Also this year, Michael Kohajda, Rector of Palacký University, has announced an award focused exclusively on students of doctoral study programmes. Nominations for the Honorary Mention of the Rector of Palacký University Olomouc to Students of Doctoral Study Programmes for a Professional Article can be submitted to the respective vice-deans by 10 November 2026 (the deadline for vice-deans and the director of a university institute to submit proposals to the Vice-Rector is 20 November 2026).
The nomination form and detailed information about the award are available directly on the Rector's Awards website. Nominated students selected by the faculties or the university institute will subsequently receive an e-mail from the Rectorate at the turn of November and December containing a link to an electronic form to provide their consent and additional documents.
The goal of the award is to support the creative activity of doctoral study students, and it is accompanied by a financial reward of CZK 10,000 in the form of an extraordinary UP Rector's scholarship. The Rector's Honorary Mention can be awarded for professional articles from the current or preceding year (2026 or 2025), provided the author has not already received the award for the article.
Detailed conditions, rules, and procedures for granting the award are specified in the UP internal standard.
Miroslav Dopita, Vice-Rector for Doctoral Studies and Junior Science, reminded that each faculty may submit a maximum of three nominations for doctoral students. Up to three additional nominations across faculties may be proposed by the director of a university institute, subject to the approval of the subject-area board and the vice-dean responsible for doctoral studies at the faculty where the student is enrolled. The granting of the Rector's Award of Merit is subsequently decided by the Rector of Palacký University. In the case of a team of authors, only a doctoral student listed as the first author may be nominated.
The submitter of the proposal can be a vice-dean responsible for the doctoral studies agenda at the faculty where the author of the professional article is enrolled in study, as well as the director of a UP University Institute, subject to approval by the subject board and the vice-dean responsible for the doctoral studies agenda at the respective faculty. The Rector's Honorary Mention can be awarded to a student only during their standard period of study extended by one year.
The official presentation of the UP Rector's Honorary Mentions to Students of Doctoral Study Programmes for a Professional Article will be part of the Rector's Awards ceremony during UP Academic Week in February 2027.