The scientific degree "Research Professor" (abbreviated as Res. Prof.) was established by a resolution of the twenty-first session of the Academy Assembly convened on December 18, 2002. It is awarded in accordance with Article 62 of the Statutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) approved by the Czech Republic Government's Resolution No. 614 dated May 24, 2006. The Academy awards the scientific degree of Research Professor to scientists in recognition of their outstanding and original scientific work, contributing to the advancement of research in a specific scientific field and characterising the awardee as a scientist of recognising stature. 

The detailed regulations of the Research Professor Degree procedure can be found in Directive of the Academy Council of the CAS No. 3/2015, Regulations Governing the Awarding of the Scientific Degree of Research Professor by the CAS (Rules for Granting the "Research Professor" Degree by the CAS). 

To ensure a high level of professionalism and an effective, coordinated awarding procedure, the Council for Sciences of the CAS established (in accordance with Paragraph 9 of its Procedural Guidelines and with Article I, Paragraph 5 of the Regulations) the Committee for the Research Professor Degree. The Council for Sciences awards the honour to the candidate along with the recommendation of the Committee for the Research Professor Degree. The awarding procedure is then administered by the respective bodies, which are the Commissions for Defending Research Professor Theses, the Committee for the Research Professor Degree, and the Council for Sciences. The Committee for the Research Professor Degree issues the Procedural Guidelines for regulations on awarding the scientific degree. 

The procedure for the Research Professor Degree is initiated by an application for candidacy for the degree. Applications shall be submitted to the Secretariat of the Council for Sciences of the CAS (Národní 3, 110 00 Praha 1, Mgr. Ivana Střálková, phone 221 403 320, fax 221 403 524, e-mail: stralkova@kav.cas.cz). 

Applicants for the Res. Prof. (DSc.) degree are advised to consult the specified requirements for any given Commission with the Chairperson of the respective Commission before writing a Research Professor thesis. The completed Research Professor thesis must be bound.