UPDATE 10 APRIL: In a response to numerous requests from the scientific community, the Presidium of the Czech Science Foundation has decided to postpone the deadline for the submission of proposals into tenders already published, due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic situation in the Czech Republic, and the government’s new measures, such as the limited movement of people, and the closure of schools and kindergartens. The tenders already published are now cancelled, and will be launched again. That way, the deadlines will be postponed by 2 weeks, which should help organizations and applicants better deal with this extraordinary situation.
JUST RELEASE: NEW CALLS FOR PROPOSOSAL IN TENDERS FOR 2022
22. 2. 2021
The Czech Science Foundation has published a call for proposals in the categories of Standard Projects, JUNIOR STAR, and POSTDOC INDIVIDUAL FELLOWSHIP, which is a brand new scheme. The deadline for submissions is 8 April 22 April. Results will be announced in November and December this year. At the same time, another tender is open for proposals for International Projects. Projects which win funding after multiple rounds of evaluations will be launched in 2022.
“The POSTDOC INDIVIDUAL FELLOWSHIP is new this year. It gives Czech scientists who received their PhDs not too long ago an opportunity to get experience abroad. The Fellowship also makes it possible for scientists from abroad to come to perform research at a Czech institution. Our goal is to boost the exchange of experience, opinions, and ideas. Something that researchers cannot do without if they want to succeed,” says prof. RNDr. Jaroslav Koča, DrSc., the President of the Czech Science Foundation, and adds: “For the same reason, we are expanding our international cooperation. A substantial part of the expansion took place last year already. And this year, we are pushing forward also – thanks to Weave, a new initiative that we have co-founded – the number of agencies from abroad cooperating with the Czech Science Foundation is going to continue to increase.
Project proposals in the individual categories may be submitted by 8 April 22 April (deadlines may vary for international tenders). After submissions, the project proposals will be evaluated in multiple rounds of a transparent process where international experts are taking part in addition to local scholars recommended by Czech institutions. The JUNIOR STAR proposals are going to be evaluated by international experts only. The experts have been selected Science Connect, an independent agency. “Not a single project is funded without being reviewed by at least one international evaluator; the vast majority even received more than one review from abroad,” adds the Czech Science Foundation President. The winning proposals will be announced in November and December this year.
Standard Projects
Standard Projects are the cornerstone of grant funding for basic research in the Czech Republic – every year since it was established in 1993, the Czech Science Foundation has funded a few hundred of them . Standard Projects are funded to facilitate the best of basic research in all fields of science. Proposals for 3-year projects may be submitted by any researcher or team, regardless of their age or experience.
JUNIOR STAR was introduced last year and was met with tremendous interest. JUNIOR STAR grants are intended for excellent scientists in their early careers (within 8 years of receiving their PhDs) active in all areas of basic research who have published in prestigious international journals before, and have had substantial experience abroad. The 5-year project allows them to receive up to CZK 25 million (€966,000) and gives them an opportunity to attain scientific independence or even start their own research team, which can bring new areas of research into Czech science.
POSTDOC INDVIDUAL FELLOWSHIP (PIF) is the latest type of grant funding, and a call for proposals has been published this year for the first time ever. The Fellowship is targeted at scientists who have completed their PhDs in the last four years. The OUTGOING PIF makes it possible for Czech scientists to perform research at any institution in the world, provided that the Fellow returns to the Czech Republic to spend at least one year at a local institution. The INCOMING PIF enables a scientist from abroad to come to a Czech institution to carry out his or her research.
Proposals for International Projects may be submitted in tenders published with agencies abroad jointly, on the basis of an agreement between the Czech Science Foundation and the other agencies. Project Proposals are either evaluated by both agencies (bilateral cooperation), or recommended for funding only by one of the agencies, and the other one accepts that recommendation (cooperation based on Lead Agency)
Agencies involved within bilateral cooperation
Taiwan – Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)
South Korea – National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)
São Paulo, Brazil – São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
No call for proposals has come from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) this year for reasons on its part. New calls are expected to come back next year.
