CEITEC – Central European Institute of Technology
Masaryk University
Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
www.ceitec.eu
1
Meeting of the Scientific Board of the Central European
Institute of Technology, Masaryk University
Date, venue 15th
March 2024, hybrid meeting (E25/211 + MS Teams)
Participants P. Plevka (chair), V. Bryja, J. Cacek, J. Fajkus, T. Kašparovský, M. Mráz, M.
O’Connell, Š. Pospíšilová, I. Rektorová, M. Repko, R. Štefl, R. Vácha, D. Vetchý, J.
Doležel, O. Fojt, M. Kiess, J. Lukeš, J. Nantl, S. Pastoreková
Guests E. Handlířová, N. Kostlánová, M. Marcolla, K. Hošková
Excused K. Říha, P. Těšina, P. Jungwirth, M. Králíčková, P. Tomančák, E. Zažímalová
Minutes prepared by E. Handlířová
Approved by P. Plevka
Comments by -
Agenda
1) Budget report for 2023 & Budget plan for 2024
2) Per rollam votes 2023 results
3) News from the institute
4) General debate
Minutes
Welcome and introductions
The Scientific Board reached quorum with 19 members present, both physically and online, out of 25 total
members.
P. Plevka welcomed all members of the scientific board, both those present in Brno and those participating
remotely. This meeting marks the inaugural session of the board since the appointment of its members for the
term spanning from November 1, 2023, to September 30, 2026.
Note: The agenda item regarding the honorary doctorate for Professor Dirk Inzé has been postponed and will be
addressed separately through a per rollam vote following the meeting.
1) Budget report for 2023 & Budget plan for 2024
Refer to the annex 1 and slides 4-7 of the presentation
P. Plevka presented the financial outcomes for the institute in 2023, alongside the proposed budget for 2024.
Total expenditures for 2023 amounted to 824 million CZK, slightly below the planned figure of 835 million CZK.
The proposed budget for 2024 anticipates total expenditures of 885 million CZK, representing a 6% annual
increase. Notably, new budgetary regulations have been implemented this year, entailing a flat rate institutional
allocation of 2.9 million CZK per research group. It is pertinent to mention that both in the past year and the
current one, the institute has drawn from a portion of its reserve fund.
Conclusion(s):
The scientific board acknowledges the budget report for 2023 and the budget plan for 2024 without reservation.
2) Per rollam votes 2023 results
Refer to slide 8 of the presentation
CEITEC – Central European Institute of Technology
Masaryk University
Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
www.ceitec.eu
2
P. Plevka provided an update on the outcomes of two per rollam votes conducted in 2023: (1) Organizational
changes related to the establishment and dissolution of research groups, and (2) Approval of the budget plan for
2023. In both instances, quorum requirements were met.
The Petr Těšina research group was established in 2023 and subsequently received an ERC grant. Conversely, the
Petr Skládal research group was dissolved effective December 31, 2023. The Tomasz Nodzynski research group
will be closed as of June 30, 2024, while the Peter Lukavsky research group is set to be dissolved by December
31, 2024.
Conclusion(s):
The scientific board acknowledges the outcomes of the per rollam votes conducted in 2023.
3) News from the institute
Refer to slides 9-27 of the presentation
P. Plevka shared notable updates from the institute, including forthcoming projects for the upcoming year.
Additionally, an invitation was extended to the Core Facility Day scheduled for October 16, 2024 (to be held in a
hybrid format), as well as the Core Technologies for Life Sciences Congress slated for June 10-12, 2025.
Debate highlights:
• S. Pastoreková commended CEITEC's commitment to fostering a sense of community and facilitating
networking opportunities.
• P. Plevka emphasized the pivotal role of community-building in fostering mutual cooperation among
research teams and providing support among peers. Notably, the positive feedback received from
participants in the weekly Leaders Lunches, attended by group leaders, core facility leaders, and
administrative heads, underscores the effectiveness of such initiatives. Regarding the Sip of Science
events for early-stage researchers, although only two events have been held thus far, their focus and
impact will be evaluated in due course.
• J. Fajkus addressed the proposal to appoint a CEITEC PhD Coordinator to serve as a central point of
contact and trust for CEITEC PhD candidates. While acknowledging existing PhD coordinators at the
faculty and program levels, the challenge lies in establishing a clear and functional system while
delineating the responsibilities and roles of individual coordinators.
• P. Plevka elucidated that the idea of having CEITEC PhD Coordinator arose from the feedback by PhD
candidates themselves who are calling for better support and leadership with an increasing intensity. A
majority of leadership related actions, as presented, is motivated by this bottom-up pressure by early
stage researchers. As a responsible employer, we must repond to these needs of mostly PhD candidates
and postdocs.
• M. O’Connell proposed the preparation of a written document describing the institute's procedures in
the event of research group terminations, particularly concerning the status of PhD candidates from
dissolved groups. Ensuring transparency, managing expectations, and affording opportunities for PhD
candidates to complete their studies are paramount obligations of the institute.
Decisions:
The scientific board recommends formulating a procedure for managing research group terminations concerning
PhD candidates and their career progression.
Annexes
https://is.muni.cz/do/ceitec/vedecka_rada/2024-03-14/