Czech Health Research Council.

Yes. The amendment to Act No. 218/2000 on Budget Rules makes it obligatory for all institutions listed in Section 3(h)(10-14) of this Act to establish an account with the ČNB. Failure to do so constitutes a breach of budgetary discipline.

For individuals and private universities that are direct beneficiaries of state subsidies, the law does not regulate the flow of funds and the method of payment remains unchanged (they can receive funds on an account held with any commercial bank).

Funds for co-beneficiaries transferred to a non-treasury account may already be held outside the ČNB accounts (they may also be held at the ČNB). This procedure applies to the institutions referred to in Article 3(h)(10) to (14) of Act No 218 on the Financial Regulation.

You can contact CZECRIN with any questions https://czecrin.cz/ (CZECRIN Access Manager: MUDr. Jana Unar Vinklerová, Ph.D.; ), with which AZV ČR , with the consent of the provider, has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (https://www.azvcr.cz/azv-cr-a-czecrin-uzavrely-memorandum-o-spolupraci/).

Furthermore, on the website of the State Institute for Drug Control https://www.sukl.cz/ (e.g. clinical evaluation of drugs https://www.sukl.cz/leciva/obecne-informace-2, clinical trials https://www.niszp.cz/index.php/cs/kontakt) or http://www.olecich.cz/, here you can find the Information sheets of SÚKL (e.g. on clinical evaluation of drugs) http://www.olecich.cz/uploads/infoLISTY/03550_14946_SUKL_Infolisty_2015_01_01.pdf, http://www.olecich.cz/uploads/infoLISTY/03550_15123_SUKL_Infolisty_2015_02_01.pdf.

AZV a memorandum of cooperation with the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, which is the national coordinator of the large research infrastructure (VVI) BBMRI.cz, part of the European research infrastructure BBMRI-ERIC (Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure – European Research Infrastructure Consortium).

To access the application, please use the link: http://eregpublic.ksrzis.cz/. If you have activated your account, you will have both the username and password that you created during activation.

The application for the creation of a user account is submitted by the so-called "applicant" of the given entity in the JSU application (eREG environment). You can verify who this person is at a given workplace at the technical helpdesk of the Institute of Health Information and Statistics of ČR (ÚZIS ČR below.

If your institution is not registered, your activation period has expired (activation link from the address ), or you have another problem with activation or login, please contact the technical support of the system provided by the ÚZIS ČR: ; +420 222 269 999.

The recommended browser for correct display of ISVP forms is Microsoft Edge updated to Chromium, Google Chrome from version 69 and Mozilla Firefox from version 62.0.3 and 60.2.2 ESR (these are general requirements of the JTP environment).

For a new password, use the "Personal Password/PIN Renewal" function at login or contact the technical support of the system at ČR: ; +420 222 269 999, where they will help you with password recovery.

By holding down the "CTRL" key and scrolling with the mouse wheel, you can scale the screen display smaller or larger. So please scale down your screen view.

Once the form is completely filled out, we recommend using the "Check" button, if no errors are found (validation check), press the "Finalize and Submit" button.

For the project proposal, after pressing the "Finalize and Submit" button, the "Download PDF" button will appear in the "Project Version" section to generate a PDF file.

For a partial or final report, after pressing the "Finalize and submit" button, return to the "Detail" of the project, where in the "Partial / Final Reports" section, the "Download PDF" button will appear next to the report for that year to generate a PDF file.

PDF file (no need to rename, in case of renaming use "explorer" and "Rename" function, e.g. Do not use the "Save as..."), whether project proposal or partial/final report, shall be sent unchanged individually in a data message with the title (subject) "AZV - NW2X-0X-00XXX" or "AZV - NW2XJ-0X-00XXX" for the project proposal, for the partial report under the title "AZV - DZ project registration number" and for the final report "AZV - ZZ project registration number" to the data box of the Agency for Health Research of the Czech Republic with the identifier "f7eike4".

The correct delivery of the document can be checked in the ISVP in the column "Received by ISDS", where it must be marked "OK".

In the ISVP, titles can be changed in the contact data (icon "Nast./Settings", tab "Contact data / Contacts"). In other cases, please contact the technical support of the system, which is provided by the ÚZIS ČR: ; +420 222 269 999.

Yes, you must enter your institution's registered office and bank account details in the ISVP. The registered office is mandatory information when submitting a project proposal, while bank details can be entered when financing the institution. Without this information, it will not be possible to generate contracts and disburse funds. The registered office and bank account can only be entered by an authorized person with the role of "Applicant" under the "Organization settings" icon. Please enter the "Domestic bank details" in the "Bank details" tab, where you must fill in the "Account number" and "Bank code" and then save everything by clicking the "Save" button. You can find the organization's registered office in the "Basic information" tab. For more information, see the manual "Filling_in_Bank_Account_Addresses_Applicant_Roles_ISVP.pdf" (in "Documents" under the red "i" icon in ISVP).

