The award aims to encourage researchers and promote the good name of Masaryk University. The university grants it for publishing in prestigious journals or publishing houses or for excellent research results.
“I am very pleased to be honouring the work of our researchers for the sixth time. Once again, we see how diverse and exceptionally high-quality the research at Masaryk University is, with all faculties having representatives among the award recipients. I truly value their hard work and commitment. What they do, their enthusiasm and their ideas change our university and our society for the better,” said Vice-Rector Šárka Pospíšilová at the ceremonial award presentation on 8 December. She added that making the final selection is always very difficult due to the sheer number of excellent nominations.
The university announces the MUNI Scientist award holders at the annual conference of the Masaryk University Grant Agency (GAMU). The conference presents selected completed projects along with the support schemes through which the university motivates top students and researchers.
Head of the Research Office Lukáš Palko highlighted that GAMU aims for an individual approach and covers all stages of a research career. For young researchers at the start of their careers, there is the Excellent Diploma Thesis call, which allows them to experience what it is like to hold and run a research grant. Another key scheme is the Career Restart grant, designed to support researchers returning after a longer break. The call aimed at leading experts – the MUNI Award in Science and Humanities – delivers long-term benefits, including success in securing further prestigious grants. Palko also outlined the individual calls that GAMU will open in 2026 for Masaryk University students and researchers.
MUNI Scientist Award 2025
Dr. Magdalena Adamus
Faculty of Economics and Administration, Department of Business Economics and Management
Awarded for articles published in magazines Political Psychology; Thinking and Reasoning; Applied Psychology-Health and well being.
doc. Mgr. David Bednář, Ph.D.
Faculty of Science, Head of the Molecular Modeling and Bioinformatics Department
Awarded for receiving the prestigious GA ČR JUNIOR STAR grant.
doc. José Luis Bellón Aguilera, PhD.
Faculty of Arts, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures
Awarded for a book published by De Gruyter Brill.
Mgr. Tomáš Fiala, Ph.D.
Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry
Awarded for obtaining prestigious grants ERC Starting Grant, Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science, Experientia Foundation.
Mgr. Filip Hrbáček, Ph.D.
Faculty of Science, Institute of Geography
Awarded for receiving the prestigious ERC CZ grant
Ing. Ondřej Jurček, Ph.D. et Ph.D.
Faculty of Pharmacy and Natural Sciences, Institute of Natural Medicines, Institute of Chemistry and National Center for Biomolecular Research
Awarded for an article published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.
doc. Mgr. David Kalhous, Ph.D.
Faculty of Arts, Institute of Auxiliary Historical Sciences and Archival Studies
Awarded for receiving the prestigious grant GA ČR EXPRO.
doc. RNDr. Barbora Kozlíková, Ph.D.
Vice-Dean for Research and Doctoral Studies, Faculty of Informatics, Department of Visual Informatics
Awarded for articles published in IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.
prof. Dr. Rer. Nat. RNDr. Mgr. Bc. Jan Křetínský, Ph.D.
Faculty of Informatics, Department of Programming Theory
Awarded for receiving the prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant.
Mgr. Zuzana Kubovčáková, M.A., Ph.D.
Faculty of Arts, Seminar of Japanese Studies
Awarded for a chapter in a book published by Springer Nature.
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Markéta Kulhánková, Ph.D.
Faculty of Arts, RE:CENT Center for the Study and Popularization of Medieval Visual Culture
Awarded for a book published by Brill.
Mgr. Nikol Kvardová, Ph.D.
Faculty of Social Studies, Interdisciplinary Research on the Internet and Society and Department of Psychology
Awarded for articles published in the journals Computers in Human Behavior; Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
Mgr. David Lacko, Ph.D.
Faculty of Social Studies and Faculty of Arts, Interdisciplinary Research on the Internet and Society and Department of Information Studies and Library Science
Awarded for an article published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior.
Leandro Loriga, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Psychology and Ethics
Awarded for a book published by Springer Nature.
doc. RNDr. Zdeňka Lososová, Ph.D.
Faculty of Science, Institute of Botany and Zoology/Vegetation Research
Awarded for a study published in Preslia and popularization of flora in Brno.
prof. JUDr. Jiří Malenovský, CSc.
Faculty of Law, Department of International and European Law
Awarded for a book published by Teoretik (Leges) publishing house.
Klára Marečková, Ph.D., M.Sc.
CEITEC MU and the Faculty of Medicine, Milan Brázdil Research Group and the 1st Department of Neurology
Awarded for articles published in the journals Translational Psychiatry; Psychological Medicine; NeuroImage.
Ing. RNDr. Martin Marek, Ph.D., MBA
Faculty of Science, Structural Biology
Awarded for receiving the prestigious GA ČR EXPRO grant.
prof. RNDr. Václav Matyáš, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Faculty of Informatics, Department of Computer Systems and Communications
Awarded for receiving the prestigious Horizon Europe Cluster 3 grant.
Matthew Rampley, B.A., Ph.D.
Faculty of Arts, Seminar of Art History and Center for Modern Art and Theory
Awarded for receiving the prestigious grant GA ČR EXPRO.
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Adéla Souralová, Ph.D.
Faculty of Social Studies, Department of Sociology
Awarded for a book published by Springer Nature.
Mgr. Oksana Yuriyivna Stupak, Ph.D., DrSc.
