The Czech research landscape is about to undergo significant changes – a new Act on Research, Development, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer is in preparation, set to replace the current Act No. 130/2002 Coll. Its aim is to reduce administrative burden, strengthen cooperation with business, and safeguard national security interests in science and research.

The draft Act passed its second reading in the Chamber of Deputies on April 15 and will be further discussed by the Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sports on April 24 from 8:00 AM (a live stream will be available here).

What exactly will this new law bring for Czech science? This will be the main topic of discussion at the May regular meeting of CZARMA REGON (Czech Association of Research Managers and Administrators, Regional Grant Office Network), which will take place on May 7, 2025, from 9:00 AM in the Blue Lecture Hall of the Charles University Conference Centre. Participants will also have the option to join the event online. Please note that the session will be held in Czech only.

The discussion will feature PhDr. Pavel Doleček, Ph.D., Deputy Minister for Science, Research and Innovation. The key topics will include the anticipated impact of the new law on research organizations and planned changes in technology transfer (e.g., simplifying the process of establishing spin-off companies).

More information and the registration form are available here.

Details on the proposed Act, its changes, and the legislative process (including relevant documents and amendments) are available here.