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29 Jan 2025, 10:00
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Newsletter for PhD students and Postdocs
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Dear PhD students and Postdocs,
Happy New Year 2025, and welcome to the January edition of our newsletter for Early-stage researchers!
Whether you're preparing for exams, working on projects, or exploring new ideas, January is a month of new beginnings and new opportunities. In this issue, you'll find updates on upcoming events, important deadlines, and resources to support your studies. Don't miss our tips on staying organised during the busy season and get inspired by the recent achievements of your fellow students.
Wishing you a successful start of the year!
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Save the Date:
MUNI Health Innovation Days 2025 - February 6 - 7, 2025. Registration deadline: January 31, 2025. MUNI ECON, Lipová 41a. Held in Czech
Dva dny s didaktikou matematiky - February 13 - 14, 2025. Conference focused on sharing teachers’ experience with teaching mathematics and their work results in various areas of mathematics didactics. Charles University, Prague. Held in Czech
The Expanding World of RBPs: From Posttranscriptional Control to Riboregulation - March 11 - 14, 2025. Registration deadline (virtual): March 3, 2025. Hidelberg or virtually. Held in English
Interdisciplinary Meeting of Young Life Scientists 2025 - May 18 - 21, 2025. Interdisciplinary Meeting of Young Researchers and Students from chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, and biomaterial-related fields. Registration deadline: January 31, 2025. Held in English
Optical Tweezers and Single Molecules: How to control, manipulate and visualize biomolecular complexes in real-time - February 18, 2025. Workshop - Registration needed. MUNI CEITEC E35/211. Held in English
Registration for Setac Conference 2025 - May 11 - 15, 2025. Conference of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Early bird registration will open at the end of January or early February 2025. Vienna, Austria.
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Manuals for Individual Study Plans for Doctoral Studies
How do we work appropriately with the agenda of individual study plans? Read the how-to guide, and you can't go wrong! Pay attention to the manuals prepared by the Centre for Doctoral Studies and Academic Affairs of the Rector's Office of MUNI. Detailed instructions will help you to navigate the updated agenda whether you are a Student, Supervisor or a member of the Doctoral Board!
 The manual for students is also available in English version.
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Announcement of the Office for Doctoral Studies, Quality, Academic Affairs and Internationalisation
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The Autumn semester of year 2024 is almost over, so we would like to remind you of some of your duties for the next one:
1) Apply here to be enrolled in the Spring semester by February 16, 2025.
2) Enrolment to courses in the Spring semester starts at 17:00 on February 1, 2025, and ends on February 16, 2025. Remember to add the number of credits for "XDxxx" courses if applicable - as recommended by your supervisor following the study plan for your programme.
3) You need to fill in feedback on Autumn semester 2024 and your plans for the Spring semester 2025. Do not forget to save it with "Save and notify a supervisor" button.
4) Check your grades for all Autumn 2024 courses you enroled in.
If you have any problems or questions, don't hesitate to contact your study assistant (contacts here). They will be happy to help you!
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Erasmus+ Short-term PhD Mobilities
We are excited to announce that applications are open for the Erasmus+ Short-Term PhD Mobilities. This unique programme supports short-term training stays abroad, allowing you to expand your academic horizons and strengthen your professional network.
- Application deadline: Applications must be submitted no later than February 15, 2025.
- Who can apply: All current PhD students
- Mandatory attachments: motivation letter and LA for Traineeship (it is already part of the application)
- Stay abroad has to be arranged in advance.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your academic journey! For more information and application guidelines, see here.
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Updated Requirements for Stays Abroad Documents
We would like to inform you of minor adjustments to the required documents for internships abroad.
 Before departure:
You’ll need a Learning Agreement for Traineeship—this document replaces the previously known Training Agreement (change in name, to get standardized terminology). It’s best to fill it out online in ISOIS BEFORE going abroad. A paper version is also acceptable if necessary.
 Upon completion of the placement:
You’ll need a Traineeship Certificate, which is simply the renamed Confirmation of Placement. For detailed instructions and further information, please refer to the updated guidelines here.
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Nominate a Speaker for the Next MUNI Life Sciences Seminar!