There is no limit to the number, subject to the rule that the co-proposer must be an entity different from the proposer (in the case of a legal entity with a different registration number).

The applicant in this public competition is a state organizational unit or a ministry organizational unit engaged in research and development, as well as a legal entity or natural person applying for support. The form of the organization is not limited in this case. Before the end of the competition period, the applicant must prove its eligibility in accordance with the procedure described in the tender documentation and the terms and conditions. However, most of these institutions are not considered research organizations (see the list of research organizations of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports here (https://www.msmt.cz/vyzkum-a-vyvoj-2/vyzkumne-organizace) or do not meet the definition of an "organization for research and knowledge dissemination" according to Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014, Article 2, point 83, and are therefore required to contribute additional sources of funding (co-financing) according to the specified aid intensity and amount of aid.

According to the provisions of Section 18(11) of Act No. 130/2002 Coll., "Public tenders in research, development, and innovation may also be participated in by a legal entity based in a Member State of the European Union or another state forming part of the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation, or a citizen of such a state or a long-term resident in the Czech Republic or a national of another state who has been-if he/she has been granted residence in the Czech Republic for the purpose of scientific research, provided that he/she meets the eligibility conditions under paragraph 2, with the eligibility under paragraph 2(b) to (f) being demonstrated by a statutory declaration (see the annex to the tender documentation for a template). In accordance with the provisions of Article 1(5)(a) of the Regulation, the provider may require that another participant based outside the Czech Republic have an establishment or branch in the Czech Republic at the time of payment of the support. At the same time, such a candidate is obliged to prove, at the latest before the conclusion of the grant agreement, that the establishment or branch of a legal entity based in a Member State of the European Union and located in the Czech Republic meets all the eligibility requirements under Section 18 of Act No. 130/2002 Coll. similarly to an applicant with its registered office in the Czech Republic.

Yes, the involvement of patient organizations is desirable, and these proposals will be awarded two points in the first phase evaluation. In order to draw funds from public tenders organized by the Ministry of Health ČRČRAZV ČR, patient organizations must meet several conditions. Above all, it is necessary that:

• Demonstrated an active role in the project's research activities;
• the research project was clearly defined and met the conditions set out in the specific call;
• had research activities defined in their founding documents as the subject of their activities; 
• the support was granted to cover the costs associated with the implementation of the research project, not for the operation of the patient organisation;
• the research activities of the patient organisation have not been outsourced to external bodies in the form of contract research.

Patient organizations can thus participate, for example, in patient surveys, the administration of patient registries, or cooperation with academic institutions and hospitals on projects focused on quality of life and the impact of diseases. Participation is expected in the role of co-applicant (co-recipient).

https://www.azvcr.cz/projekty-mz-azv-umozni-prime-financovani-pacientskych-organizaci/

https://www.azvcr.cz/setkani-azv-cr-s-pacientskymi-organizacemi-nova-prilezitost-k-zapojeni-do-vyzkumu/

Eligible costs may include additional (overhead) costs incurred in direct temporal and material connection with the project (e.g., administrative costs, costs of support staff and infrastructure). The maximum amount of such costs is 20% of the total eligible project costs requested from the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, excluding the costs of acquiring fixed assets, i.e., only non-investment costs. From VES 2026, the limit is set at a maximum of 25% of direct costs (personnel, operating, investment). Additional (overhead) costs planned in the project proposal cannot be exceeded or requested to be increased during the project. If these costs are not requested in the project proposal, they cannot be included in the eligible costs.

The overhead costs incurred during the entire project period must not 1) exceed the original amount planned in the approved project proposal and 2) exceed the specified percentage limit on actual expenditure.

Yes, specialised professional computer tools necessary for the implementation of the project and its objectives can be included in the eligible costs. However, the purchase of such computer equipment must be specified and properly justified in the project proposal, including the justification for its use.

The individual accounting units follow the set thresholds set out in the implementing decrees according to the type of entity (or as modified in the institution's internal guidelines).

There is no % limit on personnel costs in relation to the amount of grant requested. When approving the amount of recognised personal costs for all applicants, the provider always takes into account the Labour Code and Government Regulation No. 448/2011 of 7 December 2011 and other relevant applicable legislation or practices in the workplace. It is only necessary to comply with the limits set out in the contract (min. and max. hours, amount of extraordinary remuneration).

The amount of time must correspond to the objectives, role in the project, results and evaluation of the person. Zero hours are not allowed. The Provider sets the minimum amount of full-time employment per project per employer for the proposer at 0,2 and for the co-proposer at 0,2 (VES 2021-2024) and 0,1 (from VES 2025) respectively. For the purposes of the project proposal, the sum of all the person's full-time employment covered by the Provider's earmarked support cannot exceed the threshold of 100 %, i.e. 1,00. In the event of multiple projects being accepted, a reduction in the project's FTEs to the maximum sum of all FTEs of 1.00 is subsequently necessary.

Examples:

1. Option: the proposer has a running project where he has 50% time commitment. It is possible to submit several project proposals (in different roles of proposer, team member), where he will have 80% time commitment in each, however, in case of acceptance of several projects, it is necessary to reduce the time commitment on the projects to a maximum of the sum of all time commitments of 100%! In this case, an explanation must be provided in the project proposal as to how all projects will be dealt with simultaneously at the appropriate scientific level without adversely affecting the progress and output of the individual projects.
2. Option: the proponent has no running project. In this case, again, if more than one project is accepted and the total time commitment is more than 100 %, the proposals for such projects must again explain how they will be able to ensure that they are dealt with without adversely affecting their quality. In both cases, the volume of FTEs and their efficiency are part of a comprehensive evaluation.

There is no financial limit on the amount of subsidy requested per project, except for Subprogram 2 (support for young scientists), where the amount of eligible project costs is limited to CZK 7 million or CZK 8.5 million.

If the applicant or co-applicant is a private individual, the amount of his/her financial remuneration for the work on the project will be included under the heading of personnel costs for the purposes of cost accounting, even if it is not a cost incurred for the payment of wages and salaries in the context of employment relations under Act No 262/2006 Coll., the Labour Code, as amended.

Deliveries made in the form of internal company deliveries recorded in accordance with generally binding legal regulations are acceptable if the institution in question allows them and has them covered by internal regulations.

VAT

Only VAT payers account for VAT. The amounts of expenses claimed in the VES project must always be exclusive of VAT.

For non-VAT payers, you do not account for VAT on invoices received and include the VAT amount in the purchase price of the purchased materials, goods, or assets. You then apply the full amount of the invoice to the VES project.

For both groups (payers/non-payers), other expenses related to the purchase of goods/services/fixed assets – customs duties, transport costs, insurance during transport, customs services, etc. – are also included in the expenses claimed for VES projects.

Customs duties, transport costs
All goods arriving in the EU from abroad are subject to customs procedures. In accordance with EU legal standards, these goods must be released for free circulation, with the request for release submitted by the recipient of the goods or an appointed representative, known asthe declarant(Czech Post, shipping companies).

Customs duties generally rangefrom 1% to 10% of the value of the goods(plus any costs for international transport or insurance) andare calculated on the basis of the accompanying invoice. Importers can calculate the amount of customs duty using theTaric CZ system, but it is importantto classify the goods correctly in the appropriate category.

The customs value of imported goods (the basis for calculating customs duties) includes:

• intrinsic value of goods,
• foreign transportation costs,
• any insurance, etc.

The following are included in the VAT calculation base:

• intrinsic value of goods,
• customs duty, if assessed,
• transport costs (within the EU), if not already included in customs duties (customs value),
• customs declaration service.

(Source: https://portal.pohoda.cz/dane-ucetnictvi-mzdy/ostatni-dane/clo-a-celni-rizeni/).

If the insurance is paid directly by the department participating in the project (laboratory, clinic, etc.), the insurance costs can be recognized in direct connection with the project, in an amount proportional to the use of the item in question, in this case, for example, laboratory equipment for the project. If the insurance is paid generally by the institution, it cannot be claimed from overhead costs/indirect costs (again proportionally according to use).

The annexes to the project proposal must be delivered during the competition period in paper form by post or in person to the AZV ČR office at Ruská 2412/85, 100 00 Prague 10 in an envelope marked "DO NOT OPEN – VES 202X" or signed with a qualified electronic signature in accordance with a special legal regulation to the AZV ČR data box with the subject line "DO NOT OPEN – VES 202X".