The COVID-19 pandemic has identified a clear need for the efficient decontamination of surfaces and objects of daily use to reduce the transmission of the virus through smear infection. The response has come from a research project funded by two research sponsors: FWF of Austria, and the Czech Science Foundation. It was the first international urgent funding project in late 2020. Its goal is to offer a safe, environmentally friendly, and affordable alternative of surface decontamination compared to current options.
The Czech-Austrian research project explores decontamination, recycling, and reuse of heat or liquid-sensitive objects, for example highly effective face masks.
The goal of the project is to explore Cold Atmospheric Plasma technology (CAP) and its further application, and the effort involves teams of Thomas Lion of St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research in Vienna, and Vladimír Scholtz of the University of Chemistry and Technology (UCT) in Prague.
The project explores the effectiveness of CAP, as an innovative technology, against selected human respiratory viruses, such as the SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, adenovirus, and rhinovirus.
What is CAP? It is ionized gas, in fact, any electric discharge.
A Fluorescent Gas with Disinfecting Power
CAP is an ionized, fluorescent gas. In principle, it is any electric discharge, a tiny spark ranging from a few millimetres to a few centimetres in size. Plasma generators are used to produce plasma.
“We developed a simple generator to decontaminate scarce FFP respirators as early as the spring of 2020, when the pandemic started. We proved it effective against the coronavirus, and we verified that the filtration capability of the respirators is not reduced by the plasma. We named it Corona Spark against the Corona Virus, and released all documentation for everyone’s use,” says Vladimír Scholtz.
“I am delighted we have started successfully to work together with our Austrian partners, which makes it possible for us to further develop the application of plasma against microorganisms. St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Centre works with viruses primarily, and we have explored low-temperature plasma and its microbicidal effect (it kills microscopic organisms) for over a decade,” adds Vladimír Scholtz on part of Czech scientists.
Please watch this video this video to find out how the plasma generator works.
Vladimír Scholtz focuses on the recycling and reuse of highly effective face protection, and surface decontamination using a new, safe, and environmentally friendly technology: CAP.
Safe and Environmentally Friendly Method of Decontamination
Objects which cannot be decontaminated by heat or by liquid disinfectants may present a higher risk of virus transmission. The availability of alternative methods such as CAP is critical to prevent the epidemic spread of viral or microbial pathogens.
The effectiveness of CAP in bacterial disinfection is already well-established, and more recent studies have proven it suitable to deactivate viruses. “We need to establish new findings about the effectiveness of CAP to be able to design new and reliable appliances optimised for various areas of application,” says Vladimír Scholtz.
The outcomes of the research co-funded by the Czech Science Foundation and FWF of Austria are going to help introduce CAP as a safe and affordable alternative to decontamination methods deployed at present. In addition, getting to understand the mechanisms deactivating viruses through CAP will also help the researchers learn the strengths of this technology, and to tackle any weaknesses before the technology is released for a broad application. “Our goal is to see primarily healthcare providers using the plasma generators for the disinfection of objects and surfaces on regular basis. The advantage is that the manufacturing costs are not going to be extremely high, the generators should come in the single-digit or low double-digit euro amounts,” says Vladimír Scholtz of UTC in conclusion.
Plasma generator (Corona Spark against Corona Virus).
Cross-Border Cooperation
Titled “Decontamination of Sensitive Materials by Low-Temperature Atmospheric Plasma for Effective and Affordable Virus Elimination”, this international project has been funded through the “Urgent Funding SARS-CoV-2” programme. The project was recommended for implementation by FWF (Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung) of Austria in the Lead Agency evaluation regime, and is being co-financed by FWF and the Czech Science Foundation.
“This project is a showcase of a promising start of both cross-border and interdisciplinary cooperation. As a result of the Czech Science Foundation’s quick response to the call by FWF of Austria, teams of Czech and Austrian scientists were able to present joint project proposals responding to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic between April and December last year. There are additional joint projects dealing with the pandemic under consideration at the moment. They will be launched as soon as they are recommended for funding,” says Jaroslav Koča, President of the Czech Science Foundation.
