The “Brno Ph.D. Talent” competition, organised by the South Moravian Centre for International Mobility (JCMM) and subsidised by the City of Brno since 2009, concluded this year’s edition last week with the ceremonial announcement of scholarship awards for 25 doctoral students. The students received a total of CZK 9 million between them, with the aim of supporting them to devote 100% of their energy to their research and publications.
Four universities in Brno took part in the competition, which is aimed at first-year doctoral students in science and engineering. There were 120 applicants this year, of which 50 finalists were selected to present their projects to a committee of experts. The committee then nominated the best 25 of them to receive a three-year grant of CZK 360,000.
“It is a pleasure to look back on the 14 years of the Brno Ph.D Talent competition and the interesting projects the city has supported,” said Brno Mayor Markéta Vaňková. “These include research on an incredibly wide range of topics, from cancer to biofertilisers to the development of an innovative microscopic tool.”
“The grant has increased by CZK 750,000 this year,” said Anna Putnová, city councillor for innovation and cooperation with research institutions. “In addition to financial support, the programme also provides other forms of assistance, such as development courses focusing on soft skills. It is amazing how many talented people are concentrated in Brno, who are able to go beyond the current human knowledge. Our support, which helps them focus on their studies and complete their research, can contribute to discoveries that benefit society as a whole.”
The list of this year’s winners can be found on the Brno Ph.D. Talent website, as well as information about previous recipients.
