Masaryk University
Žerotínovo nám. 617/9, 601 77 Brno, Czech Republic
T: +420 549 49 1111, E: info@muni.cz, W: www.muni.cz
GAMU – Research Support Programme
MUNI Award in Science and Humanities
Call 2025
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Table of Contents
Objective of support................................................................................................................................... 2
MASH candidate profile............................................................................................................................. 2
MASH StG/CoG candidate profile ............................................................................................................. 3
Submission of a proposal .......................................................................................................................... 3
Evaluation process .................................................................................................................................... 4
Funding rules............................................................................................................................................. 5
Project implementation, interim and final report........................................................................................ 6
Download links and documents................................................................................................................. 7
Contact ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
Objective of support
The main aim of MUNI Award in Science and Humanities (hereinafter referred to as “MASH”) is to bring
excellent and successful external researchers to Masaryk University and to offer them such conditions
that they are motivated to stay, work for Masaryk University and to attain exceptionally high-quality
research results on the long-term basis. Top research teams shall become a stable part of MU thanks
to the employment of persons with transformation potential. MASH aim is also to create conditions for the
early achievement of autonomy in research for exceptionally promising researchers shortly after Ph.D.,
accelerating the career progression of talented scientists.
A MASH holder shall be employed full-time at Masaryk University and the primary place of work
performance shall be Brno. The holder of this prestigious grant shall be expected to represent Masaryk
University and proactively contribute to the future direction of research conducted at MU for the entire
duration of the grant holder’s engagement at MU.
The call is open to applicants from all fields of Social Sciences, Humanities, Physical Sciences and
Engineering, and Life Sciences.
The support may be provided in two categories:
• MASH
• MASH StG/CoG
MASH candidate profile
MASH is intended for applicants who were not employed by MU in their main employment for the period
of 5 years preceding the deadline of the call.
• An applicant is an ERC grant holder or a leading researcher in the R4 career stage according to
the European Framework for Research Careers (document HERE):
o Has an international reputation based on research excellence in his field.
o Demonstrates critical judgment in the identification and execution of research activities.
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o Makes a substantial contribution (breakthroughs) to their research field or spanning
multiple areas.
o Develops a strategic vision on the future of the research field.
o Recognizes the broader implications and applications of their research.
o Publishes and presents influential papers and books, serves on workshop and
conference organizing committees and delivers invited talks.
MASH StG/CoG candidate profile
MASH StG/CoG is open to external applicants provided that the applicant's employment relationship with
MU has not exceeded 12 of the last 36 months (considering career breaks) at the closing date of the call.
The candidate is a researcher who completed a Ph.D. degree or its equivalent no more than 10 years at
the time of Call deadline; maternity and/or parental leave, do not count towards this period.
Submission of a proposal
The proposal form in pdf format including all attachments must be uploaded to PMIS no later than the
closing date of the Call. The uploaded files will be submitted for evaluation. In the case of a non-MU
applicant, the main contact person at MU for the application (e.g., head of department, project support
manager etc.) is entered as the proposer. The proposal is successfully submitted after approval of the
cover sheet in Project Management Information System (PMIS).
Documents (machine readable pdf files):
• The form for categories MASH, MASH StG/CoG containing (available in folder at Document
server):
• Current professional CV of the applicant
• Description of the research plan
• Motivation letter
• Early achievements track-record (only MASH StG/CoG)
• Declaration of the ECU of its readiness to hire the applicant and create conditions for independent
research on the prescribed form* (available in folder at Document server)
• Optional annex: Decision on the award of the ERC or another prestigious individual grant / Evaluation
Summary Report, or an evaluation of another individual grant project
* The ECU’s declaration shall be part of the approval process at the main ECU in the PMIS – entered as
an annex of the proposal for the cover sheet approval (by approving the cover sheet, the head of the
ECU declares its readiness to hire the applicant and create conditions for independent research).
The application shall not contain the budget – the applicant shall obtain a predetermined amount in this
competition.
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The applicant shall submit all the documents in English.
Additional information and documents may be requested during the evaluation procedure (e.g., the ERC
application form, detailed specification of the applicant’s key requirements etc.).
Evaluation process
The submitted application shall be evaluated against the following criteria:
Category Criterion
Weighting
in %
MASH
Professional profile of the applicant based on the submitted CV (an
ERC application is taken into account)
60
Research plan and its coherence with MU research 20
Potential asset for Masaryk University based on the submitted
motivation letter
20
MASH StG/CoG
Credibility of the career plan of the applicant and significance of MASH
JUNIOR award for the career plan (based on Motivation Letter)
30
Coherence and credibility of the research plan presented by the
applicant (based on Research Plan)
30
Applicant’s potential for research growth at Masaryk University
(potential for obtaining an ERC grant) (based on CV and track-record)
40
Formal inspection shall be made by the RMU Research Office under the supervision of the Vice-rector
for Research and Doctoral Studies. In this stage, the Vice-rector for Research and Doctoral Studies after
consultation with selected experts from the university shall have the right to exclude applications that fail
to meet the requirements for MASH, MASH StG/CoG applicants.
