The Czech Science Foundation (GACR) today celebrates 30 years since it first funded science projects. During its existence, the Czech Science Foundation has funded over 20,000 basic research projects worth more than CZK 71 billion (nearly EUR 3 billion).
“It took less than a year to establish our Foundation, launch the first call for proposals, and start funding the first scientific projects. Even then, the management was inspired by the best practices of renowned agencies abroad, such as the National Science Foundation in the USA. The latter even recently became our partner. This allowed the Czech Science Foundation to become a world-class agency within a short period of time,” says the President of the Czech Science Foundation, Prof. Petr Baldrian.
“Thirty years of existence is our commitment for the future. The Czech Science Foundation is pursuing global priorities such as open science, supporting scientists in their early careers, balancing professional and scientific life, and implementing those priorities in the Czech scientific environment. We are constantly expanding and improving our grant opportunities to meet the needs of Czech scientists,” notes Prof Baldrian.
The thirty year anniversary of the Czech Science Foundation will be commemorated throughout the year. The history and the present of the Czech Science Foundation will be presented on the pages of the publication Czech Science Foundation: the Path of Excellence in Basic Research and in a special feature of the “Vesmír” journal, which will be published in September. You can also follow the Czech Science Foundation’s birthday wishes from prominent personalities on Facebook. The celebrations will include the presentation of the Czech Science Foundation President’s Awards in October, which will also be an anniversary event – this year they will be awarded for the 20th time.
The Czech Science Foundation is the only provider of grants earmarked for basic research projects in all fields of science in the Czech Republic. In 2023, it has a budget of CZK 4.7 billion (approx. EUR 195 million). Over 11,000 expert reviews are produced each year to evaluate projects. In addition to the main calls for proposals, funding is also provided for narrowly focused calls for scientists in their early careers, but also for seasoned researchers, and for international research projects.