Attachments that could give applicants a selective advantage within the VES will be considered inadmissible. These include all attachments that extend beyond the "project description" (10 pages) and the attached "CV" (2 pages). Permitted project attachments include documents listed in the ZD and VP, e.g.:

– documents (depending on the nature of the project) and a sworn statement proving eligibility;

* a list of experts who should not be involved in the project appraisal (to ensure objectivity in the project appraisal, you have the possibility to list domestic and foreign experts who should not be involved in the project appraisal);

* evidence of co-financing from other sources by affidavit of the tenderer or confirmation from the intended sponsor;

* a power of attorney to submit the proposal to a third party if the tenderer does not have its own data box;

– Annex “Motivational effect” (signed) – comparative analysis, comparison of the extent of the intended activity with and without support, or comparison of the total amount spent by the beneficiary on the project with and without support, or the speed of project completion with and without support, if a large enterprise is involved in the project solution;

* where applicable, the original power of attorney (authorisation) by which the applicant's/co-applicant's statutory body authorises its representative to carry out the acts related to the submission of the project proposal;

* other attachments:

Under Subprogram 2, this is a sworn statement if the applicant was on maternity or parental leave, suffered a long-term illness, or interrupted their scientific career for similar objective reasons; the time limit of 8 years from the award of a Ph.D. or its equivalent is extended by this period.

in the Bibliography section, a list of research results for the last five years.

A 'project description' and 'curriculum vitae(s)' are an integral part of each project proposal.

Affidavits according to the annexes or other documents shall be delivered during the competition period in paper form by post or in person to the AZV ČR registry officeČR Ruská 2412/85, 100 00 Prague 10, in an envelope marked "NEOTVÍRAT – VES 202X" (DO NOT OPEN – VES 202X) or signed with a qualified electronic signature in accordance with a special legal regulation to the AZV data box AZV the subject line "NEOTVÍRAT – VES 202X" (DO NOT OPEN – VES 202X). Any original power of attorney (authorization) by which the statutory body of the applicant/co-applicant authorizes its representative to perform acts related to the submission of the project proposal shall be delivered in the same manner.

All other attachments required by the tender documentation shall be submitted via the ISVP application as an attached file in PDF format. In the case of a power of attorney to submit a proposal to a third party, if the applicant does not have their own data box, the applicant shall attach this power of attorney as an attachment in the ISVP application and at the same time deliver it in paper form by post or in person to the address AZV ČR, Ruská 2412/85, 100 00 Prague 10 in an envelope marked "NEOTVÍRAT – VES 202X" (DO NOT OPEN – VES 202X).

Yes, it is necessary to follow the prescribed outline (the order does not have to be followed, but the project description must contain each of the sections listed below):

1. 1. Introduction – a summary of the current state of knowledge of the scientific issues in the given scientific field;
2. 2. Preliminary/pilot data – pilot data supporting the project focus and hypothesis (d);
3. a statement of the nature of the Project and its relevanceto the Programme ; a justification of the necessity and need to address a specific issue at a given time (i.e. the timeliness of the solution) and in a given scope; what is the originality/innovativeness of the research project; if relevant to the project, a description of the implications for addressing possible biological differences (gender) or differences in the experiences and needs of women and men (gender);
4. Hypothesis and objectives ofthe Project - incl. elaboration of the general objective or indication of sub-objectives;
5. 5. Experimental design – a statistical justification of the size of the research population (exceptions may be projects aimed at research on rare and ultra-rare diseases), group definitions and statistically justified numbers of experimental animals, numbers of repetitions for preclinical testing, etc;
6. Methodology– description of the proposed conceptual and methodological procedures necessary
   for the project and for achieving the expected result, and their analysis, method of data collection, analysis, and proposed statistical processing;
7. 7. Timetable – a clearly formulated schedule of the planned work and its scope in each year of the project; a Gantt chart is recommended;
8. 8. Expected results – a factual description of the expected results of the project, including their intended practical purpose and the aim of their use in the health sector;
9. Cooperation– indicate if the project solution is conditional on cooperation between multiple entities,
   how it will be implemented (sample future contract as an appendix to the project proposal), including a specification of their share and responsibilities. In the case of foreign cooperation, a signed letter of support or letter of intent on the entity's letterhead must be provided, including the method and amount of funding; the project solution should not be predominantly based on contracted research or paid services provided by partners outside the research team;
10. Information on the (personnel-wiseand material-technical) readiness of the proponent, co-proponents and their workplaces, on the technological equipment of the workplaces to be used in the solution, on the possibility of cooperation; evaluation of the consistency between the professional focus of the proposal and the focus of the workplace of the proponent/co-proponents;
11. 11. Justification of the participation of all co-proposers and named collaborators, defining their contribution to the problem and specifying their role in achieving the expected results; information on the involvement of junior researchers;
12. 12. Risk analysis – analysis of the risks that may occur during the project, their significance and impact, alternative solutions in case of failure to confirm the hypothesis, etc;
13. a brief description of the research data ('the research data') to be used, collected or generated in the course of the project and how it will be handled; the beneficiary is obliged to have a Data Management Plan (DMP) in place no later than the submission of the first sub-report and to update this plan regularly if necessary and to submit it on request; The DMP should include, inter alia, information on what methods and principles of data management will be used with respect to the FAIR principles (retrievability, accessibility, interoperability and usability);
14. list of literature used ("List of literature used").

