GAČR EXPRO Excellence Projects

GAČR EXPRO Excellence Projects sit at the top end of the Czech Science Foundation's basic-research funding and are designed for established scientists pursuing work with breakthrough potential. The line has run since 2019 and is built for teams already operating at a high level in Czech institutions, with evaluation that leans on international panels and external reviewers. Projects last five years and can reach CZK 50 million in total, which works out to roughly CZK 10 million a year. The program is not annual: the 2026-start round was skipped, and the 2027 call returned to the calendar. Teams may involve one or two institutions, and a proposal to the European Research Council is required within one year after the project ends. EXPRO suits applicants who can turn an ambitious scientific agenda into a credible multi-year program and then use that platform to reach ERC competition. It is the right route when the work is strong enough to justify a large envelope and when the team can show that the project will keep moving beyond the GAČR award itself.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.