News

CERGE-EI Supports the Learned Society’s Call to Preserve the ERC CZ Program

2 November, 2026

CERGE-EI joins the Learned Society of the Czech Republic in expressing serious concern about the potential discontinuation of the ERC CZ program due to insufficient funding in the 2027 state budget.

ERC CZ plays a vital role in supporting excellent research, retaining scientific talent, and strengthening the international competitiveness of Czech science. The program builds on rigorous international evaluations conducted by the European Research Council (ERC), allowing the Czech Republic to support outstanding research without establishing its own costly evaluation system.

CERGE-EI has been involved in the ERC CZ program through highly successful research projects, including Hierarchical Networks and Their Microeconomic Origins, led by Paolo Zacchia, and the ongoing project Discrimination, the Desire to Harm and the Role of Hardship (2023–2028), led by Michal Bauer. These projects illustrate the role of ERC CZ in fostering internationally competitive economic research in the Czech Republic.

“Beyond benefiting, free of charge, from the world-class evaluation conducted by ERC panels, the ERC CZ program also encourages researchers in the Czech Republic to apply for ERC grants and makes the country a more attractive place for leading scientists to pursue their research. This is particularly important as the success rate for ERC Starting Grants is expected to fall from approximately 10% in 2026 to around 5% in the 2027 call,” says Štěpán Jurajda (CERGE-EI).

Discontinuing the program would send a troubling signal about the Czech Republic’s commitment to research excellence. CERGE-EI therefore fully supports the Learned Society’s call to secure adequate funding for the continuation of ERC CZ and ensure stable, long-term support for excellent research in the Czech Republic.