We are just a few days ahead of Christmas and the end of 2023. It has been another year of challenges, obstacles and also new opportunities. As you look back on the year just passed, we hope you find it successful. We wish you a Merry Christmas with your loved ones, full of joyful moments, and a successful start to the New Year 2024!
Hopefully, you have noticed that we organise a PhD Day every year, where we introduce first-year PhD students to their responsibilities and the opportunities they can take during their studies.
This activity is also based on our commitment to the HR Excellence in Research Award, of which MUNI SCI is a proud holder. We already take some of the little things that have been implemented at our faculty for granted. To sustain these standards and push them ever higher, we need to identify your real needs and opinions. For this reason, we sent you a questionnaire after this year's PhD day, asking you to reflect on your experience of studying at the Faculty of Science. Your feedback was to cover both - the evaluation of the PhD day and all the other services we provide or could provide to you as students. We have summarised your responses into an evaluation, which you can view here:
Thank you again for taking the time to complete the survey - we appreciate it.
Masaryk University Student's Ball - On behalf of the Masaryk University Student Union, you are cordially invited to the annual Masaryk University Student Ball. Join us for an unforgettable evening of glitter and pearls, accompanied by jazz and swing music. December 14, 2023 (19-?) Zoner BOBYHALL, Sportovní 559/2A, Brno / Web
Spark - FLI - Innovator Café, online webinar January 10, 2024, (16:00) online Held in English / Web
International Conference on Engineering Mathematics and Physics - The venue for growth and community-building. Paper submission deadline: January 8, 2024 January 23, 2024, Maximus Resort, Brno or online Held In English / Web
SPARK - Tel Aviv - Intro to Market Research by Nadav Ofir, February 7, 2024, (16:00) online Held in English / Web
Fellowship Programmes for PhD Students
Stays Abroad in 2024
We would like to remind you that a stay abroad of at least 30* days is a compulsory part of your studies. It applies to ALL students regardless of the date of enrolment! This is a short overview of scholarship opportunities, but you would undoubtedly find more options.
Erasmus+ internships - min. 2 months, current call with deadline January 31, 2024
Erasmus+ short-term mobilities - new option, next call TBA! (probably in Spring 2024 for stays in the academic year 2024/2025)
Erasmus+ study stays - 1 semester, call in February for the academic year 2024/2025
Faculty scholarship A.6 -call will open in early January 2024. You will also be informed via a dedicated email
DAAD, BAYHOST, BTHA, HELMHOLTZ, Rotary scholarships – for stays in Germany
AKTION – Austria
CEEPUS – central Europe
Fulbright Scholarships – USA
Barrande fellowship – France, short-term stays and cotutelle studies
Visegrad scholarship programme
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
AIA – Academic information agency, usually based on bilateral agreements
EMBOScientific Exchange Grants
The Company of Biologists
Utrecht Network Young Researcher’s Grant
Other MU scholarship programmes (Partner Universities, Erasmus+ ICM, Freemover)
If you have any doubts or questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch at any time. You can also book a consultation here. Contact person: Kristýna Bajgarová, bajgarova@sci.muni.cz
*Students of the following 4 programmes are obliged to complete a 2-month internship!!! Ecological and Evolutionary Biology, Physical geography, Social Geography and Regional Development, Cartography, Geoinformatics and Remote Sensing
News..
Brno Announces its PhD Talents for 2023!
We would like to share with you the great news from the Brno PhD Talent Competition, which already knows its winners. In this year's competition, in which SCI MUNI has traditionally had a great success rate, 12 of our PhD students out of 130 registered students succeeded.
The competition is aimed at students in the first year of doctoral studies carried out in the city of Brno. Its main goal is to support young scientists in their study and scientific endeavours. An expert jury selects the most interesting scientific achievements from the submitted projects for the final round. In the final round, the competitor's task is to briefly present his/her project and the results of their studies so far in the best possible way and convince the jury that their project deserves to win a particular scholarship. This year, 25 contestants won this scholarship, of which 12 were from the Faculty of Science! The City of Brno will fund each of them for three years with a special scholarship in the total amount of 300,000 CZK.
Awarded students of MUNI SCI: Daniel Pluskal, Eliška Řehůřková, Jana Kružlicová, David Zimčík, Siarhei Paliavoi, Hana Faldynová, Dorota Sklenárová, Lucie Nepovímová, Thomas Fellmeth, Tereza Šošolíková, Péter Kacz, Kateřina Hrůzová.
Congratulations to the winners from our faculty, and we wish them that success in this competition is just the first of a long series of successes they will achieve in their scientific careers!
