GAČR EXPRO Excellence Projects

GAČR EXPRO Excellence Projects

Funds excellence-led projects for Czech scientists in materials, biotech, quantum, and related fields.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

GAČR EXPRO (Excellence Projects) is the Czech Science Foundation's highest-tier five-year research grant, designed for the most excellent Czech scientists conducting research with breakthrough potential across any scientific discipline. Introduced in 2019, EXPRO is not an annual programme — it skipped the 2026-start cycle entirely before resuming for the 2027 cohort. The 2027-cycle tender was announced on 4 March 2026, with a submission window from 5 March to 20 April 2026 using the GRITA online platform, power-of-attorney deadline of 6 April 2026, results expected in November 2026, and funded projects starting January 2027.

Each EXPRO award is capped at CZK 50 million over five years — approximately CZK 10 million per year — making it the largest individual project grant GAČR offers. Teams may involve one or two host institutions, making small consortium applications possible unlike Standard Projects. A distinguishing and mandatory requirement is that the research team must submit a proposal to the European Research Council (ERC) within one year of the project's completion. Evaluation is conducted exclusively by international panels and external reviewers, with no domestic panel involvement. The Czech Science Foundation explicitly positions EXPRO as preparation for ERC competition, with the mandatory ERC submission obligation written into the terms of the award.

Applicants must be affiliated with Czech universities or eligible public research institutions; for-profit entities are excluded. The programme is intended for established researchers with a demonstrated record of excellence rather than early-career scientists (who are directed to JUNIOR STAR). Because EXPRO does not run every year, the call cycle should be verified before preparation begins. Detailed eligibility criteria, scoring rubric, and budget rules are published in the tender PDF (available on the GAČR website) rather than the HTML announcement. The 2027-cycle submission deadline of 20 April 2026 has passed.