The Excellent Research call in the Johannes Amos Comenius Programme (P JAC) is one of the most important Czech grant calls with a total allocation of CZK 12.2 billion, which aims to enable Czech research to reach European and global excellence. The Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (FZU) has achieved a significant success in this competition and will participate in the investigation of six projects out of the total of 26 projects that received funding in an extremely demanding evaluation process.
FZU has been awarded a total of six P JAC projects
FZU is commencing work on the coordination of three projects that it was awarded as the principal investigator in the Excellent Research call of the Johannes Amos Comenius Programme (P JAC). In the field of natural sciences, the successful ones were the following projects: Fundamental constituents of matter through frontier technologies (FORTE), Teraferroics for ultra-high capacity, speed and energy-efficiency of information technology (TERAFIT) and Sensors and Detectors for the Future Information Society (SenDISo).
In addition, FZU is involved in three other projects as a co-investigator. These are the Advanced Multiscale materials for key Enabling Technologies (AMULET) project coordinated by the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Breakthrough Laser Technologies for Smart Manufacturing, Space and Bio-Tech Applications (LasApp) project coordinated by the Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Ferroic Multifunctionalities (FerrMion) project led by the Institute of Thermomechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
26 projects worth CZK 12.2 billion were supported
The challenging evaluation process of the Excellent Research call was applied to 66 submitted projects. Due to the high quality of the applications submitted, the managing authority decided to increase the original allocation of CZK 8 billion by CZK 4.2 billion. This allowed not only to support the 15 projects that were already announced at the end of summer 2023, but also further 11 excellent projects. In total, 26 projects worth CZK 12.2 billion were supported. By the end of the lifetime of the projects, FZU will have received more than CZK 1.1 billion directly to its budget.
"The success of FZU in the Excellent Research call is of crucial importance to us. In the environment of the new Operational Programme, it has once again been confirmed that FZU can prepare projects of exceptional quality which are backed by very interesting physics at the top-class level. Having been awarded the six projects, FZU will be able to procure cutting-edge and unique instruments and to remunerate accordingly excellent teams of current and new scientists. The projects will enable FZU to move a step closer to the truly top institutions in physics at the European and global level,” evaluates the success of the FZU teams in the competition Director Michael Prouza.
Fundamental constituents of matter through frontier technologies (FORTE)
Scientists involved in the FORTE project focus on key questions in elementary particle physics and cosmology. Their aim is to deepen our understanding of the fundamental building blocks of matter in the Universe and the interacting forces. To achieve this goal, they plan to improve measurements of some parameters of the Standard Model and to search for new particles that could lead to breakthroughs in our understanding of the Model. More
The scientific team consists of experts from the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Czech Technical University in Prague, Charles University, Palacký University in Olomouc and the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
Teraferroics for ultra-high capacity, speed and energy-efficiency of information technology (TERAFIT)
The research in TERAFIT project will focus on the development of applications that are essential for the Internet of Things and the Big Data economy. The aim is to achieve breakthroughs towards a new generation of information technologies – the three research objectives of the project focus on interconnected breakthroughs that will lead to substantial savings on energy, space and time scales. More
The project investigators are from three leading Czech research institutions – the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Charles University and Brno University of Technology.
Sensors and Detectors for Future Information Society (SenDISo)
The core of the SenDISo program is the development of a new generation of detectors and chemical biosensor solutions. Interdisciplinary research will focus on the creation of technologies for environmental monitoring (portable VOC sensors for pollution monitoring), improved medical diagnostics (discovery and analysis of trace amounts of biomarkers to combat serious diseases) and radiotherapy and quality control in industry. The new tools will, among other things, enable sensitivity at the level of individual (bio)molecules, opening the door to discoveries in life sciences and early diagnosis of serious diseases such as cancer. More
The FZU core expertise in chemosensors, optical materials and thin-film deposition techniques, advanced laser technologies and biosensors is complemented by partners involved in new areas in nanophotonics (Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the Czech Academy of Sciences), quantum optics and optical technologies (Palacký University in Olomouc), biochemistry and bioanalytical research (Masaryk University), gas sensors (University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague), (bio)materials research (University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Institute of Physics of Materials of the Czech Academy Sciences and Czech Technical University in Prague) and 2D materials for sensors and detectors (J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences).
FZU is involved in three projects as a co-investigator
As a partner, FZU is involved in three projects – Advanced MUltiscaLe materials for key Enabling Technologies (AMULET), Breakthrough Laser Technologies for Smart Manufacturing, Space and Bio-Tech Applications (LasApp), and Ferroic Multifunctionalities (FerrMion).
Breakthrough Laser Technologies for Smart Manufacturing, Space and Bio-Tech Applications (LasApp)
The LasApp project builds on a long tradition of unique research and development in the field of laser technologies in the Czech Republic and makes full use of the existing infrastructure and expert background. Scientists have identified three strategic areas where laser technology can play a major role in the future in the search for new breakthroughs and discoveries. These areas are space applications, biotechnology and advanced laser technologies for smart manufacturing. For all these areas, knowledge in the fields of smart optics, data handling, automation, robotics and AI will play a key role in the future. More
The main coordinator of the project is the Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the partners are the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences – HiLASE Centre, Faculty of Science of Charles University – BIOCEV, Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences – TOPTEC Centre, Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovations, Technical University of Liberec – CXI.
Ferroic Multifunctionalities (FerrMion)
The FerrMion project focuses on research and development of technical applications of ferroic materials, such as ferroelastic alloys with shape memory or multiferroics combining unique electrical, magnetic and mechanical properties. The planned research covers a broad spectrum of physical and technical fields and promises applications in energy, medicine and robotics. As part of the project, a unique 3D atomic probe material characterisation facility, the first of its kind in the Czech Republic, will be commissioned on the premises of the academic institutes in Prague Na Slovance. More
The FerrMion project led by Hanuš Seiner from the Institute of Thermomechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences will be investigated at three institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Institute of Thermomechanics, Institute of Physics and Institute of Nuclear Physics) and at two universities (Charles University and Czech Technical University in Prague). The project is organized into four thematic areas, two of which are led by experts from FZU, namely Oleg Heczek and Luděk Heller. Personnel-wise, the research project benefits from the experience of two world-renowned figures in the field of multiferroics – Jiří Hlinka (fundamental contribution to the understanding of domain walls in ferroelectrics and his recent discovery of topological defects in superlattices) and Oleg Heczek (contribution to the discovery of the magnetic shape memory phenomenon and his acclaimed work in the field of elastomagnetic multiferroics).
Advanced MUltiscaLe materials for key Enabling Technologies (AMULET)
Multiscale materials are assembled from different types of nanomaterials, which themselves have unusual properties. By combining them together and integrating them into higher order hierarchies, smart matter with unique functionalities and surprising applications in many different fields can be obtained. Research with this focus is pursued by a consortium of eight partners from academia and research, led by the Jaroslav Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences. More
Other members of the consortium include the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, the Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Charles University, the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague.
The multiannual Johannes Amos Comenius Programme (P JAC) is administered by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. The Excellent Research call in the P JAC programme supported research of an interdisciplinary nature with the potential to produce applicable research results. One of the prerequisites was the involvement of an excellent research team and the development of international collaboration. In the programming period 2021–2027, the P JAC draws money from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF).