GAČR (Czech Science Foundation)

Funds Czech basic research through competitive grants that strengthen universities and independent scientific programs.

GAČR, the Czech Science Foundation, is the Czech Republic's independent public funder of basic research. Founded in 1993 and grounded in Act No. 130/2002 Coll., it is financed directly from the state budget and remains the country's only public institution devoted exclusively to basic research. Its annual pool is about CZK 3.7 billion, with more than 400 new projects starting in 2026.

It backs researchers through grants rather than loans or tax relief. Standard Projects remain the core route, alongside JUNIOR STAR for early-career principal investigators, EXPRO for excellence-tier teams, Restart Grants for researchers returning after career breaks, PIF Incoming and Outgoing fellowships, and international calls through Weave Lead Agency and bilateral partners. The portfolio spans biotechnology, AI infrastructure, materials, medtech, energy, hardware, quantum, and fusion, and the awards run to CZK 25 million for JUNIOR STAR and CZK 50 million for EXPRO.

The agency pushes basic research with international cooperation, early-career support, and lean administration. Applicants move through GRITA for the 2026 calls, with older rounds still visible in GRIS, and the strongest submissions usually pair a clear scientific question with a credible path to publishable results or cross-border collaboration.