Do you know someone who is a leader in the field? A respected scientist, or maybe even a pioneer in a particular discipline? If so, don't hesitate to nominate them for the Life Sciences Seminar. If the expert committee selects and invites your nominee, you will have the opportunity to meet a professional who inspires you, or you look up to personally. Become a guide for your host, and you will surely build a future collaboration or scientific friendship. Send your nominations to Mrs. Nosková, noskova@sci.muni.cz by March 7, 2025.
More information about the nominations and the seminar series can be found here.
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MUNI Mendel Doctorandus - Open Call:
The autumn semester is drawing to a close, and with it comes the opportunity for you to become a MUNI Mendel Doctorandus (MMD) student – the call for spring semester applications is now open! This prestigious programme welcomes doctoral students in the 1st to 3rd year of their studies into a thriving community of over 60 talented researchers.
By joining the MMD club, students gain access to interdisciplinary lectures, soft skills trainings, international internships, and invaluable networking opportunities with scientific leaders. Furthermore, participants can pursue a European Doctorate, a credential that can significantly enhance their career prospects, especially in the international academic and research field.
Are you interested in joining the MMD programme? Please upload your application by February 10, 2025, using the form on the MMD website. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us directly at noskova@sci.muni.cz.
We look forward to your MMD application!
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Spring Semester Enrolment Tips
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Bi0011 - Life Sciences Seminar in English
We would like to warmly invite you to enrol in the Bi0011 course – Life Sciences Seminar Series. This series of ten lectures in life sciences, delivered by experts in their fields,
will provide you with a unique insight into their scientific work. The seminars are held
on Thursdays at 16:00 at the Bohunice Campus or at 17:00 at the Mendel Museum. The lectures are conducted in English.
To earn credit, attending at least five seminar lectures is necessary.
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Let´s Boost Your Academic English Skills – Enrol in JAD02 This Spring!
Do you want to feel confident presenting at conferences or defending your thesis?
In Advanced English for PhD Studies (JAD02), you will:
🎯 Learn to ace presentations, poster sessions, Q&A, and academic small talk.
✍️ Spot and fix common English mistakes with more effective phrasing.
🌍 Gain fresh perspectives on your research and how to present it.
This interactive course focuses on communication and is led by a native speaker. You'll get practical advice, hands-on practice, and constructive feedback to help you stand out in your field. Join in the Spring semester 2025, and take your academic English to the next level!
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Registration Open for the FRESHERS: Skills for Research Careers Course
We are pleased to announce that registration for the FRESHERS: Skills for Research Careers course for the spring term of 2025 is now open. This e-learning course, conducted in English, consists of 8 topics designed to equip young researchers with the knowledge and skills necessary for a successful research career. The course aims to provide an overview of the challenges faced by researchers and enhance young researchers' skills and competencies, enabling them to better integrate into national and international research projects and structures. Take this opportunity to enhance your research skills and advance your career! For more information about the course check IS, or enrol directly!
Registration is managed through the MU Information System, while the course itself will be delivered via the Moodle (ELF) platform, which will open in March. After registration closes, you will receive an email with instructions on accessing Moodle and brief guidelines for using it.
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The Balzan Prizes
Every year the General Prize Committee awards four Balzan Prizes in four subjects areas: two in literature, moral sciences, and the arts, and two in the physical, mathematical, and natural sciences, and medicine.
The subject areas in which the awards are granted are rotated, and this special characteristic of the Balzan Prize ensures the promotion and recognition of new or emerging fields of study or research that other international awards may have overlooked. Each of the four Balzan Prizes is around 750 000 CHF (approx. 18 million CZK). Prize winners must apportion half of the prize valu to the financing of research projects carried out by young scholars or scientists. The Balzan Prizes are awarded to scientists and researchers who have excelled internationally in their field. Within the category of the physical, mathematical, and natural sciences, and medicine, the General Prize Committee announced that the two 2025 Balzan Prizes will be awarded in the following fields:
- Atoms and Ultra-Precise Measurement of Time
- Gene and Gene-Modified Cell Therapy
The deadline for submission with the recommendation of the Rector of Masaryk University is February 15, 2025. Nominations should be sent to Mrs Michaela Švestková, svestkova@sci.muni.cz. The application deadline is March 15, 2025.
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The Alfred Bader Prize
The Czech Chemical Society announces the annual Alfred Bader Prize in Bioinorganic and Bioorganic Chemistry. The prizes are awarded to candidates of Czech nationality up to the age of 35 years who do not have their primary employment abroad. (a postdoctoral fellowship is not considered such an employment relationship) The winner receives a financial award of USD 5,400. The usual content of the submissions is organic synthesis, but submissions may also include mechanism studies. On the other hand, the prize does not cover work in the analytical field (including structural analysis), physical data measurements (including measurements of various equilibria and energy quantities), substitution effect studies, or computational chemistry.
Candidates for the Prize usually apply themselves at the Secretariat of the Czech Chemical Society (Novotného lávka 5, Prague), however, colleagues, institutions, scientific councils and senates may also submit a proposal for a nominee.
The deadline for applications is March 31, 2025.
More Info in Czech or in English
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The Faculty of Science PhD Student Symposium in Zagreb
You are cordially invited to the ninth Faculty of Science PhD Student Symposium (9th PhDSS), which will be held on April 28 - 29, 2025, at the Department of Physics and Department of Mathematics of the Faculty of Science in Zagreb, Croatia. Registration is officially open, and the deadline for submitting your abstract is February 17, 2025. There is no participation fee for speakers at the Symposium. The symposium will be held in English. Please submit your abstract via the symposium’s official website.
When: April 28 - 29, 2025
Where: Zagreb, Croatia
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Start-up Sponsored by the Experientia Foundation
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Establish a Research Group with a Start-up Grant of 2 Million CZK per Year!
The Experientia Foundation announces the next round of the competition for a three-year start-up grant of CZK 2 million per year for young scientists working in the field of organic, bioorganic or medicinal chemistry. The research groups supported by the Experientia Foundation have already been established at three Czech university faculties of science. If you are a young scientist (max. seven years since completion of your PhD studies) with at least one year of foreign experience, submit your project and if you are selected, the Foundation can significantly help you with your start-up. The host institution will donate an additional 700,000 CZK per year to the grant recipient. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2025. For more info, check the Web.
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Soft Skills Training - Pedagogical Competences
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The Teacher as Information Designer
The workshop aims to avoid being overwhelmed and losing motivation in students and, on the contrary, to promote their understanding and consolidation of knowledge. Together, we will look for ways to effectively plan, prepare and deliver lessons to stimulate student learning as much as possible. The workshop will be held in Czech. More info / registration.
When: March 24, 2025
Where: CERPEK (room 328), Komenského náměstí 2, Brno
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Interesting Reading for PhD Students and Postdocs
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Female PhD Students Become Eligible for Maternity Allowance; Doctoral Studies Count Towards Pension
Text: Marie Cerhová / Linda Nosková (EN)
Two approved amendments to the Sickness Insurance Act and the Pension Insurance Act will improve the status of PhD students. Female PhD students will be able to draw maternity allowance and doctoral studies will be newly included in the substitute period for pension insurance, it means that it will be counted toward the considered years of service determining pension. This is an important step but only solves part of the problem. Experts are calling for a more comprehensive change, including the legal status of doctoral students, who, despite their scientific contributions, remain in a difficult situation.
In December 2024, President Petr Pavel signed an amendment to the Sickness Insurance Act No. 187/2006 Coll., which will bring significant improvements for PhD students from January 1, 2025. Students-mothers will be entitled to maternity allowance. The amendment to the Pension Insurance Act No. 155/195 Coll. brings further improvements for PhD students by including the period of successfully completed doctoral study into the substitute period for pension insurance.
Since May 2024, when a group of MPs, including Martin Dlouhy, an economist and a professor at the University of Economics in Prague, prepared the first amendment to the Sickness Insurance Act, an avalanche of discussions and preparations for further changes has been triggered. "The aim is to improve the position of PhD students. Hopefully, these small steps will eventually result in a fairly comprehensive change. In addition, an amendment to the Higher Education Act is currently underway, expected to bring further changes”, Martin Dlouhý comments on the situation.
The whole article in Czech.
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Sites we recommend to follow:
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Distributed by:
Office for Doctoral Studies, Quality, Academic Affairs and Internationalization (noskova@sci.muni.cz)
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