The Czech Science Foundation continues developing international cooperation opportunities constantly. At present, the Foundation works together with institutions from Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, and São Paulo (Brazil). In 2020, the Czech Science Foundation joined WEAVE, an initiative which is going to open cross-border cooperation to additional countries in Europe.
The Czech Science Foundation (GACR) signed an agreement on cooperation with the Luxembourg National Research Fund (NRF) this week. The cooperation is based on the Weave initiative whose goal is to connect twelve research-funding European organizations together by 2025. Researchers will be able to apply for mutual projects with colleagues from Luxembourg already this year.
“Just like in previous years GACR is concentrating on expanding the possibilities of international cooperation. At the moment we have agreements with organizations from all over the world – these include a number of European countries, but also Brazil or Taiwan, for example. The cooperation with Luxembourg is in a way an anniversary, as it has become the tenth country we have an agreement with. It is, however, definitely not the last one. Thanks to the Weave initiative we are going to establish cooperation with at least five other European organizations in the near future, while negotiations with other countries are ongoing beyond the initiative, as well,“ says Prof. RNDr. Jaroslav Koča, DrSc., the President of GACR.
Researchers will have an opportunity to submit projects together according to the agreement between GACR and NRF already this year. The cooperation is based on the Lead Agency principle, which means that the projects will be only evaluated and recommended for funding by one of the organizations, while the other one will adopt its conclusions. This year only GACR will be in the role of the evaluating Lead Agency in the case of the cooperation with Luxembourg. Starting next year, research projects will be evaluated by both sides.
Thanks to the Weave initiative researchers will not only be able to submit projects involving Czech and Luxembourgish cooperation, but they will also be able to join teams from Germany, Austria or Switzerland. An interactive tool has been developed in order to provide further information on funding opportunities for research projects.
Today, 12 national research funding organisations, with the support of Science Europe, launch Weave, a cross-European initiative to fund and support excellent international research projects. It is the first time a large network of this scale has developed an initiative of this kind to enable bilateral and trilateral scientific cooperation in Europe.
Weave aims to simplify the submission and selection procedures of collaborative research proposals involving researchers from up to three European countries or regions with a single evaluation. It makes use of existing national or regional funding programmes, through which research projects will be financed. It seeks to make it easier for researchers to collaborate across borders. It also ambitions to increase the capacity of researchers to freely determine the composition, focus, and content of their projects.
“Scientists will certainly appreciate the Weave initiative because it will simplify the international cooperation, so vivid already. The major value added by Weave is the expansion of the group of countries whose scientists will be able to take part in projects. At present, we have cooperation established with Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Switzerland, and a number of countries outside Europe. Thanks to Weave, another six institutions from European countries will be ‘interwoven’ by the end of 2025. This way, we are creating a pan-European network of institutions funding basic research,” says Prof. RNDr. Jaroslav Koča, DrSc., President, Czech Science Foundation.
Weave builds on the Lead Agency Procedure, through which a single funding organisation evaluates proposals put forward by an international team of researchers and communicates the funding recommendation to the other funders involved. In practice, the researchers choose a coordinating applicant, who submits the joint proposal to the respective Weave funding organisation in their country or region.
“We fully support the Weave initiative, and its effort to promote bilateral and trilateral scientific cooperation within Europe,” said Lidia Borrell-Damián, Science Europe Secretary General. “Innovative projects like Weave strongly contribute to strengthening international research collaboration and the realisation of the European Research Area.”
The Weave signatories have developed, with the support of Science Europe, an interactive online tool that researchers can use to determine the relevant funding opportunities for their projects.
By appointment from the Czech government, structural biologist Prof. RNDr. Jaroslav Koča, DrSc., takes over the helm of the Czech Science Foundation (“GACR”) today. He is replacing nuclear physicist RNDr. Alice Valkárová, DrSc., who remains member of the Presidium. Prof. Koča brings his managerial experience from the position of Scientific Director of the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), and his goal is to continue developing international cooperation, and to expand grant opportunities.
