The Experientia Foundation has announced the latest edition of its competition for a start-up grant for young researchers with international experience who wish to establish an independent research group in the Czech Republic in the field of organic, bioorganic or medicinal chemistry. The selected research group will receive financial support totalling 2.2 million crowns over a period of three years. The deadline for submitting applications is 15 February 2027.
The Start-up Grant is intended for newly established research groups at Czech universities and research institutes. Each year, the Foundation awards one grant for a period of three years. It supports the group with 2.2 million koruna per year, totalling 6.6 million koruna. The host institution contributes 800,000 koruna per year and provides the group with laboratory space and equipment. Research groups supported by the start-up grant have so far been established at the Faculty of Science, Charles University; the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague; the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University; and the Faculty of Science, Palacký University in Olomouc.
Researchers may apply for the start-up grant if they:
- obtained their PhD no more than 7 years before the deadline,
- have completed a postdoctoral fellowship abroad lasting at least one year,
- are engaged in organic, bioorganic or medicinal chemistry or related disciplines.
The seven-year period does not include any demonstrable long-term illness or 1.5 years for the care of each child. The applicant need not be an employee of the host institution at the time of submitting the application, but must become one by the start of the project at the latest.
The grant serves as initial funding for a new research group. A group is generally considered to be new if no more than 12 months have elapsed since its establishment prior to the deadline, or if the grant would represent its first financial support. The project topic must be clearly distinct from the research the applicant undertook as part of their PhD studies and postdoctoral fellowship.
What the grant can be used for
Funds may be used for personnel costs and scholarships, including the principal investigator’s salary, and for operating costs, such as materials, small equipment, travel expenses and services. The grant cannot be used to cover capital expenditure – i.e. equipment and software costing more than 80,000 korunas – or indirect costs. In addition to working on the project, the principal investigator may also teach, up to approximately 5 hours per week. The project always begins on 1 January of the year following the submission of the application.
Applications must be submitted in English and must include, amongst other things:
- an abstract and description of the project of no more than 5 pages,
- a structured CV, a list of publications and details of any overseas placements,
- details of team members or a description of vacant positions,
- an overview of the estimated costs for the entire duration of the project,
- a letter from the statutory representative of the host institution confirming the group’s independence, co-funding and the provision of premises.
The application must also include two letters of recommendation, preferably from two different institutions. The referees must send these to the foundation themselves.
Online meeting for interested parties
The Experientia Foundation is organising an online meeting on Wednesday 25 November 2026 from 10.30 am for those interested in overseas placements and start-up grants. Representatives of the foundation and programme scholarship holders will speak at the meeting. Václav Chmela, who travelled to the University of Chicago in 2025 and now works at Masaryk University, will share his experiences. Also speaking will be Athanasios Markos, a holder of a start-up grant for the years 2025–2027, who is establishing his own research group at Palacký University in Olomouc. The meeting will take place via Google Meet. Those interested in receiving an invitation may request one by emailing experientia@experientia.cz.
The deadline for submitting applications has been extended to 15 February 2027, starting from this year’s edition. You can send your applications to experientia@experientia.cz.
Useful documents
Confirmation letter (.pdf), Confirmation letter (.docx)
Checklist for applicants (.pdf)
Source: Experientia