Faculty of Education, Department of Education
Awarded for receiving the prestigious GA ČR JUNIOR STAR grant.
Mgr. et Mgr. Katarína Šipulová, Ph.D., MSt
Faculty of Law, Institute for Judicial Affairs and Department of Constitutional Law and Political Science
Awarded for an article published in Law & Policy magazine.
prof. RNDr. Mojmír Šob, DrSc.
Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry
Awarded for an article published in the journal Progress in Materials Science.
prof. RNDr. Robert Vácha, PhD.
CEITEC MU and the Faculty of Science, Robert Vácha Research Group, National Center for Biomolecular Research and Institute of Condensed Matter Physics
Awarded for receiving the prestigious ERC Proof of Concept grant.
JUDr. PhDr. Jakub Valc, Ph.D., LL.M.
Faculty of Law, Department of Legal Theory
Awarded for an article published in the journal Medical Law Review.
prof. PhDr. Martin Wihoda, Ph.D.
Faculty of Arts, Department of History
Awarded for a book published by Bloomsbury.
Mgr. Jitka Blažíčková
Faculty of Medicine, Nicola Silva Research Group
Nicola Silva, PhD.
Faculty of Medicine, Nicola Silva Research Group
Awarded for an article published in the journal Nature Communications.
doc. Mgr. Petra Goláňová Ph.D.
Faculty of Arts, Institute of Archeology and Museology
doc. Dr. phil. Peter Milo
Faculty of Arts, Institute of Archeology and Museology
doc. Mgr. Mária Hajnalová, PhD.
Faculty of Arts, Institute of Archeology and Museology
Awarded for a book published by Bibracte.
JUDr. Mgr. Jakub Harašta, Ph.D.
Faculty of Law, Institute of Law and Technology
Mgr. Tereza Novotná, Ph.D.
Faculty of Law, Institute of Law and Technology
Awarded for an article published in the journal Artificial Intelligence and Law.
Ahmed Adel Ibrahim Hassona Hassan, Dr. Rer. Nat.
CEITEC MU, head of the Gabriel Dem Research Group
Mgr. Gabriel Demo, Ph.D.
CEITEC MU, head of the Gabriel Dem Research Group
Awarded for an article published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research.
Mgr. Jiří Holoubek, Ph.D.
Faculty of Science, Department of Microbiology
prof. RNDr. Daniel Růžek, Ph.D.
Faculty of Science, Department of Microbiology and Department of Animal Physiology and Immunology
Awarded for an article published in the journal Nature Communications.
prof. Bernadette Nadya Jaworsky, Ph.D.
Faculty of Social Studies, Department of Sociology
Mgr. Radka Klvaňová, Ph.D., M.A.
Faculty of Social Studies
Mgr. Alica Synek Rétiová, Ph.D.
Faculty of Social Studies, Department of Sociology
Mgr. Ivana Rapoš Božič, Ph.D.
Faculty of Social Studies, Department of Sociology and Department of International Relations and European Studies
Mgr. et Mgr. Jan Kotýnek Krotký, Ph.D.
Faculty of Social Studies, Department of International Relations and European Studies and International Institute of Political Science
Awarded for a book published by Bloomsbury.
Sheri Leigh Kingsdorf, Ph.D.
Faculty of Education, Institute for Research on Inclusive Education
PhDr. Helena Vaďurová, Ph.D., M.Sc.
Faculty of Education, Vice-Dean for Quality and Student Affairs, Institute for Research on Inclusive Education
prof. PhDr. Karel Pančocha, Ph.D.
Faculty of Education, Institute for Research on Inclusive Education
Awarded for an article published in the journal Focus on Autism and other Developmental Disabilities.
doc. RNDr. Martin Maška, Ph.D.
Faculty of Informatics, Department of Visual Informatics and Center for Biomedical Image Analysis
prof. RNDr. Michal Kozubek, Ph.D.
Faculty of Informatics, Head of the Center for Biomedical Image Analysis and Department of Visual Informatics
Awarded for an article published in the journal Nature Methods.
Mgr. Bc. Laura Ondrišová, Ph.D.
prof. MUDr. Mgr. Marek Mráz, Ph.D.
CEITEC MU, head of the Marek Mráz Research Group
Awarded for an article published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. M. Mráz also awarded for receiving the prestigious GA ČR EXPRO grant.
Mgr. Peter Tóth, Ph.D.
Faculty of Arts, Institute of Archeology and Museology
Mgr. Jan Petřík, Ph.D.
Faculty of Science, Institute of Geological Sciences
Mgr. Bc. Karel Slavíček, Ph.D.
Faculty of Science, Institute of Geological Sciences
Mgr. Libor Petr, Ph.D.
Faculty of Science and Arts, Peatland Ecology and Institute of Archaeology and Museology
Awarded for an article published in the journal Radiocarbon.
Dragana Vukić Ph.D., M.Sc.
prof. Mary Anne O'Connell, PhD.
CEITEC MU, ERA Chair, Mary O'Connell Research Group
Awarded for an article published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research.
Amel Yamoune, Ph.D., M.Sc.
doc. Jan Hejátko, Ph.D.
CEITEC MU and the Faculty of Science, head of the Jan Hejátek Research Group and the National Center for Biomolecular Research
Awarded for an article published in the journal Plant Communications.
