News

Two CERGE-EI Faculty Awarded Major Czech Science Foundation (GAČR) Grants

9 November, 2026

CERGE-EI researchers Filip Matějka and Sebastian Ottinger have been awarded competitive five-year grants from the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR) in its highly selective EXPRO and JUNIOR STAR 2027 calls.

Filip Matějka, Professor at CERGE-EI, received an EXPRO grant for his project “Attention, Government, and the Formation of Economic Behavior.” EXPRO grants support outstanding, established researchers pursuing ambitious scientific projects. Starting in 2027, GAČR will fund 16 EXPRO projects.

Sebastian Ottinger, Assistant Professor at CERGE-EI, was awarded a JUNIOR STAR grant for his project “Technologies of Connection and Their Effects on Society: Evidence from the Habsburg Business Registry in the Age of Railroads.” His research will explore how the expansion of railways transformed society, drawing on historical evidence from the Habsburg Empire. JUNIOR STAR grants support promising early-career researchers in developing independent research programs. Starting in 2027, GAČR will fund 35 JUNIOR STAR projects.

The two awards are among 51 projects selected from 521 applications nationwide, representing a success rate of approximately 10%. All proposals underwent a rigorous international evaluation process.

Congratulations to both researchers on this outstanding achievement!