Science and Research
Ministry of Health publishes ERA4Health partnership pilot call
Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic published the ERA4Health partnership pilot call for clinical trials: 'Fostering Pragmatic Comparative-Effectiveness Trials in Non-communicable Diseases' (EffecTrial)'. The call aims to:
- Support randomized, interventional and pragmatic "comparative-effectiveness" studies in multiple countries
- Enable transnational collaboration between clinical/public health research teams conducting comparative effectiveness studies in multiple countries.
Project proposals should cover all 4 of the following topics:
- Be a pragmatic "comparative effectiveness trials" designed as a randomized intervention trial.
- Compare the use of currently approved health interventions either with each other or with the current standard of care.
- Take into account health interventions that may include, but are not limited to: diagnostic, screening, preventive and curative interventions. Interventions can be pharmacological and non-pharmacological practices such as nutrition and/or lifestyle, surgical interventions, prognostic methods, use of medical devices, e-health, as well as other health interventions.
- These interventions need to be of high relevance to the public only in the areas of these specific diseases (which are equally important):
- Cardiovascular disease;
- Metabolic disorders;
- Nutrition and lifestyle-related diseases;
- Non-communicable respiratory diseases.
Clinical trials initiated by investigators from multiple countries should primarily focus on at least one of these topics or a combination of them.
Duration of the project: 48 months + 1 year (i.e. the project can be extended for one more year, but without the possibility to apply for additional funding during this period).
Deadlines for submission of project proposals:
Pre-proposals: 28. 1. 2025
Full proposals: 17. 6. 2025
Deadline for announcement of results: October 2025
Detailed information about this call can be found on the website of the Czech Health Research Council. If case of interest, please contact lubica.korcanova@upol.cz.
GA CR is looking for new evaluators for all panels
In view of the expiring term of office of a large part of the evaluators, the Czech Science Foundation (GA CR) is looking for outstanding scientists to serve on the evaluation panels starting in April 2025. From next year, the GA CR will have 38 evaluation panels grouped into 5 thematic committees. The deadline to apply is 16 December 2024.
Detailed information about the call for evaluators can be found on GA CR website.
The layout of the panels has also been changed. The change will be valid for competitions announced next year. Information about the evaluation panels of GA ČR. Information about GA CR evaluation panels.
L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science
L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science announces its already 19th year of the programme. This prestigious project aims to highlight the key role of women in the scientific world and overcome the prejudices that still hold them back.
A total of 600,000 CZK will again be distributed among three talented female scientists who can apply for the programme from 1 October 2024 to 31 December 2024 at www.forwomeninscience.com.
International and Non-university Affairs
Mandatory reporting of mobilities
It is the responsibility of every outgoing student to report his/her mobility. Always report your intention to go and the duration of your mobility to Mrs. Dana Gronychová (dana.gronychova@upol.cz) from the International section of the Student Affairs Office. You will also find new information about traineeships, which must be reported as well.
Information about foreign students who will come for an internship must also be sent to Mrs. Gronychová in advance by the department to which they are to come.
Records of foreign guests
It is the responsibility of the department to register foreign guests. If you have international guests visiting your department, please enter their information in the Portal.
Instructions:
- click on "All Applications" in your Portal
- click on the "Guest Admission" tile
- press the "+New" button and fill out the newly opened form.
Mobility scholarship
A student who goes on any mobility abroad for 30 days or more (study stay, research internship, work placement, summer school, etc.), can apply for a scholarship of CZK 5,000 for each mobility. The request must be submitted before departure. Details here.
Fulbright Scholarships
The Fulbright Commission has announced the following two programmes for the 2025-2026 academic year:
Scholarship for postgraduate studies with a deadline on 1 February 2025. Detailed information here.
The scholarship is intended for students after completing a bachelor's programme and before completing a doctoral programme and is intended for research stays.
Summer Institutes of American Studies with a deadline on 5 January 2025. Detailed information here.
Suitable applicants are university teachers, heads of departments, curriculum specialists, and authors of university (or secondary school) textbooks focusing on American studies, international relations, and related fields who are sufficiently motivated and erudite and whose goal is to incorporate new knowledge on a given topic into their future teaching and professional work.
Academic Senate
An extraordinary meeting of the Academic Senate FS UP will take place on 9 December 2024 at 14:00 in the big meeting room of the Dean's Office. On the agenda will be the Chancellor's proposal for a settlement between the Faculty of Science and CATRIN and the distribution of funds allocated to the faculty under Budget Measure No. 1/2024.