“The Czech Science Foundation has supported Czech basic research since 1993. Since then, the agency has supported thousands of projects involving tens of thousands of scientists from hundreds of institutions. I dare say that a great part of our basic research in this country relies on the Czech Science Foundation. Although this research is usually carried out in the Czech Republic, science itself is international, and it is necessary for Czech science to be world-class. My goal is to continue supporting excellence projects, and developing international cooperation. I also consider it vastly important to continuously improve the system of grant support so that it has the capacity to fundamentally support scientists in their early careers, take them through each next phase of their careers, and respond to current challenges in all our society and, indeed, challenges on a global scale,” says Jaroslav Koča, the new President of the Czech Science Foundation.
“Jaroslav Koča is not only a scientist of high recognition, but he also has a wealth of experience from top management positions – at the moment he is acting as the Scientific Director of CEITEC. What I consider important is the fact that he has been member of the GACR Presidium since 2016, and deserves his share of credit for the current good condition of the Czech Science Foundation. He has taken an active part in its development, including a significant expansion of international cooperation, which is going to continue, and the preparation of highly selective calls for proposals within EXPRO and JUNIOR STAR projects. I am delighted to be able to hand over the Presidency to someone who knows the Czech Science Foundation very well,” notes Alice Valkárová, the outgoing President, who remains member of the Presidium.
In the course of his scientific career so far, Jaroslav Koča has published over 200 original scientific reports in international journals, and has led over 40 doctoral students and post-docs. He has worked at a number of institutions abroad, some of them in a long-term engagement (Norway, France, U.S.) Prof. Koča has also obtained and managed several large-scale international projects domestically and abroad in the volume of tens or even hundreds of millions of Czech crowns. He was appointed Professor in 1995 by the Masaryk University in Brno in the field of organic chemistry. Prof. Koča has held several science management positions, and has been the Scientific Director of CEITEC since 2015, a position he will leave by 31 December 2020. The government of the Czech Republic appointed Prof. Koča member of the GACR Presidium, where he takes over as President effective 10 December 2020.
About GACR Presidium
The Presidium of the Czech Science Foundation (GACR) is appointed by the government of the Czech Republic upon nominations from the R&D Council. It is composed of five members, each of whom represents one of the five basic fields of science: Technical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Medical and Biological Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, and Agricultural and Biological-Environmental Sciences. Presidium members are appointed for a four-year term, and may serve no more than two consecutive terms. The President of the Presidium acts as the individual governing (executive) body of the Czech Science Foundation. The Presidium approves invitations to R&D tenders, and executes Funding Agreements, i.e., the grant awards to scientific projects on the basis of evaluations from discipline committees and GACR panels. Furthermore, the Presidium coordinates the activities of these advisory bodies, and appoints and discharges their members. Please click here to see more information about the GACR Presidium.
About the Czech Science Foundation (GACR)
The Czech Science Foundation (GACR) is a governmental agency and the only institution in the Czech Republic providing targeted funds to basic research projects only. The budget in 2020 is approx. CZK 4.2 billion (EUR 160 mil.) Within its funding schemes, the Czech Science Foundation provides financing to projects carried out by seasoned scientists and teams as well as young ones in the early stages of their careers. Each year, hundreds of research projects receive funding based on multiple levels of transparent tenders.
The Czech Science Foundation (“GACR”) will put approximately CZK 1 billion (EUR 38 mil.) into new basic research projects next year out of its total budget of over CZK 4 billion. The remainder of the targeted funds is allocated to on-going projects. Apart from standard projects, the Czech Science Foundation will fund EXPRO excellence projects and JUNIOR STAR projects targeted at scientists in their early careers. Another group of projects will obtain funds within international cooperation with research and development agencies worldwide.
“The Czech Science Foundation funds basic research projects at virtually all scientific institutions in the country – recipients include, primarily, the Czech Academy of Sciences and universities, but also museums, libraries, hospitals, and others. Each year, we allocate approx. CZK 4.2 billion to basic research projects. It is an enormous amount, more than 10% of the governments total R&D budget, and we are delighted to see the results coming in. More than half the articles by Czech scientists which rank among 1% most quoted ones worldwide have come to existence through our funding and support,” says RNDr. Alice Valkárová, DrSc., the President of the Czech Science Foundation, adding: “Sometimes basic research is not considered as important as applied research because it does not primarily aim at immediate use of the results in practical life. This view is short-sighted, however, because only through research that brings breakthrough discoveries can new inventions be created. Not even the greatest of innovations of a candle would result in the creation of a light bulb. Even the development of vaccines, so topical nowadays, is based on the findings of basic research.”
The Czech Science Foundation provides funding to projects from all areas of basic research – from technical sciences through natural and biological sciences to social sciences and humanities. Standard projects, of which hundreds get funded every year, usually support the top research efforts in the Czech Republic. New, highly selective projects include EXPRO, targeted at seasoned scholars, enabling them to explore unique ideas having the potential to give a fundamental push to the development of their scientific fields. In addition, EXPRO grants require their recipients to participate in the prestigious grant competition of the European Research Council (ERC). The JUNIOR STAR group of grants is an absolutely new scheme, targeted at scientists in their early careers who graduated with a Ph.D. no more than 8 years ago. Several dozens of researchers will be given the opportunity to become independent scientists, developing their own fields of exploration.
Furthermore, the Czech Science Foundation has developed, and is still developing, numerous international partnerships. The most recent ones include Switzerland, Slovenia, and Poland. Partnerships already in place include Germany, Austria, South Korea, Taiwan, Russia, and São Paulo in Brazil. Czech scientific teams work on international projects together with a team from the partner country. “In some cases, we have also seen three teams from three countries joining their forces. We are happy to be able to develop international cooperation so intensively. And we expect to continue expanding international cooperation in future years. Research in the vast majority of fields does not happen in a vacuum – findings are shared throughout the scientific community. The transfer of experience, and linking teams together, creates a significant added value,” concludes the President of the Czech Science Foundation.
About the Czech Science Foundation
Established in 1993, the Czech Scientific Foundation (GACR) is a governmental agency and the only institution in the country providing targeted funds to basic research projects. Within its funding schemes, the Czech Science Foundation provides financing to projects carried out by seasoned scientists and teams as well as young ones in the early stages of their careers. Each year, hundreds of research projects receive funding based on multiple levels of transparent tenders.
The Presidium of the Czech Science Foundation (“GACR”) has decided which standard projects to finance in the area of basic research in the upcoming year. Standard projects will be funded along with EXPRO, JUNIOR STAR, and international projects. Another 60 (approximately) projects will receive funding depending on the current availability of funds after partner organisations abroad carry out their evaluations.
“This year, we have seen scientists showing much greater interest in funding than they did in previous years. The volume of funding available from the state budget distributed through the Czech Science Foundation in support of Czech science is still the same, however: approximately CZK 4.2 billion (EUR 160 million). I wish to congratulate all those who have succeeded in the tight competition and are going to receive funding, and I look forward to the results of their explorations,” says RNDr. Alice Valkárová, DrSc., President of GACR, adding: “I do realise that the applicants who have not received funding for their projects may be disappointed, I will be happy if they don’t lose their love of science. First, they can still amend their projects and submit again next year. Second, we are continuously working on expanding grant schemes to tailor them to scientists’ needs as best we can. Among the recommendations we follow in this effort are those from the government’s R&D Council. In recent years, we have been able to establish several significant international partnerships, and there are more to come. Also last year, we financed EXPRO projects for the first time, and this year‘s calls for JUNIOR START projects were published for the first time. We are planning to open a new tender for POSTDOC INDIVIDUAL FELLOWSHIP next year. We are delighted that the Czech Science Foundation has been a long-term provider of grant funding whose contribution to the high level of Czech science is substantial – more than half the articles by Czech scientists which rank among the 1% most quoted ones worldwide have received funding from us.
Additional standard projects, on top of those listed below, can be financed depending on the funding decision for international projects in cooperation between the Czech Science Foundation and partner institutions abroad. That decision should be made in the Spring of 2021.