First evaluation round
Based on the standardized keywords specified in the proposal, the domain guarantor shall select from
the internal database at least 3 evaluators for each application. Based on the evaluation reports, the
domain guarantors prepare the ranking list in each domain (Life Sciences, Social Sciences and
Humanities, Physical Sciences and Engineering). If there are ambiguities (e.g., an extremely high or low
evaluation by one evaluator), the guarantors shall ask for additional information from the evaluator
concerned.
The domain guarantors in a meeting with the Vice-rector for Research and Doctoral Studies shall select
candidates with the best evaluation in the respective domains, who shall be invited to the second
evaluation round.
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Second evaluation round
Invited candidates shall be interviewed by the evaluation board, whose members are: Vice-rector for
Research and Doctoral Studies, domain guarantors and invited experts. The candidates present their
research plan proposal. The board suggests candidate for MASH based on evaluation reports of the
previous rounds and the interview to award.
The Vice-rector for Research and Doctoral Studies shall inform the MU management of the competition
results.
The MU Rector decides based on the recommendation of the evaluation committee to award the grant.
Funding rules
For the period of the project implementation, a MASH holder shall be employed full-time at Masaryk
University and the primary place of work performance shall be Brno. GAMU financial support shall
be used toward the settlement of costs immediately related to the MASH holder’s research plan.
Category Implementation period Year allocation1
MASH 5 years 5 mil. CZK
MASH StG/CoG 4 years 3 mil. CZK
Eligible costs
• Personnel costs (wages, bonuses, agreements to complete a job (DPP) and agreements to perform
work (DPČ) of persons directly involved in the research activities necessary for the research plan
investigation)
• Scholarships
• Consumables
• Investment
• Low-value tangible and intangible assets
• Services
• Local and international travel
• Publication and application costs
• Additional costs or expenses (projects may include a share in common operating costs
corresponding to the Joint Operating Costs (JOC) coefficient for the given economic unit in the year
concerned in accordance with MU Instruction for determining the proportion of administrative
overheads and system of applying overheads to projects, as amended)
1
In the case of starting/ending during the year, the amount will be reduced proportionally
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Ineligible costs
• Costs not eligible for institutional support toward long-term conceptual development ((DKRVO), e.g.
refreshments)
The drawdown of funds must comply with the rules for the drawdown of funds of institutional support. The
grant shall be provided as non-investment funds. Each economic unit shall arrange an exchange for
investment individually. Purchase of investment and necessary transfers among the respective items of
the eligible costs are possible after the consultation with the relevant finance office of the economic unit.
The amount that has not been spent in the given year may be transferred to the Special Purpose Fund
(SPF) in the maximum amount of 5% of the funds awarded for the year concerned. It applies that if the
funds in the SPF are not spent in the following year, the beneficiary is obliged to return the funds not
used. The SPF cannot be created in the last year of the project investigation.
The approved financial support shall be allocated to a specific economic unit in the form of an adjusted
schedule of institutional support in accordance with the Budget Implementation Schedule submitted by
the investigator.
The economic and administrative resources of the projects shall be identical to the economic and
administrative resources of the units where the researcher and his/her teamwork (now or in the future),
and these units shall also bear common operating costs of the project. Both the professional and
administrative coordination of the project shall be the responsibility of the MASH grantee.
Project implementation, interim and final report
The investigator shall submit the Budget Implementation Schedule before the start of the project (for
download in Document server IS MU).
Category 1. stage 2. stage Documents
MASH 1. – 36. month 37. – 60. month Interim report / Final report
MASH StG/CoG 1. – 24. month 25. – 48. month Interim report / Final report
The interim report / final report including an approved cover sheet must be uploaded in the PMIS
always within 60 days after the end of the relevant stage.
The interim / final report (in Czech or English) contains a list and a brief description of the achieved
results. Results – publication are as pdf document attached to the report. The interim report is evaluated
by the Vice-rector for Research and Doctoral Studies and the GAMU guarantor for the domain concerned.
Interim and final report forms are accessible in the Document server.
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In case of serious shortcomings in the performance of the project, as ascertained based on the interim
report, the project funding may be terminated by a decision of the Rector of MU.
A MASH StG/CoG holder shall submit an ERC grant application to the European Commission or
commence implementation of an ERC grant at MU within 3 years after the MASH StG/CoG project
starts.
The project completion shall include a final public lecture in which the grantee shall summarize the main
results of his/her engagement at MU so far and outline the idea of a further career at the university (the
final lecture is part of the GAMU final conference which is held in the last quarter of each calendar year).
Download links and documents
GAMU website
IS Document Server – Documents, Forms (each category has a folder)
PMIS (Project Management Information System) – Project proposal editor
PMIS – Accepted project editor
Directive of GAMU
Contact
Grants Office
RMU Research Office
Žerotínovo nám. 9
Brno 601 77
Pavla Pospíšilová
pavla.pospisilova@rect.muni.cz
+420 549 494747