Student Affairs
Student Affairs Office operation
The Student Affairs Office is open until 19 December 2024 according to standard office hours. The Student Affairs Office will be closed from 20 December 2024 to 5 January 2025.
Registration for courses – summer semester 2024/2025
The registration for courses in the summer semester of the academic year 2024/2025 for all study programmes at the Faculty of Science takes place from 21 January to 24 February 2025. Detailed schedule is available, as usual, on the website.
Student grant competition
The Rector of Palacký University Olomouc announces the 16th year of the student grant competition at UP.
The aim of the competition is to support projects implemented by students of Doctoral or Master’s degree programs financed by funds for specific university research. The student project investigator can be a student of doctoral study program at UP, where UP is the teaching workplace, or a UP academic. Other members of the research team may be PhD or MSc students or academic, scientific, research and development staff.
Applications are only submitted electronically, through the UP OBD portal, until 16:00 on 16 January 2025.
The rules of the competition are set out in the Rector's Directive No. B3-13/7-SR (úplné znění) (in Czech).
The specific terms and conditions of the competition and further information can be found in this document.
Online confirmation of study
You can print your confirmation of study online directly from your Portal (not STAG).
Go to Portal - Electronic forms - Confirmation of study (online with signature) - Print.
Organization and Maintenance
Human Resources and Payroll Department
The faculty’s Human Resources (HR) and Payroll Department notifies that
THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN ON WEDNESDAY 11 December 2024:
To the HR department (Mrs. Veronika Caletková, Mgr. Veronika Vašková), please, submit:
- proposals for concluding an employment relationship (employment contract) effective from 1 January 2025
- proposals for changes in job and salary classification effective from 1 January 2025 (exceptions may be proposals for employees for whom participation in a project is planned, for which a decision on the allocation of a subsidy is expected to be received later)
- applications for extensions of employment contracts ending in December this year
- ACJ (DPP) and APW (DPČ) effective from 2 January 2025.
To the payroll department (Mrs. Libuše Pěčková, Mrs. Ivona Kristková), please, submit:
- statements for payment of ACJ (DPP) and APW (DPČ) from project funds for December 2024 (except for projects until 13 December)
- the transfer of the data on days off of employees involved in projects will only be possible in SAP on 11 December – i.e. after the system has been opened (except for projects until 13 December).
A group email will be sent out to all employees on requests to transfer untaken days off/vacation to the following year with a statement from the Head of Department on the appropriate form (Portal - Electronic forms - Other forms). The transfers should only happen in exceptional circumstances; days off are taken in the year in which the right to it arose. Requests must be made after the December days off have been entered into the system for proper balance export.
In the event of an employee's illness or treatment of a family member after 11 December, report the changes to the payroll accounting office immediately (to ivona.kristkova@upol.cz), but no later than 31 December 2024.
Requests for the calculation of project payroll costs should be sent to both payroll accountants simultaneously via e-mail (ivona.kristkova@upol.cz, libuse.peckova@upol.cz). Requests will be processed and submitted back for possible consideration of the latest adjustments no later than 13 December. Additional salary adjustments within the projects will be possible until 19 December.
The HR and Payroll Department will be open for employees until 20 December 11:00, after the New Year from 6 January 2025. If personal consultation is not necessary, use internal mail to hand over documents to the department – box no. 6 on the 1st floor in the corridor behind the gatehouse. Thank you for respecting this guideline.
The tax returns will be signed by the employees with the assistance of the payroll accountants on dates selected in the reservation system. Employees will receive detailed instructions in Czech and English at the beginning of January. The Financial Administration uses forms for tax return exclusively in the Czech language, foreign employees will have an English translation of the form available only for basic orientation. A personal consultation to sign the tax return in English will be provided by the Human Resources and Payroll Department within its own capacity.
Secretariat of the Dean and faculty's Secretary
Requests for legal advice on contracts are accepted by the RUP Legal Department only until 6 December 2024.
The Secretariat of the Dean and the faculty's Secretary accepts documents for signature until 12 December 2024.
Operation of the Economic Department
Please, deliver the tax documents for the advances and the final invoices for the advance invoices to the Economic Department immediately, but no later than Friday, 13 December 2024.
Cash documents, travel orders, payments on account, etc. deliver on an ongoing basis, but no later than 16 December. After this date, proper posting in the calendar year 2024 can no longer be guaranteed. It is also necessary to settle all advances for travel orders executed in 2024.