In the case of a proposed project involving experimental work with animals , the applicant/co-applicant shall attach:

when submitting the project proposal, at least a copy of the "authorisation for the use of experimental animals" (former accreditation of the user facility) pursuant to Section 15b of Act No. 246/1992 Coll., on the protection of animals against cruelty, as amended, valid at least until the start of the project;

The document may be attached in redacted form.

when concluding the contract, a valid approved (original) "experimental project", relating specifically to this project, or an officially certified copy or a document with electronic conversion, with the opinions of the expert committee of the user facility and the departmental committee of the relevant state authority pursuant to Act No. 246/1992 Coll. on the Protection of Animals against Cruelty, as amended, and Decree No. 419/2012 Coll. on the Protection of Experimental Animals, as amended.

It is also possible to attach one experimental project to several projects (but they must correspond thematically). If the title of the experimental project does not correspond to the project title, it will always be accompanied by an Application for Approval of Experimental Project (minimum copy).

The ethics committee's consent statement for a given project must always be submitted by the applicant or coapplicant to whom the legal obligation applies, i.e. in the case of (i) healthcare delivery, (ii) research with human subjects, and (iii) research with questionnaire survey methodology and qualitative investigations with persons affected by or at risk of disease in accordance with the International Ethics Committee for Biomedical Research with Human Participants CIOMS/WHO, 2002.

In the case of research on biological material (patient samples) that was collected e.g. within another project, it is also necessary to attach the opinion of the ethics committee including the informed consent that was used in the collection of this biological material, in this informed consent should then be explicitly stated that the samples will be further used e.g. in subsequent projects, etc.

In the case of samples stored in accordance with the law – BIOBANKS, i.e., with valid informed consent and in compliance with the GDPR (there is a legal basis for the use of samples), no original or new ethical approval or informed consent is required, but an acceptance email from the biobank (or acknowledgment) that the samples will be provided is required.

When using UZIS/NZIP data, EC approval is not required, but an acceptance email from ÚZIS/NZIP (or acknowledgment) stating that the data is/will be available is required.

The Ethics Committee will here explicitly confirm the accuracy of the attached "Informed Consent of the Patient/Subject" and will be responsible for its compliance with the regulations if Informed Consent is required under the relevant law. In addition, in the case of anticipated work with human beings, a statement from the Ethics Committee on the protection of human beings must be provided.

When submitting a project, a copy is sufficient; when concluding a contract, it is necessary to provide the original, a certified copy or a document with electronic conversion.

It is no longer required; instead of this annex, it is necessary to answer two questions directly in the project proposal, namely whether "The project proposal corresponds to the clinical evaluation of medicines according to the provisions of Act No. 378/2007 Coll., on Medicinal Products" and whether "The project proposal corresponds to the clinical trial of medical devices according to Act No. 375/2022 Coll., on medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices' (the bidder is responsible for the correctness of the answers).

If the answer is yes, it is necessary to provide the original, an officially certified copy, or an electronic conversion of the document:

Decision on the approval evaluation clinical evaluation the Czech Republic within the meaning of the Act on Medicinal Products and the same documentation that was approved in this decision In the case of a project proposal that corresponds to the performance of a clinical trial of a medical device with a CE mark that will be used in the clinical trial outside its intended purpose and/or in the case of a project proposal that corresponds to the performance of a clinical trial of a medical device without a CE mark, the applicant shall attach the Decision on the Authorization of Clinical Evaluation within the meaning of the Medical Devices Act and the MDR (if such a clinical trial requires a Decision on Authorization) or the Confirmation of Acceptance of the Notification Submitted (if the clinical trial requires a notification of intent to conduct a clinical trial) within the meaning of the Medical Devices Act and the MDR.

Only if it is not a clinical evaluation or a clinical trial, it can be accompanied by an opinion of the SÚKL that it is not a clinical evaluation and that it is not a clinical trial.

The incentive effect annex must always be submitted if a "large" enterprise is participating in the project (whether as an applicant or co-applicant); there is no prescribed template for this annex; the format is a comparative analysis (comparison of the extent of the intended activity with and without support), but the maximum length is set at two standard pages – see the tender documentation; it is submitted via the ISVP application as an attached signed annex in PDF format.

No. Checklists are only an aid to the proposer and are used solely for its internal process control.

As part of the VES 2024, VES 2025, and VES 2026 competitions

The proposer, later investigator, meets the condition that no more than 8 years have elapsed since the award of a Ph.D. degree or its equivalent, or will obtain it no later than the date of conclusion of the contract/issuance of the decision on the project.

If the proposer has been on maternity or parental leave, has suffered a long-term illness, or has interrupted his/her scientific career for similar objective reasons, the time limit of 8 years from the award of the academic degree of Ph.D. or its equivalent is increased by this period. These facts (award of the degree, parental leave, etc.) shall be documented by the applicant by means of an affidavit.

As part of the VES 2021, VES 2022 and VES 2023 competitions

The investigator, co-investigator and all professional collaborators must be at most 35 years old in the year of the competition announcement. Only one exception is allowed per team, one member of the team, i.e. the scientific collaborator, may be aged 45 years or older in the year of the competition.

In the framework of VES 2020

The investigator must be at most 35 years of age in the year of the competition announcement

These rules, according to the given VES, remain in force even if a grant is awarded, throughout the entire duration of the project and within the framework of any changes. For VES 2020 – VES 2023 projects, in justified cases, the condition of obtaining a Ph.D. may be used instead of age for the applicant.

The proposer/investigator is the person responsible to the applicant/beneficiary for the project.

The Co-proposer/Co-investigator is the person responsible to the Co-applicant/Co-recipient for the sub-project.

An expert collaborator is a named member of the research team with a fixed time and salary or is hired on a contract basis who is not designated as a technical, administrative or support staff member. The name, surname and date of birth must be completed.

For Subprogram 2 (support for the development of junior researchers), the amount of eligible project costs is limited to CZK 7 million or CZK 8.5 million.

For Subprogramme 2 (Support for the Development of Junior Researchers - Junior Projects), the time during which the proposer has been on maternity or parental leave, has suffered a long-term illness or has interrupted his/her scientific career for similar objective reasons may be deducted from the time limit of 8 years from the award of the academic degree of Ph.D. or its equivalent. These facts (award of the degree, parental leave, etc.) must be documented by the applicant by means of an affidavit only.

For evaluation project proposal under the "standard" section (Subprogramme 1), it is advisable to indicate this in the attached CV.

Career breaks due to maternity and parental leave, long-term illness or long-term care for a family member or loved one are taken into account when evaluation designing a project.

Within the framework of the project, we allow for the change of the researcher for the duration of maternity and parental leave, i.e. only for a certain period of time "from-until" (in practice, often the co/investigator/researcher changes only for the duration of maternity leave). As we support applied research, where individual competitions are always announced under a Programme that is time-limited, we do not allow project interruptions.

It is also possible to request a reduction of the researcher's time (within the research team, then without a request for approval of the change) due to parental responsibilities, care for a dependent family member or similar reasons. Alternatively, an extension of the project duration can also be requested (without entitlement to further earmarked support, however, unspent funds under the FUP and NUPF can be transferred to the extended project year).

The return to employment, including any concurrence with maternity or parental leave, must be in accordance with the Labour Code and other labour law provisions (e.g. the additional employment during maternity leave with the same employer as the maternity leave must be based on a different employment relationship and must not be the same type of activity as in the original employment relationship, i.e. the same type of work according to Section 34b(2) of the Labour Code)

Yes, these costs can be included among additional (overhead) costs if they arise in direct temporal and material connection with the implementation of the project. The reporting of these costs must be addressed in the beneficiary's internal regulations.

The contact person is JUDr. Ivana Reichová, e-mail: .

Active participation at the conference means active presentation, not co-authorship of a paper, by one member of the research team, who is mentioned in the project by name, in the form of a lecture or poster, where the topic of the paper must be related to the topic of the project.

To qualify for the costs, at least the invitation letter or acknowledgement of receipt of the contribution and the programme must be submitted with the PPA/PZ. Costs for other team members with a passive form of participation, even if they are co-authors of a paper presented by an active participant, are not eligible and must be covered from other sources, e.g. institutional funds of the VO. Two team members can only claim reimbursement from one project for one conference if two papers with active participation (lecture/poster) are accepted.

In the event that the presenter cannot actively participate in the conference, e.g. due to illness, maternity leave, etc., it is necessary to contact the organizer and request a change of presenter (this should be granted, should the change of presenter not be accepted, this communication will be attached).

No, costs can only be reimbursed to a participant who has confirmed active participation in the conference (for a single paper, only one can be actively presenting even if the paper has multiple co-authors). If the other participant is approved by the employer for this travel, it must be reimbursed from other sources, e.g. institutional funds (passive participation cannot be reimbursed from earmarked funds).

