The first edition of the ČVUT Starting Grant has attracted a highly international and diverse pool of 93 applicants. Following the initial evaluation by an international evaluation panel, 20 candidates have been shortlisted to move forward in the selection process.
Shortlisted candidates (in alphabetical order) and their projects
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Ondřej Bajgar (CTU, ex–Oxford) – Reward Models That Know What They Don't Know: Bayesian Foundations for Uncertainty-Aware Preference Learning
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Felicien Comtat (Bonn University) – Fourier Coefficients of Siegel Maass Forms
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Eldho Edison (Echion Technologies Ltd.) – Vanadium-Free Polyanion Cathodes With Engineered Interphases for Next-Generation Sodium-Ion Batteries
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Ivan Gudoshnikov (Czech Academy of Sciences) – Constraint-Based Analysis in Mechanics
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Zeyuan He (RWTH Aachen University) – From Novel Quad-Mesh Origami to Curved Creases and Beyond: Extending the Theory of Surface Flexibility
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Tomáš Jakl (CTU) – A Unification of Categorical Theories of Resources
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Anna Jelínek Michaelidesová (CTU) – Establishing an AI-Integrated Platform for Quantitative Medical Radiation Research in 3D Tumor Models
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Sebastian Opper (Charles University) – Lie Theory for Derived Symmetries
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Bayode Owolabi (Czech Academy of Sciences) – Three-Way Coupling of Turbulence, Particles and Elasticity in Complex Fluids
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Vladimír Petrík (CTU) – DREAM-ACT: Unifying World Models and Optimal Control for Universal, Cross-Embodiment Robot Autonomy
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Vitalii Ponomar (University of New South Wales) – Performance of Carbonated Supplementary Cementitious Materials in Blended Cement: From Phase Assemblage to Durability-Controlled Design
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Prince Sharma (National Institute for Materials Science) – Photo-Rechargeable Optimized Wearable Energy Storage for Skin Electronics
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Vladimír Sobota (MUNI) – Detecting Increased Ventricular Arrhythmia Vulnerability in Individuals with Normal Electrocardiogram
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Michael Somr (CTU) – Descriptor-Based Estimation of Cementitious Aging and Degradation
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Matěj Šebek (University of Tokyo) – 2.5D Nanophotonics: Intercalated Layered Materials for Optoelectronics
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Lenka Tětková (Technical University of Denmark) – Geometry of Trust: A Unified Framework for Convex Latent Steering and Causal Concept Alignment
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Ryo Toyoda – Simulated Tracking in Immersive Models for User Learning Intelligence
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Jan Vábek (CTU) – Modular Multiscale Approach to High-Harmonic Generation
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Jan Vaněk (University of New Hampshire) – Probing Internal Structure of Matter with Polarized Deuterons
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Viktor Walter (CTU) – Statistical Sensor-Based Robot Coordination
The strong response to the inaugural call underlines the attractiveness of the program and the growing international reach of CTU’s research environment. In total, the 2026 call brought together applicants affiliated with institutions across 29 countries, spanning Europe, North America, Oceania and Asia including the Middle East. Among the most frequently represented countries were Czechia (39), the United States (8) and Germany (4), followed by a group of countries with three applicants each: Finland, Italy, Japan, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
Alongside researchers currently based at CTU (25), the applicant pool included candidates from a wide range of institutions, among them several globally top-ranked universities in the QS World University Rankings 2026, including the University of Oxford (#4), the California Institute of Technology (#10), and the University of Sydney (#25).
The ČVUT Starting Grant was launched to help talented researchers with international experience build their own teams and develop ambitious research agendas at CTU. The program is intended not only to support excellent scientists, but also to serve as an investment in the university’s long-term vision centred on research quality, openness and international competitiveness.
Further information on the selection process will be shared in due course, with further updates expected in June 2026.
