News archive

European Research Council grants are not rewards for playing it safe. They demand bold ideas, enough time to prepare, and institutional backing that supports researchers at just the right moment. This January, the Czech Academy of Sciences launched the ERC Incubator. As its scientific coordinator Luděk Brož explains, the aim is to help researchers enter ERC grant competitions as well-prepared as possible.

Efforts to present research findings in clear, accessible language are becoming a standard part of scientific work, but new challenges keep emerging – like how to communicate science in a society that is growing ever more polarized. Or how a scientist should react when their media appearance triggers a wave of hateful reactions. These and other issues were discussed at the Science Communication 360° conference held on 5 February 2026 in Prague. The keynote talks were given by Christina Beck, Head of Communication at the Max Planck Society, and philosopher of language Tomáš Koblížek from the Czech Academy of Sciences.

A bold name, a clear goal – to raise the prestige of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) and make it more attractive to researchers from the Czech Republic and abroad. The Academy of the Future program is now getting under way and will soon support its first scientists and their institutes. Its objectives are outlined below by Petr Baldrian, Member of the Academy Council of the CAS, responsible for research excellence and career support.

Sometimes the abilities of action-movie heroes are enough to make your jaw drop. They can see through walls, shoot around corners, and seem completely immune to gravity. Which movie blunders are guaranteed to make scientists groan? We took a look at some of them with Jan Kaufman from the Institute of Physics of the CAS in the following article, first published in Czech in A / Easy.

How can researchers be more strongly supported in their careers, and how can we create an environment in which they turn their talent into excellent results? The Czech Academy of Sciences is introducing a revised support system that combines proven tools with new programs – the Academy of the Future and the ERC Incubator.

At the heart of every defense strategy is thorough preparation. It helps to know your adversary, too – especially when that adversary is an extraterrestrial body capable of striking with the force of a nuclear bomb. Astronomer Petr Pravec from the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences and his colleagues carefully monitor threats from space. You can read about how this planetary watch works in the following article, published in A / Magazine.

Using gold and diamonds, Vladimíra Petráková is working to refine optical microscopy and reveal hidden patterns in the nanoworld – while breaking Czech science stereotypes, such as women having to choose between children and a career. The scientist from the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the CAS expanded on this and more in the following interview, published in A / Magazine.

You can find them in Czech ponds just as in the Nile or the Amazon, and in seas and oceans, too. Diatoms (microalgae) are highly adaptable and thrive almost everywhere – including in the extreme environment of Antarctica. In January 2025, biologist Kateřina Kopalová headed straight into the kingdom of ice to study them in situ. How challenging is it to go on an Antarctic expedition, and what makes diatoms so remarkable? We wrote about the researcher’s adventures in the 2025 English issue of A / Magazine, the official quarterly of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

A photo of a moss capsule that resembles a deep-sea predator when magnified has won this year’s Photogenic Science contest. The winning image, “Anglermoss,” shows us that research can also uncover aesthetic beauty hidden from the naked eye. The Photogenic Science exhibition, on view at the Academy’s Science and Art Gallery on Národní Street in Prague from 4 December 2025 to 30 January 2026, showcases four dozen photos from the scientific realm.

After the spring session of the Academy Assembly of the CAS, which determined the composition of the new Academy Council of the CAS, its members divided up their roles. With several months’ hindsight, they now outline their intentions. What are their priorities, and how do they plan to shape where the Czech Academy of Sciences will be heading?