Travel expenses are costs including all costs of business trips in accordance with the provisions of Sections 173 to 181 of Act No. 262/2006 Coll., the Labour Code, as amended, up to the amount provided for or permitted by this Act, for the researchers and other staff members named in the project.

Business trips must always be approved within the workplace (secondments, etc.).

These are costs incurred exclusively in direct connection with the project, i.e., in terms of time and substance, including work stays necessary for the project, travel in connection with active participation in conferences, etc. (however, everything must be duly justified in the proposal or DZ and ZZ).

It also includes travel and subsistence costs of foreign staff participating in the project ("staff" in this context means the beneficiary's employee or the employee on a temporary/permanent basis).

Travel expenses may also include an item called "pocket money" up to 40% of the foreign meal allowance, which is not reduced on the grounds of free meals being provided.

The provider contributes to travel expenses up to a maximum amount set for applicants and co-applicants together: from 2026 for the first year of the project up to a maximum of CZK 100,000, and in subsequent years of the project up to a maximum of CZK 200,000, even for ongoing projects.

Yes, but only if he/she is an employee of the co/recipient or co/applicant (agreement, part-time).

Yes, but only if they are an employee of the co/recipient or co/applicant (agreement, part-time). This reimbursement must not exceed the daily cost of per diem tables (search for Current EU Per Diem Rates and more… – per-diems.info).

The start and end of the business trip and other conditions of the trip are determined and approved by the employer (see Section 153 of the Labour Code), therefore the employer may also allow the employee to interrupt the business trip (however, it should be internally regulated) on his/her part, i.e. for private reasons (visiting friends, cultural events, etc. in the place or in the vicinity where he/she has been sent, i.e. he/she may leave a day or two days earlier or stay and go home later). It is not an interruption, for example, if the employer sends the employee a day earlier to rest after a long journey. The special purpose allowance can then be used to cover the usual costs directly related to the project (travel to and from the project and the usual travel allowances for the work trip).

If the employer authorises the interruption of a business trip, the employee's entitlement to travel allowances should be defined and the start and end of the interruption should be clearly stated, or the date of the business trip clearly defined.

The conference fee is part of the documented expenses for a foreign business trip, excluding travel expenses. It can only be paid after the foreign business trip has been approved by a manager in the form of a confirmed travel order. Conference fees for online foreign events are an exception.

These costs can only be recognized on an accrual basis. They cannot be recognized at the end of the current year, as it is not possible to use the specific-purpose support for the given year to cover expenses for future periods (the following year).

An exception could be a case where the conference fee was paid at the end of the year directly by the participant and would only be accounted for as a project expense as part of the travel order and travel expense report. In this case, it would be appropriate to attach (to other documents) a bank statement and a sworn statement from the participant that they paid the items in question. This possibility should be considered exceptional, subject to agreement with the manager, and it is necessary to ensure that it complies with accounting and tax regulations.

For this and similar cases, we recommend taking out insurance or supplementary insurance, which can then be claimed from the special-purpose aid, so that the cancellation of the ticket, e.g. due to illness, is recognised.

Visa fees (e.g., USA – ESTA) cannot be covered by the grant.

Open science should, for example, improve the accessibility of scientific results and new technologies and innovations for all, speed up and streamline collaboration and knowledge sharing among scientists, avoid repetition of research, reuse already available data, etc., most often through open access to peer-reviewed publications - Open Access and to research data - Open Data.

Open Access is not yet required by generally binding legislation, so we can only recommend publishing in Open Access and leave the decision in the hands of the researchers of our projects. If practices, the nature of the result and the conditions of the project in a given field allow it, it is appropriate to publish the results in Open Access, or the publication outputs can be submitted to open digital repositories, in accordance with the licensing terms of the publisher.

In contrast, Open Data, i.e. work with research data, is already enshrined in the amendment to Act No. 130/2002 Coll. (from 2022), therefore it will be required that beneficiaries have a plan for research data management (DMP - Data Management Plans).

Yes, the costs of publishing in Open Access and similar costs are deductible, including publication charges (APC - Article Processing Charges).

The Data Management Plan should, as a minimum, include:

• what data will be generated, processed or collected,
• what methods and policies for their management will be used with respect to the FAIR principles (searchability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability),
• how the data will be shared and published,
• how the data will be stored during the solution and retained after the end of the project.

Since VES 2025, the ZD has stipulated that recipients must have a research data management plan in place by the time they submit their first interim report at the latest (a brief description of the research data that will be used, collected, or created during the project and how it will be handled) and to update this plan regularly as necessary and submit it to the provider upon request.

In the framework of VES 2023 and VES 2024, only a general condition was set, according to the amendment to Act 130/2002 Coll., in the contract, respectively in the contract, therefore, the preparation of a plan for research data management will be required for these ongoing projects as well, at the latest by the PPA for the year 2024.

