05/2008

Academic bulletin 05/2008

"8" ANNIVERSARIES IN CZECHOSLOVAK HISTORY
The Chances of May 1918
What does this year means for Czech history and which events are related with the May 1918?

ACADEMY ASSEMBLY
The Academy Assembly is the highest body of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic responsible for the topmost priority decisions related to the AS CR. It convened its XXXII Meeting in the Municipal House in Vinohrady on the 24^th April 2008. One of the distinguished guests of Assembly was Dr. Jüri Engelbrecht, president of the ALLEA board who talked about the role of ALLEA in uniting European Academies.

NEW PROJECT
Grant for young scientist
The Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) promotes fundamental research in the life sciences with special emphasis on novel and interdisciplinary research, international and in particular intercontinental collaboration and support for young investigators. One of the mechanisms of research support is the Young Investigator Grants Program. Vladimir Sychrovský from Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR obtained that grant for his project Probing the mechanism of the cleavage reaction in catalytic RNAs and will cooperate with scientists from Japan and USA.

SCIENCE AND RESEARCH
ALICE Physics Week 2008
This conference took place 3–7 March 2008 and was held in the Emauzy Abbey. ALICE is the acronym for A Large Ion Collider Experiment, one of the largest experiments in the world devoted to research in the physics of matter on an infinitely small scale. Hosted at CERN, this project involves the international collaboration of more than 1000 physicists, engineers and technicians from 30 countries. Together they are contributing to the resolution of one of the latest challenges in fundamental physics: recounting the birth of matter.

ANNIVERSARY
The Institute of Rock Structure and Mechanics is focused on research connected with both natural rocks and rock environment on the Earth's crust, as well as with artificially produced geomaterials. It celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year.

FROM BRUSSELS
Towards Financially Sustainable European Higher Education Institutions
The Association of European Institutions of Higher Education (EUA) met 7–8 February 2008 to discuss ways to expand its current funding project. This project aims to collect examples of good practice in cost accounting with specific emphasis on full cost development. To access key data EUA has selected a group of European universities and is comparing their income and expenditure flows, accounting systems, legal frameworks and progress towards full cost accounting. The data reflects a huge diversity of public funding mechanisms across Europe.

The European Science Awards
Excellence in European Research and Science Communication was celebrated in Brussels on 12 March 2008 during the European Science Awards ceremony. With the launch of the new framework program, it has been decided to give separate identities to the prizes that are awarded in the areas of excellence in collaborative research and excellence in science communication. Both prizes will continue and will now be awarded but at a new event: the European Science Awards.