The MUNI Award in Science and Humanities (MASH) are the extraordinary grants offered by the Grant Agency of Masaryk University (GAMU), which opened first call for this prestigious MASH grant already in 2017. GAMU MASH scheme aims to attract successful scientists to Brno and offer them attractive conditions for the long-term research at Masaryk University.
Its recipient may look forward to up to five years of support in the amount up to CZK 5 million per year, or for a four years of support in the amount up to CZK 3 milion per year, along with stable workplace in Brno. 28 excellent scientists have been awarded the MASH grant so far, six of them received the five year grant.
“The concept of the MUNI Award in Science and Humanities is an excellent opportunity for outstanding foreign scientists to join the research community at Masaryk University. We particularly encourage applications from excellent scientists seeking an international research environment, including senior postdoctoral fellows aiming to establish their independent research teams. Through a generous budget combined with considerable freedom in resource allocation, we are looking for top scientists dedicated to the most prestigious projects. Our goal is to foster excellence and achieve results at the highest international standards”, says Vice-Rector for Research and Doctoral Studies Šárka Pospíšilová.
MASH awards have attracted ERC holders
Thanks to the MASH ‘supergrants’ MU has attracted six experienced scientists of an international fame. The very first MASH was awarded to graph theory expert Daniel Kráľ, who is also the holder of two ERC grants. Having relocated from the University of Warwick to the Faculty of Informatics of Masaryk University he has specialised in the development of mathematical large graph models which represent networks in informatics and are commonly applied in maths. He currently works at the University of Leipzig thanks to an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship.
According to Daniel Kráľ from the Faculty of Informatics, flexibility is the most significant advantage of the MASH award. “It allows me to immediately shift my focus on new ideas and promising topics as they emerge. Most grants do not include this opportunity as they are defined for very specific topics,” he said in an interview for M Magazine.
One year later the award went to British art historian Matthew Rampley who came to Brno from the University of Birmingham. While at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University, the holder of the ERC and MASH grant focuses on inter-war art and architecture in Central Europe and the impacts of political and social events on them. He is currently working on an EXPRO grant and is trying to explore the connection between the Czechs and the colonial world.
Third MASH was awarded to astrophysicist Norbert Werner, currently from the Faculty of Science of MU. In his research, he is attempting to find out why there aren’t more stars in space or how black holes affect their surroundings. Thanks to his observations the largest eruption in space known to this date was documented.
Norbert Werner has a similar opinion. “MASH is an excellent, flexible project. You cannot really schedule research far ahead; that is not how science works. A brand new aspect may emerge which will force you to change plans, which is exactly what the MASH award allows. Not to mention the fact that it allows you to focus more on research and not on paperwork,” Werner stated in his interview for M Magazine.
The next awardee was computer scientist Jan Křetínský, who moves from the Technical University in Munich to MU in May 2023. Křetínský teaches courses in theoretical computer science, such as Verification, Formal languages and automata theory. He also manages a team of scientists and is active in research in the area of theoretical computer science. Earlier this year, Křetínský received an ERC grant for AI research.
Fifth MASH grant was awarded to a physicist Jan Kuneš. He came to MU from the TU Wien and as an extraordinary professor at the Faculty of Science, he focuses, for example, on altermagnetism. He appreciates the truly generous amount of the MASH subsidy.
Last winner of MUNI Award in Science and Humanities is an astronomer Tereza Jeřábková. She returned to the Czech Republic after years of working at the European Southern observatory (ESO) and the European Space Agency’s (ESA). The astronomer seeks to link the physical processes of star formation and evolution with the broader context of the galaxies where the stars are born.
According to Tereza Jeřábková, this grant is unparalleled in the Czech Republic: it is flexible, allows you to build your own team and it is specifically designed to bring successful scientists back to the country. The MASH grant is comparable to prestigious European grants and offers exceptional opportunities for scientific development.
Grants for promising researchers
Masaryk university also supports young promising researcher through the MASH grant scheme. There were 13 research projects supported by the MASH Junior grant, which was announced in years 2021 to 2023.
In the latest MASH grant call, launched by the university in autumn 2024, there is a new category for young scientists who wish to apply for a European Research Council (ERC) Starting or Consolidator grant under the MU umbrella. The MASH StG/CoG grant will provide holders with three million crowns per year for four years. In this first call university selected 9 researchers who will receive this grant.
Detailed information on the selection procedure and candidate profile can be found on the website of the Grant Agency of Masaryk University. The next call for proposals under the MASH grant will be announced in the fall of this year.