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"contract" – Strategy for
Research and Doctoral
Studies (2022–2027)
Faculty of Pharmacy
The contract is a strategic document based on the Internal Research and Doctoral Evaluation (IRDE)
carried out at Masaryk University (MU) in 2022. The content of the contract is linked to recommendations
obtained from the IRDE, to MU's priorities and shared values, or to the faculty/institute's own strategies
in research and doctoral studies. With this document, the faculty or university institute enters into an
agreement with the Rector of MU and undertakes to implement the strategy for research and doctoral
studies.
The contract contains the faculty's mission and a more detailed description of the implementation of the
main goals by which the faculty wants to fulfill the individual strategies. Complementary materials are
- Annex 1: An overview of objectives in the form of a table to serve as an action plan; and
- Annex 2. Strategy, a presentation that summarizes the IRDE's recommendations and shared
values in research for the MU management.
1. Mission and main objectives
The vision of the Faculty of Pharmacy is to aim to strengthen its mission and to further fulfill the
excellence of its activities in the field of protection, promotion and health of humans and animals with
the aim of comprehensively solving the issue of pharmaceutical products (active substances,
medicinal products, diagnostic products, cosmetic products, medical devices, etc.).
Our main objectives are:
- in the area of the doctoral study program (DSP) – streamlining and improving the quality of
doctoral studies (merging existing programs into one, reducing failure rates, improving the financial
situation of doctoral students, internationalization...),
- in the field of science and research – increasing activity in submitting international projects and
achieving greater interconnection with the teams of the campus faculties that excel in terms of
grants and publications , and
- in the area of faculty financing – to ensure an increase in funds by the "Own resources"
component obtained within the framework of cooperation with the application sphere.
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2. Description of the
implementation of the main
objectives
Based on the Strategic Plan of the Faculty of Pharmacy MU and in accordance with the MU priorities,
shared values of MU and recommendations of the IRDE, we undertake to take the following steps
leading to the implementation of the main objectives:
1. Rationalization of DSP – change from 6 programs to one (external accreditation). The
Faculty of Pharmacy MU must apply for DSP re-accreditation. Planned output Q3/2025
Obstacles: accreditation at NAB.
Benchmark: n.a.
2. Internationalization in the field of human resources: the faculty will recruit at least 1
foreign (English-speaking) employee – academic staff member
Obstacles: insufficient salary competitiveness of the faculty compared to foreign
workplaces, failure in submitting and obtaining grant funds, faculty relocation in 2026.
Benchmark: EDUC Alliance
3. Internationalization of doctoral studies: foreign opponents of dissertations, increase in
the number of foreign doctoral students, support for doctoral students' departures, support
for the arrival of foreign experts, English will be the preferred language of dissertations.
Obstacles: problems associated with economic support for students, problems in obtaining
visas, high competition inside and outside the university within doctoral study programs
with a biomedical focus, faculty relocation in 2026.
Benchmark: EDUC Alliance
4. Increase of funds by the "Own resources" component obtained in cooperation with
the application sphere.
Obstacles: human resources, large space requirements, instrumentation, faculty relocation
in 2026.
Benchmark: EDUC Alliance
5. Increasing activity in submitting international projects and submitting joint projects
with teams of campus faculties that are excellent in terms of grants and publications
(ERA Chair, MSCA, EIT, OP JAK, GAČR, etc.): min. 3 submitted international projects by
2027.
Obstacles: highly competitive environment, absence of connection to an international
consortium, faculty relocation in 2026.
Benchmark: EDUC Alliance
6. Support for Open Science and data management: organization of trainings and
workshops, support in writing project applications.
Obstacles: limited staff capacity of the Faculty of Pharmacy MU as a small faculty of MU,
faculty relocation in 2026.
Benchmark: n.a.
7. Improving the quality of doctoral studies and preventing academic failure – reducing
the failure rate of doctoral studies by 30%: rationalization of doctoral studies, integration
of doctoral students into project teams, careful selection of motivated applicants for doctoral
studies in relation to the financial/project situation of the potential supervisor, internal
support mechanisms (multi-source financing, publication fund, internal grant schemes,
etc.), systematic work with supervisors (supervisor standards, supervisor courses, etc.),
dialogue with doctoral students, continuous evaluation of milestones in the ISP, DSP
conferences.
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Obstacles: insufficient financial remuneration of DSP students, financial competition with
employers from the commercial sector, insufficient selection of suitable candidates for DSP
studies and selection of unsuitable supervisors with previous low success rates, faculty
relocation in 2026.
Benchmark: EDUC Alliance
8. Improvement of the financial situation of doctoral students: integration of doctoral
students into project teams, careful selection of motivated applicants for doctoral studies in
relation to the financial/project situation of the potential supervisor, internal support
mechanisms (multi-source funding, publication fund, internal grant schemes, etc.).
Obstacles: delay in the approval of the amendment to the Higher Education Act,
connection to an increase in the success rate in obtaining external grants, faculty relocation
in 2026.
Benchmark: EDUC Alliance
9. Long-term maintenance of HR Excellence in Research Award: activities resulting from
the evaluation in the past period (Interim Assement Report).
Obstacles: loss of a stable position of HR manager, faculty relocation in 2026.
Benchmark: MUNI