The UACES Mid-Career Research Excellence Award recognises a substantial, long-term research contribution to European studies. It is awarded by the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES), an international professional association based in the United Kingdom that has, for more than fifty years, brought together academics, researchers, students and other experts working on Europe and the European Union. Beyond the originality, impact and innovation of the research, UACES also considers collaboration, contribution to the academic community and the potential for further development of the field. Monika Brusenbauch Meislová, from the Department of International Relations at FSS MU, was selected from strong international competition among nominated researchers from across Europe as the first-ever winner of the award. To top it off, this is her second prestigious international academic honour this year: in spring, she was elected a Fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences for her contribution to the social sciences. She is the first – and so far, only – Czech researcher to receive this honour.
UACES connects the academic community across Europe and beyond and publishes the Journal of Common Market Studies (JCMS), one of the leading academic journals focused on European integration and the European Union.
The Mid-Career Research Excellence Award is one of several UACES awards recognising outstanding achievement in research, teaching, societal impact and development of the academic community. This new category is aimed at experts in the middle stage of their academic careers and rewards not only their research excellence, but also the long-term impact of their research. In Brusenbauch Meislová’s case, UACES highlighted her outstanding research programme on European integration, Brexit, legitimacy and UK–EU relations, which combines conceptual originality, empirical depth, methodological rigour and lasting academic impact.
“I’m delighted to receive this award for scientific excellence – all the more so given how strong the international competition was. Research is never just an individual effort, and I’ve been fortunate to work with amazing colleagues and students who constantly inspire me. It’s wonderful that Masaryk University offers an environment that fosters world-class research with a strong international reach. I see this award not just as recognition of the work I’ve done so far, but also as encouragement and motivation for what’s ahead,” said Monika Brusenbauch Meislová.
Both awards for Brusenbauch Meislová are a result of her long-standing, internationally recognised research into British and European politics, particularly UK–EU relations, political communication and legitimacy. She has authored over forty academic articles published in international research journals. Her academic career is also closely tied to the UK: she is a Visiting Professor at Aston University in Birmingham and a Visiting Fellow at Loughborough University London, and she was previously a visiting researcher at University College London. She is also a member of the Centre for Research on the English-speaking World at the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris and holds the Jean Monnet Chair, awarded by the European Commission to experts in European integration. In the 2026/2027 academic year, she will be a Visiting Scholar at the University of Cambridge.
UACES presented the Mid-Career Research Excellence Award 2026 at a ceremony on 7 September in Prague, during its 56th annual conference.