On Friday, June 27, 2025, another regular meeting of the Council for Research, Development and Innovation took place at Straka Academy. Among the main points of the meeting, the Council members approved the position on the Strategic Technologies Support Programme and the National Priorities of Oriented Research document. The Council members proposed the government appoint the Chairman of the Grant Agency based on the results of a secret ballot.
The first item on the agenda was the election of a member of the Presidium and simultaneously the Chairman of the Czech Science Foundation, due to the end of Prof. Milan Jirsa's first term of office on 4 November 2025. Milan Jirsa was nominated as the sole candidate for both positions, and the members of the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Council subsequently proposed his reappointment to the government.
The RDI Council further discussed the Proposal for Amendment to the Research, Development and Innovation Programme The Country for the Future (CFF), submitted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The amendment primarily consists of extending Sub-programme 1 Start-ups until 2028 and is driven by the need to support a higher number of high-quality projects.
The Proposal for Amendment to the EXPRO Excellence in Basic Research Grant Projects Group under the authority of the Czech Science Foundation was also discussed. The duration of the programme shall be extended by 5 years (until 2035) and three additional public tenders are expected to be announced.
The RDI Council members subsequently approved the Proposal for the Research and Development Support Programme for the Development of Selected Strategic Technologies (STRATE). The main objective of the programme, developed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, is to strengthen research excellence in the fields of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, microelectronics and quantum technologies, i.e. in areas with a high potential for the application of results in fields enhancing the economic level of the state. The programme is in line with government priorities to support selected strategic technologies and is designed for the years 2026 to 2032.
In the item devoted to the activities of the International Scientific Advisory Board of the RDI Council (ISAB), the Council members proposed to their chairman to appoint Prof. Wilhelm Jan Ansorge as the ISAB chairman.
During the continuation of the June meeting, the RDI Council discussed the Call for Submission of Selected Results for Evaluation in Module 1, which is conceived in accordance with the newly adopted Methodology for Evaluation of Research Organisations (Methodology 2025+), approved by the Resolution of the Government of the Czech Republic dated 18 June 2025. The Call establishes limits and recommendations for the submission of research organisations' results – emphasising that the results entered for evaluation should correspond to the organisation's focus and mission. The call will subsequently be published on the website vyzkum.gov.cz
At the conclusion of the discussion, the document National Priorities of Oriented Research (NPOR), following the objectives of the National Research, Development and Innovation Policy of the Czech Republic 2021+, was approved.
“National Priorities of Oriented Research represent a set of redefined priorities, strategic objectives and key topics. They are intended to serve actors in the research, development and innovation system, strategic political decision-making, as well as the broader public,” stated Minister for Science, Research and Innovation Marek Ženíšek, who chairs the RDI Council, regarding the significance of the discussed material.
The NPORs encompass six areas of strategic challenges: energy transformation and sustainable future, adaptation to climate change, trust in democracy and societal resilience, preparedness for demographic changes and population ageing, the technological and digital transformation of society, and a comprehensive response to security threats. The material will now be submitted for the inter-ministerial comment procedure.
Source: RDI Council – Office of the Government, CZ | 27 June 2025
