At a ceremony held on 25 October 2024, nine scientists received the Praemium Academiae and Lumina Quaeruntur grant from CAS President Eva Zažímalová. Among the awardees is Dr. Ivo Šulák from the Institute of Physics of Materials, who was awarded the Lumina quaeruntur grant.
This year, the awards were presented jointly, which CAS President Eva Zažímalová sees as symbolic. “These are our most prestigious research support awards. They assist experienced scientists who have achieved remarkable results in their field, as well as promising researchers, whom we want to empower to accomplish great things,” Zažímalová noted.
The Lumina Quaeruntur fellowship targets mid-career scientists, including those returning from parental leave, to help them establish their own research groups. The award provides up to CZK 4 million per year for a maximum of five years, with at least 20% of the budget contributed by the researcher’s affiliated institution.
The team of Ivo Šulák aims to develop composite nanomaterials based on superalloys which will be usable for future hydrogen power plants, such as high-pressure turbine blades. These superalloys hold promise not only for next–generation power plants, but also for the aerospace industry.
Achieving high temperatures is crucial for enhancing engine efficiency. If materials that withstand extreme heat and the harsh conditions within engines can be developed, fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions could be reduced. “The feeling you have as a kid taking apart your dad’s car models, sometimes not being able to put them back together, is one you sometimes experience in science too,” Šulák explains, motivated by a desire to understand why things happen as they do.
This year’s recipients, next to Ivo Šulák, include Masafumi Imai from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the CAS, Danny Haelewaters from the Biology Center of the CAS, Vít Hubka from the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, Vladislav Knoll from the Institute of Slavonic Studies of the CAS, and Jan Vondráček from the Masaryk Institute and Archives of the CAS.
The Praemium Academiae awards were presented to Petr Pravec from the Astronomical Institute of the CAS, Ivo Starý from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, and Pavel Krejčí from the Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the CAS. Over the next six years, they are eligible to draw up to CZK 30 million to cover research expenses, salaries, and technical equipment.
Read the entire article from the ceremony on the website of the CAS.
Prepared by: Zuzana Dupalová, External Relations Division, CAO of the CAS
Translated by: Tereza Novická, External Relations Division, CAO of the CAS
Photo: Jana Plavec, External Relations Division, CAO of the CAS
