scientists for their excellence in research within projects completed in 2019. These prestigeous awards have been presented since 2003, serving as proof of the superior quality of basic research in the Czech Republic, and confirming the significance of basic research for scientific discovery.
This winners of this year’s awards are research projects which stand to contribute to the development of ultrafast-charging batteries, the exploration of the origins of life on Earth, the understanding of defects in cells leading to malignant tumours, the critical publication of the complete works of composer Bohuslav Martinů, and the description of genome structure of certain crops.
“Year after year, it is always difficult to select the best of the best from among dozens of excellence projects. This year was no exception because the short-listed projects are world-class,” said RNDr. Alice Valkárová, DrSc., President of the Czech Science Foundation. “This year is special for me in that this is the fourth and last time I have presented these awards – this pleasant duty will be taken up by my successor, the new President of the Czech Science Foundation,” says Alice Valkárová, a nuclear physicist whose term in office ends later this year.
Every year, the President’s Award winners are selected on the basis of nominations from several hundred scientists participating in the evaluation of projects funded by the Czech Science Foundation. Thirty excellence projects from five areas of basis research made the short list. The experts selected winners in the areas of: Technical Sciences; Physical Sciences; Medical and Biological Sciences; Social Sciences and Humanities; and Agricultural and Biological-Environmental Sciences.
“The Czech Science Foundation has funded basic research for 27 years. We believe basic research is fundamental. Basic research pushes the borders of human discovery, and lays down solid foundations for future applied results. Apart from the excellence in standard projects, which are nominated for the President’s Awards, we also publish special calls for projects highlighting and facilitating international cooperation and junior scientists,” adds Alice Valkárová.
Due to the complications caused by the covid pandemic, the Czech Science Foundation has arranged an online broadcast to guests who were unable to attend the ceremony in person.
About the President’s Awards
The Awards of the President of the Czech Science Foundation have been conferred every year since 2003 to 3 to 5 selected laureates as an appreciation of outstanding results achieved in GACR-funded projects completed in the previous calendar year. A total of 75 leading scientists and their projects have been awarded until present day (see the complete list). Each award winner receives a prize of CZK 100,000. The awards are presented in five areas of basic research.
About the Czech Science Foundation
The Czech Science Foundation (“GACR”) is an independent public organisation, the only institution of its kind in the Czech Republic providing public funds earmarked for basic research projects. Within its programme calls, the Czech Science Foundation funds scientific projects for seasoned scientists and teams, as well as young and junior scientists. Every year, the Foundation funds hundreds of research projects on the basis of multiple rounds of transparent tenders. The Czech Scientific Foundation was established in 1993.
Projects Awarded
Technical Sciences:
Multiscale Nonequilibrium Dynamics, RNDr. Michal Pavelka, Ph.D. (Faculty of Mathematics & Physics, Charles University, Prague)
The project’s objective was to find a unifying geometric description of the development of physical systems on various levels of detail. The investigators identified procedures to reduce levels of detail, while still obtaining irreversible behaviours associated with an increase in entropy. The findings are being applied in research related to e.g. new, ultrafast-charging batteries, the possibilities of antivirus nanoparticles, and machine learning.
Physical Sciences:
The Origins of Life on Earth and in the Universe, Judit E. Šponerová, Ph.D. (Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno)
The project made a fundamental contribution to how we understand the origins of the first molecules of genetic information on Earth. The project demonstrated that asteroid and meteorite impacts may have affected the creation of the first small RNA molecules. The project was also instrumental in generating possible scenarios of the origination of the first functional genetic molecules, composed of simple substances present on early-stage Earth, such as formamide, hydrogen cyanide, or formaldehyde.
Medical & Biological Sciences:
Detailed Analysis of the Functions and Regulatory Potential, and the Subcomplexes, of the Subunits of Eucaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 3 in Humans, Dr. rer. nat. Leoš Shivaya Valášek, DSc. (Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague)
The project explored the regulation of protein synthesis (aka translation), which is a process of the translation of genetic information – stored in the form of DNA in genes – into proteins. The investigators established how the eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF3) in humans ensures the assembly of ribosomal complexes in charge of detecting the exact start of the synthesis of individual proteins. This project’s findings are important mostly for the research of translation deregulation, which facilitates the progression of certain types of malignant tumours, and a number of other diseases.
Social Sciences & Humanities:
The Bohuslav Martinů Complete Edition (BMCE) – Phase 2, Mgr. Aleš Březina, Ph.D. (Bohuslav Martinu Institute, benevolent association, Prague)
The major contribution from the project is the critical publication of nine volumes of the works of Bohuslav Martinů – a Czech music composer of worldwide acclaim. The project served to assemble and publish a database of the sources which are key to the discovery and examination of his life and works, as well as the history of 20th century music in the historical region of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, the United States, France, and Switzerland. The project also opens up nearly 900 letters from the voluminous correspondence of this leading Czech figure.
Agricultural and Biological-Environmental Sciences:
Missing Links: Genome Evolution in the tribe Camelineae (fam. Brassicaceae), RNDr. Terezie Mandáková, Ph.D. (Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno)
Camelina sativa (aka “gold-of-pleasure”, “false flax”, “linseed dodder”, “Siberian oilseed”, or “German sesame”) from the Brassicaceae family is an ancient oilseed crop cultivated in Europe as early as several thousand years B.C. This project was instrumental in the identification of the most likely parents in the family, characterisation of the genome structure of the five most closely related species, and the identification of the mechanisms of evolution of the genomes. The new findings provide the information necessary for the future cultivation of this significant crop.
