1/3
"contract" – Strategy for
Research and Doctoral
Studies (2022–2027)
Faculty of Informatics
The contract is a strategic document based on the Internal Research and Doctoral Evaluation (IRDE)
carried out at Masaryk University (MU) in 2022. The content of the contract is linked to recommendations
obtained from the IRDE, to MU's priorities and shared values, or to the faculty/institute's own strategies
in research and doctoral studies. With this document, the faculty or university institute enters into an
agreement with the Rector of MU and undertakes to implement the strategy for research and doctoral
studies.
The contract contains the faculty's mission and a more detailed description of the implementation of the
main goals by which the faculty wants to fulfill the individual strategies. Complementary materials are
- Annex 1: An overview of objectives in the form of a table to serve as an action plan; and
- Annex 2. A strategy, a presentation that summarizes the MU management's statement on the
IRDE recommendations and shared values in research and at the same time on the relevant
benchmark.
1. Mission and main objectives
Mission:
1. The faculty will be an internationally recognized research environment promoting cuttingedge
basic and applied research in selected strategic areas of computer science.
2. The faculty will be an excellent training institution in the field of computer science at the level
of doctoral studies. Students will have adequate conditions for conducting internationally
competitive research.
3. The faculty will be a competitive and attractive employer, paying attention to the principles of
equal treatment of its employees.
2/3
2. Description of the
implementation of the main
objectives
1. Building a stable project department that will cooperate with academics in all phases of project
preparation and implementation. Creating a suitable communication channel between the project
department and academics and thus increasing awareness of project calls. In cooperation with the
heads of departments, targeted addressing of perspective academics with international project calls
and adequate support for the preparation of proposals and implementation.
Possible obstacles: slower increase in the number of submitted project proposals and obtained projects
due to the need to set up and "train" adequate project support and the need to gain basic experience
and practice with the submission of such projects (even by academics).
2. Organizing joint events to inform each other about ongoing research at the faculty. Introduction of "Lab
Day" – an annual event where laboratories present their research and collaborative topics especially to
students (with the aim of involving students in laboratories and research activities). Within the
reconstruction of the building, we will find suitable spaces for informal meetings of academics on a
daily basis. Within the PhD studies we will introduce activities to improve communication between PhD
students – research-oriented meetings, informal meetings at FI, organization of invited lectures.
Possible obstacles: low interest in such events, limited spaces (before reconstruction).
3. Active support for the organization of international conferences under the auspices of FI. New faculty
website, targeted promotion of the faculty on social networks and other platforms. Revision of the
amount of financial support for PhD students' stays abroad.
Possible obstacles: Limited space for organizing international events (before reconstruction), financial
constraints associated with covering the expenses of PhD students' internships abroad.
4. In cooperation with the heads of departments, continuously monitor and revise research directions, and
provide targeted personnel support for research directions with significant potential. Work intensively
with the project department to support the submission of proposals to project calls in these strategic
areas.
Possible obstacles: Lack of funding, lack of qualified potential employees when hiring to new positions.
5. Revision of current teaching load (differentiation of actual teaching from guaranteeing the course) and
modification of criteria for the evaluation of academics reflecting these differences. Supporting
academics in their involvement in courses that require a significant teaching load.
6. Active promotion of research directions through individual supervisors. Maintaining an up-to-date list of
active and currently available supervisors. Support for the involvement of academics in projects aimed
at financing doctoral studies (e.g. MSCA Doctoral Networks).
7. Intensify feedback to doctoral students on their performance and current results. Intensify the
collaboration with supervisors and monitor their level of cooperation with their students in order to
detect potential problems in their studies as soon as possible. Use faculty ombudspersons for PhD
studies. Organize informal meetings of senior academics with students (PhD Advising Talks) to share
their experiences and advise on research and study activities.
8. Revise the rules for the evaluation of academic staff, where it is necessary to take into account the
training of students who exceed the standard period of study (4+1) as a negative element and thus
motivate supervisors to carefully monitor the research direction and publication outputs of students.
Strictly adhere to the established control mechanisms and solve occured problems immediately.
3/3
9. Introduction of an annual evaluation of non-academic staff, careful and responsible reflection of the
feedback obtained (to improve work-life balance and equal opportunities).
10. Compilation and signing of a memorandum of cooperation between FI and ICS, anchoring mutual
collaboration in research and teaching activities.
11. Compilation of comparative criteria in the field of teaching and research, according to which we want to
compare ourselves with foreign institutions of similar size. Defining exemplary institutions that will serve
as inspiration for the further development of the faculty.