Return the cash deposit to the Cashier by Friday, 13 December.
Submit the documents for issuing invoices for the month of November (DUZP November) in electronic form by 13 December. After this date, posting in November 2024 cannot be guaranteed.
File service – operation during POSPOS
On 12 December 2024 the file service at the Envelopa campus will be open from 9:00 to 10:00, and in Holice campus from 10:00 to 11:00. Outbound mail will be collected by 11:00.
File service – end of the year operation
On 20 December 2024 the file service at Envelopa will be open from 9:00 to 10:00, and in Holice from 10:30 to 11:30. Regular and registered mail will be last picked up from the mailboxes at Envelopa at 11:45 and at Holice at 11:15. Mail delivered after this deadline will not be sent until 6 January 2025.
Faculty operation before the end of the year
The main building (Envelopa) and the buildings in the Holice campus will be closed from 21 December 2024 to 5 January 2025. The buildings will be guarded by an external security service. Report any accidents and defects to the service staff, who will then pass them on to the building management emergency service.
The VLD building (17. listopadu 50) and the SLO building (17. listopadu 50a) will be closed from 21 December 2024 to 5 January 2025. During this period, entry will only be allowed on employee cards.
Canteens, bistros
University canteen and FreshUP bistros will have shortened opening hours during December.
Miscellaneous
Dean's Awards
In an electronic vote, students voted for their favourite teacher at the Faculty of Science in five disciplines:
- Mathematics and Computer Science – RNDr. Martin Trnečka, Ph.D.
- Physics – doc. RNDr. František Pluháček, Ph.D.
- Chemistry – Mgr. Jiří Danihlík, Ph.D.
- Biology and Ecology – Mgr. Martina Oulehlová, Ph.D.
- Earth Sciences – doc. RNDr. Irena Smolová, Ph.D.
The overall winner was doc. RNDr. Irena Smolová, Ph.D. The voting results and the results of the Dean's Award for authors developing a scientific field can be found here.
Christmas collection
This year, employees and students can make a financial donation for the children from Klokánek as a part of the annual faculty's Christmas collection, which is organized under the auspices of the Dean Martin Kubala. The sixteenth year of the collection takes place from 18 November to 13 December 2024.
As in the previous year, you can contribute to the transparent account 2501674563/2010 or through a QR code.
Šmeralova Dormitory renamed to Josef Jařab Dormitory
The dormitory and the canteen on Šmeralova Street have a new name. On the occasion of the Day of Fight for Freedom and Democracy and the International Students' Day, they were renamed to Josef Jařab Dormitory and Josef Jařab Canteen in honour of the first post-Soviet rector of Palacký University.
The address of the building remains unchanged at Šmeralova 6, the street has not changed its name.
Christmas sale of poinsettias
From 2 to 6 December, you can buy poinsettias at selected university locations. This is a traditional pre-Christmas project of the non-profit organization Šance Olomouc. The proceeds will help children with cancer. Poinsettias will be sold at the Faculty of Science at these times:
- 3. December - from 9:00 to 11:00 at Envelopa (17. listopadu 12) and from 11:00 to 13:00 in Olomouc-Holice (Šlechtitelů 27) in front of the canteen
- 6. December - from 9:00 to 11:00 at Envelopa (17. listopadu 12)
Small poinsettia will cost 60 CZK, big one 120 CZK. Payment will only be possible in cash.
PosPos
All faculty staff, doctoral students and seniors of the faculty are cordially invited to the “Post-Semester Gathering” (= PosPos). We will say goodbye to the winter semester on Thursday, 12 December from 12:00 in the main building of the Faculty of Science. You can look forward to delicious refreshments and live music.
Winter season in Karlov
Do you like the winter season in the mountains? Are you looking forward to skiing and snow? Then you should know that the season is currently scheduled to start on the slopes of Karlov pod Pradědem on 7 December. For accommodation in this picturesque village, use the faculty's recreation centre, which is located a short distance from the slopes. If you make arrangements with friends or family and there are at least 12 of you, it is possible to book the entire facility! More information at karlov.upol.cz.
Snowshoe rental
Akademik sport centre offers snowshoe rental - pick up by personal arrangement (asc@upol.cz; 58 563 6448, 6450, 6451).
The next faculty Newsletter will be published on Monday, 16 December 2024.