Competition for PhD Students / Postdocs
Dean's Award
We would like to announce the opportunity to participate in the Dean´s Award, the main objective of which is to support doctoral students in their studies and research. The director of your institute must submit your nomination. Only one nomination is possible - exceptionally, for large institutes, it is possible to nominate up to two PhD students or graduates who have only recently completed their PhD studies. A short evaluation of the nominated student/graduate needs to be included in the nomination form - especially considering his/her research output, academic achievements and significant activities in the field.
Nominations can be submitted in two categories:
1) The best student in the doctoral programme 2) The collective of outstanding students
Nominations for the Faculty of Science MU should be sent to Jana Procházková, prochazkova@sci.muni.czby February 24, 2024.
The Embo Gold Medal
Each year, the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) awards a gold medal to young life scientists currently working in one of the EMBC member countries who are under 40 years of age or within ten years of obtaining their PhD or equivalent and have at least one major original paper. The winner of the EMBO Gold Medal will receive a medal and a scholarship of EUR 10,000. The aim of this award, which is part of the "Enhancing the success rate and promoting excellent PhD students", is to increase the number of PhD students who complete their studies within the standard period of study (possibly extended by one year), with excellent results developed in their dissertation.
*To be considered, a nomination must be supported by one proposer (EMBO member or EMBO Young Investigator) and two sponsors (EMBO members). It is highly advisable to send your nomination to the Rector for support. The deadline for submitting nominations with the support of the MU Rector is January 8, 2024. Nominations should be sent to Mgr. Procházková. The deadline for nominations is February 1, 2024.
A practically focused interactive workshop designed to provide students with information and tools that form the prevention component of addressing sexual harassment, bullying and violence on campus. We'll talk about what can be considered sexual harassment and violence - both by university employees and by fellow male and female students. We will discuss what to do if we witness such behaviour, who to turn to when we are victims, and most importantly, how to treat each other respectfully. We will try out model situations, learn practical information from the Czech Republic and abroad, share our attitudes and opinions, and not be part of the problem.
Held in Czech / Registration needed
When: December 15, 2023, (9:30- 13:00) Where: Room S137 Trýba, Komenského nám. 2, Brno
Workshop Applied Leadership for Postdocs and Academics
We are thrilled to invite you to a workshop on Applied Leadership, designed to empower and enhance your leadership skills in today's dynamic world. Hosted by the MU Language Centre, this course focuses on practical leadership skills and effective strategies, led by industry expert Sabina Schaffner. The workshop will take place at Komenského náměstí 2, and it is intended for staff members in management positions. Register and find more details at course link. There is a limited number of spots available. Don't miss this opportunity to further develop your leadership potential and make a meaningful impact in your professional endeavours. Held in English
When: January 31 - February 2, 2024 Where: Komenského nám. 2, Brno
Workshop for Early-Stage Researchers
The Tissue-resident Immune Cells in Health and Disease Workshop
This workshop will provide an up-to-date overview of recent discoveries concerning the ontogeny, functions and positioning of tissue-resident immune cells. It brings together leading experts of all career stages, who cover a wide range of lineages, organs and biological contexts, making this a unique opportunity for those interested in tissue immunity beyond individual aspects. More info on the Web. Held in English.
*Special travel grants and registration fee waivers: A limited number of travel grants and registration fee waivers are available for scientists working in Czech Republic! A maximum of 700 Euros per participant are available to cover registration fees, travel, and accommodation (no additional subsistence costs can be covered). To apply, please indicate the itemised amount requested in the travel grants section of the registration form.
When: March 20 – 23, 2024 Where: Marseille, France (online)
Deadline for submission of your abstract: February 1, 2024
The fourth year of Mendel Days is already over. For those who could not attend, we offer a short report from the stage and a record of the most important at Mendel Days.
The idea is to communicate the enthusiasm for science to the audience and to present what goes on behind the doors of scientific institutes.
"My family thinks of me as an environmental bullier and that I cause them environmental depression. But I just want to draw their attention to the toxic substances that are getting into their bodies and that many people don't take seriously," Nina Pálešová from RECETOX began her speech. The substances she was referring to are called polyfluorinated and have the acronym PFAS. Manufacturers of outdoor clothing and Teflon cookware use them very often, as they repel moisture and grease. But who loves them even more are the fast food operators who pack our food in packaging riddled with these toxins. "So it's not surprising that we can detect them in our bodies, where they have gotten from contaminated water or food that has been wrapped in disposable packaging. And it is these substances that accumulate in our bodies and cause immune disorders, cardiovascular disease or cancer," Nina Pálešová scared not only me but the audience as well. "And what is the solution?" she asked in her speech at the end. "Use stainless steel water bottles or glass boxes instead."
