Scientific Prizes of the French Embassy 2026
13. 02. 2026
The French Embassy has announced a call for applications for the Scientific Prizes 2026 in scientific fields listed below, along with links to detailed conditions for individual awards. Please note that applicants from the institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences are now also eligible for the award in the field of medicine.
- Chemistry (Jean-Marie Lehn Prize)
- Medicine (Albert Schweitzer Prize)
- Pharmacy (Sanofi Prize)
- Computer Sciences (Joseph Fourier Prize)
- Nuclear Sciences (Henri Becquerel Prize)
- Environment and Climate ("Make Our Planet Great Again" Prize)
- Social sciences and humanities (Jacques Derrida Prize)
- CEFRES Platform Prize (organized by CEFRES) – information to be soon published on the CEFRES website, inquiries can be sent on claire.madl@cefres.cz.
Applications are open to PhD students or postdoctoral fellows who have defended their PhD dissertation in 2025 or 2026. Applicants must be nationals of a member or candidate country of the EU and be employed by an institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences or enrolled at a Czech university. Furthermore, applicants must have authored at least one scientific paper published or accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed international journal.
Candidates must submit the following documents in English:
- An academic curriculum vitae (one page maximum).
- A list of scientific publications following the provided template.
- A research presentation (max. 4 pages, including illustrations) outlining the applicant’s research activities and applicability prospects (references may be included on additional pages), following the Word template.
- A summary of the above-mentioned presentation (max. half a page) containing basic information in both Czech and English.
- A signed letter of recommendation on the institution's letterhead, written by the scientific supervisor, introducing both the student and their research.
All documents should be in PDF format and sent together in a single zip file to capucine.martin@ifp.cz no later than 19 March 2026.
Shortlisted candidates will present their research in English before a selection committee in May or June (exact dates are specified in the conditions for each prize).
The winners will be officially announced on 26 June 2026. Awarded candidates will receive financial support and, for the first two places, a scholarship for a stay in France (details may vary by prize). The award ceremony should also be attended by the supervisors and representatives of the relevant institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
Further information is available on the website of the French Institute.
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- Embassy Lecture: Intraseasonal Climate Variability and Its Impact on Society: South Africa and the Czech Republic in Partnership
The Czech Academy of Sciences (the CAS)
The mission of the CAS
The primary mission of the CAS is to conduct research in a broad spectrum of natural, technical and social sciences as well as humanities. This research aims to advance progress of scientific knowledge at the international level, considering, however, the specific needs of the Czech society and the national culture.
President of the CAS
Prof. Eva Zažímalová has started her second term of office in May 2021. She is a respected scientist, and a Professor of Plant Anatomy and Physiology.
She is also a part of GCSA of the EU.