The Czech Science Foundation (GACR) is announcing calls for proposals for tenders in the area of Standard Projects, EXPRO, JUNIOR STAR, POSTDOC INDIVIDUAL FELLOWSHIP, and International and Lead Agency projects. The submission deadline is 7 April. The winners will be announced in November and December this year. Projects which win funding after passing the multi-stage evaluation process will be launched in 2023.
“This year, after a one-year hiatus, scientists can apply for EXPRO grants again. They are intended for the best among them. If they pass the selection process, they will receive extraordinary grants of up to CZK 50 million for 5 years of project work. The first EXPRO projects have already produced a number of excellent results with a significant impact within their scientific fields, including Highly Cited Papers,” said the Chairman of the Czech Science Foundation Assoc. Prof. Petr Baldrian, Ph.D., adding: “Another of our priorities is to support early-career scientists. This year marks the second year of the POSTDOC INDIVIDUAL FELLOWSHIP tender, which fosters international mobility, and the third year of the JUNIOR STAR tender, through which the best scientists will receive up to five years of funding. Of course, early-career scientists can also apply and succeed in all other tenders. ”
Project proposals can be submitted in the individual tenders until7 April 2022. The announcement of the tenders this year was earlier than in previous years, also due to the complicated epidemiological situation. This will give scientists more time to prepare their project proposals.
The project proposals will be assessed in a multi-stage transparent evaluation process, in which expert reviewers from other countries also participate substantially in addition to experts recommended by Czech research institutions. Among the winners, there is not a single project which has not been reviewed internationally. In case of the highly selective EXPRO and JUNIOR STAR projects, this process is the responsibility of international experts only.
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 usually 3-year projects may be submitted by any researcher or team, regardless of their age or experience.
After a year’s break, the EXPRO competition is once again open for the most excellent Czech scientists. A few selected researchers and their projects are going to raise five-year funding for their teams. During this period they will be able to draw up to 50 million CZK, i.e. an average of CZK ten million per year. The projects with the greatest potential to be part of a breakthrough in their field will be selected for funding by international panels. The research team will also be required to submit a project proposal to the European Research Council (ERC).
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 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. 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)
It is with our deep sorrow that we announce the departure of Prof. RNDr. Jaroslav Koča, DrSc. The President of the Czech Science Foundation passed away suddenly on Friday 2 July 2021, short of turning 66.
Prof. Jaroslav Koča had been a member of the Presidium of the Czech Science Foundation of the Czech Republic since 2016, and was appointed President in December 2020. In this role, he contributed to the current internationalisation of the Foundation, as well as the creation of new types of grants targeted at scientists at various stages of their careers.
Professor Jaroslav Koča was an internationally recognised expert in the field of organic chemistry. He received his professorship in 1995 at the Masaryk University in Brno. During his scientific career, he published more than 200 original scientific papers in international journals, and supervised more than 40 Ph.D. students and postdocs. He worked at a number of international institutions, including long-term engagements in Norway, France, and the United States. In his lifetime, he held several positions in science management – he contributed significantly to the development of CEITEC, where he held the position of Scientific Director in 2015-2020.
With the departure of Jaroslav Koča, Czech science has not only lost a prominent scientist, but also a man who, through his diligence and personal approach, managed to build a world-class scientific environment in the Czech Republic.
Please note that failure to indicate the Organization, i.e. the institution where you will be carrying out the Project and which will employ you for the duration of the Project (should you not intend to carry out the project independently as a natural person) is ground for disqualification of the Project Proposal from the Public Tender.
Institution means Organization, i.e. the future recipient of the subsidy, the data box of which must be used to deliver the Project Proposal to the Czech Science Foundation.
For some public tenders such as POSTDOC INDIVIDUAL FELLOWSHIP (PIF) or JUNIOR STAR, it is not possible for the Project to be carried out by a natural person.
Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us by phone +420 227 088 841 or +420 227 088 861 or by e-mail: info@gacr.cz.
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.
We have prepared a series of video tutorials which will guide grant applicants through the GRIS application. In this five-part series, applicants will be introduced to the complete process of submitting a standard project proposal, from the first steps (such as creating your own profile) to determining your budget to finalizing and, if need be, editing a submitted project proposal.
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 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.
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