Up to CZK 48 million for cutting-edge science: The Kellner Family Foundation will help bring top research talent from abroad to Charles University

The memorandum confirms the parties' intent to establish the Kellner Research Chairs Program, under which Charles University plans to employ up to six senior researchers over the next few years. The program will be open to both foreign and Czech applicants with internationally recognized achievements. Selected researchers will receive financial support from the foundation for three years, provided through the Charles University Endowment Fund.

The program aims to strengthen the Czech academic environment by integrating talented researchers with international experience and reinforcing links between Charles University and the global scientific community. The initiative will support excellence in science and research at the university and bring international experience to the Czech Republic.

The program will be launched after the signing of a separate agreement detailing operating conditions. The first call for applications will open in 2026.

Through the Kellner Research Chairs Program, we want to bring outstanding scientific talent to our country and create conditions that enable top Czech scientists to return home. Together with Charles University, we hope to contribute to a stronger and more open Czech academic environment. This initiative naturally builds on our long-standing support for talented Czech students studying at leading foreign universities with support from our family foundation.

Renáta Kellnerová

Founder and Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees

The Kellner Research Chairs Program forms part of The Kellner Family Foundation's long-term commitment to education in the Czech Republic. Through scholarships and other projects, the foundation supports Czech pupils and students and encourages them to return to the Czech Republic after studying abroad. In 2024, the foundation signed a memorandum of cooperation with Charles University on the recognition of foreign education (nostrification).

"Through the Kellner Research Chairs Program, we want to bring outstanding scientific talent to our country and create conditions that enable top Czech scientists to return home. Together with Charles University, we hope to contribute to a stronger and more open Czech academic environment. This initiative naturally builds on our long-standing support for talented Czech students studying at leading foreign universities with support from our family foundation," said Renáta Kellnerová, founder and Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Kellner Family Foundation.

"The arrival of renowned scientists who have succeeded abroad not only enriches Charles University but also strengthens the development of Czech society as a whole. Experts across disciplines will bring new ideas and help advance areas that Czech society needs for long-term prosperity," said Milena Králíčková, Rector of Charles University.

"I see this collaboration as an important step in further strengthening science excellence at Charles University and as a promise for the future. This partnership can systematically contribute not only to cutting-edge research but also to the transfer of international experience and the development of an open, confident academic environment at Charles University and in the broader academic sphere. I greatly appreciate the trust of The Kellner Family Foundation and the cooperation with the Charles University Endowment Fund," said Jiří Zima, incoming Rector of Charles University.

"The joint program with The Kellner Family Foundation opens a new chapter of cooperation. Its ambition and scope stand out not only within the Charles University Endowment Fund but also across the  endowment sector at Czech universities. It is one of the key initiatives between our institutions and has the long-term potential to strengthen research excellence and attract top scientists from abroad," added Tomáš Vokáč, Director of the Charles University Endowment Fund.