Brno, 9 December 2025 — Masaryk University (MU) has awarded its Career Restart grants to thirteen women scientists seeking to return to active research after extended career breaks. The recipients were announced on Monday, 8 December, by the Grant Agency of Masaryk University (GAMU).

The Career Restart grant, launched in 2021, is designed to support researchers re-entering the academic environment following parental leave, long-term illness, or caregiving responsibilities. The funding enables recipients to work part-time during or after their leave, giving them the opportunity to prepare grant proposals, resume research projects, and rebuild professional networks.

“Returning to science after a career break can be very challenging,” said Šárka Pospíšilová, Vice-Rector for Research and Doctoral Studies. “Through the Career Restart Grant, we aim to make this transition smoother by providing the time and support needed to reintegrate into research and continue scientific work.”

Since its inception, GAMU has awarded a total of 68 Career Restart grants, with 67 of them supporting female researchers, reflecting the programme’s strong focus on addressing structural barriers faced by women in academia.

The 2025 grant recipients represent a wide range of disciplines across Masaryk University, including genetics, economics, mathematics, environmental sciences, anthropology, neuroscience, nanobiotechnology, linguistics, and medical research. Their projects span topics such as plant genome stability, labour market impacts of parental leave, mathematical modelling of complex systems, financial market risks, diet and health across the lifespan, ancient population studies, RNA editing in the brain, heat resistance in crops, identity construction in Southeast Europe, rapid diagnostic biosensors, language prosody changes, targeted cancer therapies, and early detection of neurodegenerative diseases.

By supporting these diverse research initiatives, Masaryk University aims not only to help individual scientists resume their careers, but also to strengthen the university’s overall research capacity and promote greater gender equality in science.

The Career Restart programme continues to be a key part of MU’s long-term strategy to foster inclusive research environments and ensure that valuable scientific talent is not lost due to unavoidable career interruptions.