The MASH StG/CoG grant will provide holders with three million crowns per year for four years. During this period, the scientist is expected to apply for ERC grants in the Starting or Consolidator category.
Since 2017, Masaryk University has been offering exceptional support to top scientists. As part of its own MU Grant Agency (GAMU), it announces the annual MUNI Award in Science and Humanities (MASH) call, which has already resulted in six experienced researchers returning to the university or heading there for the first time.
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. There was a lot of interest in the grant with the acronym MASH StG/CoG, and out of fifteen applicants, the committee selected nine to receive support for four years, amounting to three million crowns per year.
The holders of the MASH StG/CoG grant are Stanislava Bezdíček Králová and Jan Pěnčík, who fall under the Faculty of Pharmacy; Tomáš Fiala and Marek Filakovský, who will carry out their research at the Faculty of Science; Monika Čechová from the Faculty of Informatics; Pavel Hok, who is heading to CEITEC MU; Martin Loučka, who will work at the Faculty of Medicine; Guy Tabachnick at the Faculty of Arts and Tibor Žingora at the Faculty of Social Studies.
“The interest among so many great scientists in this grant shows that Masaryk University is an attractive institution where talented researchers have the opportunity to develop their careers. We expect that the promising experts we have supported will apply for a prestigious ERC research grant during the period of the university grant,” said Head of the Research Office Lukáš Palko, adding that MU wants to increase its scientific excellence by supporting young scientists in this way.
The importance of the internal MASH grant is also demonstrated by the success of its previous holders, who have so far brought to the university three grants from the ERC category and one EXPRO grant awarded by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic. In the past three years, MU has also awarded MASH Junior grants to young promising scientists. They also bring additional money to the university in the form of two ERC grants and six other prestigious European and Czech grants.
The MASH StG/CoG Young Scientist Grant targets up-and-coming male and female scientists who have not exceeded ten years since the award of their Ph.D. or equivalent. It is also intended for recipients whose working relationship with MU has not exceeded twelve months in the last three years. “In this way, we want to encourage cooperation between institutions in the Czech Republic and abroad and bring new ideas and research directions to the university,” Palko noted.
Of the nine grant recipients selected, three are brand new to MU. “We have already managed to attract three young professionals from the United States, and we are just beginning to promote in this direction. We have information that more scientists in the United States are considering a change of location in light of the actions of the Trump administration,” Palko said.
Promoting excellence will continue
The university originally planned to award six MASH StG/CoG grants. Thanks to savings MU management has decided to support nine young scientists. In addition, it has also awarded an additional support – MASH Seal of Excellence (SoE) – in the amount of one million crowns per year for two years. Thanks to this grant, one more talented scientist can join another MU faculty.
“Support for excellent science is absolutely essential, which is why we will continue to announce internal grants in the coming years. The MU Grant Agency plans to offer MASH, MASH StG/CoG, MASH SoE, Career Restart, MUNI Junior Star grants every year and offer support for the preparation of applications funded by EU Horizons funds,” Palko says, adding that GAMU also recognises successful scientists with the MUNI Scientist Award and supports promising researchers by awarding outstanding theses.
Out of the grants announced last year, the main one was not awarded this year; ten people succeeded in other MASH categories; fifteen scientists received support after career breaks in the form of Career Restart grants, and one researcher received the GAMU Junior Star.