In this way, MU is increasing the guaranteed income for both new and current doctoral students and significantly expanding the group of students entitled by law to this guaranteed income. From 15 September, all concerned students enrolled in doctoral programmes can check their financial situation and apply for the new doctoral scholarship via the Masaryk University Information System.
The newly established doctoral study income may consist of a scholarship and a salary component earned for creative work connected to the dissertation. The scholarship may therefore amount to up to 1.2 times the minimum wage, which for the academic year 2025/2026 equals CZK 24,960, if the student does not receive any income for work related to their dissertation.
The guaranteed income is available to full-time doctoral students who are studying for the standard period of study and fulfilling their study obligations. Masaryk University has also set a minimum doctoral scholarship of CZK 12,000 for these students, which may only be reduced or withdrawn in cases of serious failure to meet obligations arising from the individual study plan.
Doctoral candidates can apply for this scholarship from 15 September in the Information System. The amount they are entitled to depends on whether they also receive a salary for work connected with the preparation of their dissertation.
“Only part of the relevant salary is counted towards the guaranteed income, so the calculation is not straightforward. That is why we have prepared a tool in the Information System to help doctoral students find out what their final income will look like and what level of scholarship they are entitled to,” says Šárka Pospíšilová, ty Vice-rector for research and doctoral Studies.
This calculator may also be helpful for doctoral students who have already been awarded a scholarship for the entire standard study period. Based on the calculation, they can decide whether to keep it or to request its withdrawal and apply for the new scholarship, thereby accepting the guarantee of a minimum doctoral income linked to the minimum wage.
“Since the amount of guaranteed income will be updated each academic year in line with the development of the minimum wage, and since the salaries received by doctoral students also change, they will now be required to report any changes in their salaries. They will also need to apply for the scholarship on a regularly,” added Vice-rector Pospíšilová.
A detailed description of the new system and the method for calculating the doctoral scholarship can be found by all doctoral students and their supervisors on the Doctoral Study Income page on muni.cz.
Doctoral students who are entitled to a guaranteed scholarship have also received an email with instructions and links to the calculator and the scholarship application form in the MU Information System.