“In recent years, the number of projects involving international cooperation has surged. New international projects received funding in the amount of CZK 33.5 million in 2018. The amount went up to CZK 57 million in 2019. And CZK 105.6 million this year. And the amount ear-marked by the Czech Science Foundation for such projects is even higher: CZK 200 million. At the moment, however, we still do not know which projects will receive funding – most of them are still awaiting an evaluation and/or approval by the partner organisation abroad. If the financial provision for international projects is not exhausted, it will be used for the funding of another 60 projects (approx.) We will reach out to inform such applicants in the Spring about funding possibilities for their projects starting in the second half of 2021,” adds Alice Valkárová.
The evaluations of standard projects takes place in three stages, and there are 400 experts involved. Each project proposal was evaluated by at least four independent experts in a given field. Over half of the best project proposals were then assessed by evaluators abroad – more than 99% project proposals have received at least two evaluations from abroad. You are welcome to learn more about the evaluation process for standard projects.
The Czech Science Foundation (“GACR”) has completed the evaluations of bilateral international projects where the Lead Agency principle is used as basis of evaluation, and where the Czech Science Foundation is the evaluating agency. Final decisions on funding by the participating agencies will be announced in the next few weeks and months.
LEAD AGENCY PROJECTS
The year 2020 has seen a tremendous development in the area of Lead Agency (LA) projects, where one organisation (the Lead Agency) recommends projects for funding, and the other agency accepts this recommendation, which is different from bilateral international projects. The LA approach reduces the administrative burden of the entire process dramatically.
Earlier this year, the Czech Science Foundation, and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) have published a joint call for proposals for the first time. The results were published (only in Czech) in late September. CEUS, the new Central-European initiative, was an important part of international LA projects. The initiative has been joined by the Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF) of Austria, the Javna agencija za raziskovalno dejavnost Republike Slovenije (ARRS) of Slovenia, and the Narodowe Centrum Nauki (NCN) of Poland. It was also possible to submit trilateral proposals in response to this new call. The last important news is that the Czech Science Foundation has become the Lead Agency for the first time, i.e. the agency carrying out the expert evaluation and proposing which projects receive funding.
The Presidium of GACR made the decision on LA projects evaluated by the Czech Science Foundation in late November, proposing projects worth nearly CZK 212 million (EUR 8 million). The next step is the confirmation of the proposed results by the partner agencies. Thus, the applicants will be notified of the final results once the agencies abroad confirm the decisions of the Czech Science Foundation. LA projects worth over CZK 64 million have already been approved in the autumn (in cooperation with SNSF and FWF).
More projects are still in the evaluation process where FWF of Austria and NCN of Switzerland play the Lead Agency role. The Czech Science Foundation has already announced (only in Czech) the first results of the joint call for proposals by FWF of Austria, which carries out evaluations contiuously throughout the year. More results are expected in March next year. The joint call with ARRS of Slovenia will be published in early December this year. These calls (published later) will produce projects launched in the 2nd half of 2021 or in early 2022.
The Czech Science Foundation continues to support international projects carried out jointly by scientific teams from Taiwan (in cooperation with the Ministry of Science and Technology – MOST), South Korea (National Research Foundation of Korea – NRF), Germany (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – DFG), São Paolo, Brazil (São Paulo Research Foundation – FAPESP), and Russia (Russian Foundation for Basic Research – RFBR). Project proposals submitted in these tenders are evaluated by both the Czech Science Foundation and the partner abroad. They receive funding if recommended by both institutions.
The number of project proposals received within international bilateral projects has increased more than threefold over the last 3 years, and the amount of funds provided by the Czech Science Foundation corresponds to this increase.
Please see below the list of projects recommended by the Czech Science Foundation for funding in 2021. The funding of those projects is contingent upon approvals by the partner organisations, which have not been issued yet. The final funding decision will be made in the next weeks and months after evaluation results are received from partner institutions.
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.
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.
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.
(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.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Předvolby
Technické uložení nebo přístup je nezbytný pro legitimní účel ukládání preferencí, které nejsou požadovány odběratelem nebo uživatelem.
Statistics
Technické uložení nebo přístup, který se používá výhradně pro statistické účely.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