For creating and managing DMPs, we recommend using a template created based on the Horizon Europe model for the Data Stewardship Wizard tool.

The beneficiary or co-beneficiary is not obliged to disclose research data in the case of:

• research data protected under laws governing the protection of the results of copyright, invention or similar creative activity, i.e. intellectual property rights,
• trade secret rights, or other legitimate interests of the co/recipient (e.g. commercial exploitation),
• national security,
• there would be a disproportionate interference with the right to the protection of privacy and personal data,
• it is also possible to refuse the provision of research data according to Act No. 130/2002 Coll. in the case where the research or development has not been fully financed from public funds (if the researcher is not obliged to provide information according to Act No. 106/1999 Coll. and Act No. 123/1998 Coll.).

Yes, the cost of creating a DMP for a given project and similar costs for managing research data (anonymisation, processing, storage...) are eligible. In addition, the costs of a Data Steward, i.e. a data management expert or similar professional position, are also eligible to the extent necessary for the project (coordination, creation and management of research data).

National Technical Library - https://repozitar.techlib.cz/entities/publication/b74f172d-5aad-4440-aa3f-7fb3667d401a

Open Data - https://opendata.gov.cz/start

EOSC CZ Initiative – https://www.eosc.cz/

NZIS Open platform – https://www.nzip.cz/o-nzis-open

For the institution, you can fill in the method of demonstrating gender equality under the "Org Settings" icon. under "Gender Equality Principles", this information is added by the role "Candidate" (it is valid for the whole institution).

In this section, instead of or in addition to the text, it is also possible to insert a link (to the website) to the Gender Equality Plan (GEP), HR Award, implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy for 2020-2030, internal directive of the VO or other similar document demonstrating an active approach to promoting non-discrimination.

• As this field is subsequently transcribed into the project proposal both in the online version and in the PDF version, the data must be filled in in English and the field is limited to 2,000 characters.

Board Research, Development, and Innovation – https://vyzkum.gov.cz/FrontClanek.aspx?idsekce=952959

e.g.  Strategy for Gender Equality 2020-2030,Gender Equality in Research and Development – A Guide for Providers – RVVI, National Research, Development, and Innovation Policy of the Czech Republic 2021+ https://vyzkum.gov.cz/FrontClanek.aspx?idsekce=913172, gender equality plan https://vyzkum.gov.cz/FrontClanek.aspx?idsekce=1005967.

National Contact Centre - Gender and Science - www.genderaveda.cz

e.g. How to approach the gender dimension in research content https://genderaveda.cz/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/NKC_Jak-na-genderovou-dimenzi_2024.pdf, https://genderaveda.cz/plany-genderove-rovnosti-geps/, https://genderaveda.cz/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NKC_Jak-na-zmenu-A5_2021_WEB-1.pdf

TA ČR – When and how to consider the gender dimension in research content?

https://tacr.gov.cz/wp-content/uploads/documents/2023/02/06/1675688771_Gender%20dimenze%20v%20obsahu%20výzkumu.pdf

https://tacr.gov.cz/wp-content/uploads/documents/2021/01/18/1610962134_Gender%20ve%20v%C3%BDzkumu%20-%20p%C5%99%C3%ADru%C4%8Dka_pdf.pdf

https://tacr.gov.cz/wp-content/uploads/documents/2019/10/10/1570715233_P%C5%99%C3%ADloha%20%C4%8D.%201%20-%20P%C5%99%C3%ADru%C4%8Dka%20pro%20vyhodnocen%C3%AD%20genderov%C3%A9%20dimenze%20v%20obsahu%20v%C3%BDzkumu.pdf

Within a specific project, the integration of the gender dimension should be described (across the annex "project description"), most often in the section "statement of the nature of the project and its relation to the Programme", if relevant to the project design, a description of the impact on addressing possible biological differences (gender) or differences in the experiences and needs of women and men (gender). Some results of the project design may be less relevant if, for example, physical differences between women and men, etc., have not been taken into account.

It should always be justified why gender equality cannot be applied, e.g. in the "information on (staff and material and technical) readiness" section, when it is not possible to ensure a more balanced representation of women and men in the project (e.g. gender-specific cancers, ultra-rare diseases, etc.), in the "expected results" section, then if the resulting impact of the project does not benefit women and men equally, etc.

TA ČR – When and how to consider the gender dimension in research content?

https://tacr.gov.cz/wp-content/uploads/documents/2023/02/06/1675688771_Gender%20dimenze%20v%20obsahu%20výzkumu.pdf