Grants:

The grants are intended for student activities and projects aimed at contributing to the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals in the CU environment. This call aligns with Charles University's Sustainable Development Strategy.

Projects can focus on innovations in student life, the faculty or academic environment, as well as fulfilling the university's third role. Potential project areas include, for example:

• a new sustainable element in the student environment (e.g., a community garden, an improved waste sorting system in dormitories)

• an educational activity for CU students, secondary/elementary school/pre-school students, or the general public (e.g. a lecture series, a prototype for a game or educational programme, a mobile application)

• an awareness campaign suitable for university or public spaces (e.g. videos with basic practical guides for sustainable living)

• Etc.

The grants are not intended to increase the operational budgets of faculty activities. They also cannot be used for capital purchases within CU, nor support academic research activities. The grant is a one-time contribution in the form of a targeted scholarship, and renewals are not possible. Projects demonstrating double funding will be automatically excluded.

The final deadline for project implementation may change each year and is published when the call is announced. By this date, a final report on the prescribed form must also be submitted.

Applications:

Students of Charles University from any study programme and in any form of study (bachelor’s, master’s, PhD) are eligible to apply.

The application deadline may change each year and is published in advance. Use the following form to apply. 

The application must include:

1. The project title,

2. A list of team members – for each team member, the study programme/subject area, year of study, and type of study must be specified,

3. A description of the project goals, including an explanation of the added value of interfaculty or interdisciplinary collaboration, if applicable,

4. A description of the project, detailing how it will specifically contribute to sustainable development at Charles University, including the anticipated impact (an estimate of how many students/staff/external individuals will be affected); a brief assessment of the project’s innovation and uniqueness,

5. A description of project implementation (work plan, how the goals will be achieved) and a timetable (specifically when the project will start and when it will be completed); the description should demonstrate that the team is capable of successfully implementing the project,

6. A budget specified to the nearest thousand CZK, including VAT:

   a.	individual budget items and types of resources (see below),
   b.	total requested amount,
   c.	when each item will be spent, ideally with monthly accuracy (see below),

7. A third-party statement if the project content affects the operations of another entity/part of the university, etc.

Budget:

1. A total amount of CZK 350,000 is allocated for all projects under this call.

2. A single project may request an amount of up to CZK 60,000.

3. The support will be provided in the form of a targeted scholarship.

4. The detailed budget in the application must include: 

   a.	the amount of personal remuneration for the project team,
   b.	the costs of consumable materials,
   c.	the costs of services, and
   d.	travel costs.

Project evaluation:

1. Applications will be reviewed by a grant committee appointed by the Rector of Charles University and composed of representatives from the Rector's Office, the Charles University Environment Centre, and the Third Role Committee of the Academic Senate of Charles University.

2. The primary evaluation criterion is the quality of the project (40% contribution to achieving sustainable development goals at Charles University, 30% financial requirements of the project, and 30% quality of the application).

3. The bonus criteria for project evaluation are: 

   • interfaculty collaboration on the proposed project (the project team may consist of representatives/students from multiple faculties/institutes within Charles University),

   • implementation of the project within the university educational centre Didaktikon,

   • fulfilling the university's third role.

   The bonus criteria are optional and may be included individually in the project. However, the committee may take them into account during project evaluation.

4. The committee reserves the right not to allocate the designated funds if it does not consider the project proposals to be of sufficient quality.

5. If the committee considers a project worthy of implementation but as having excessive financial requirements, it will discuss budget reductions with the applicants; the project will only receive grant support if an agreement is reached.

6. If the committee deems a project promising but finds certain information lacking in the application, it will engage in discussions with the applicants to clarify or complete the application. However, incomplete information or failure to provide or clarify details may also be grounds for disqualification or denial of project funding.

Project implementation process:

1. After the grants are awarded, an informational meeting with the student teams will be held to discuss project implementation and scholarship disbursement.

2. Finances: 

   a.	Funds will be disbursed through the CU POINT department; contact persons: Mgr. Ing. Nikola Rusová and Marie Pitrová ,
   b.	With scholarships, a monthly delay in disbursement should be expected (e.g. a request submitted at the beginning of October may result in the student receiving funds in approximately mid-December),

3. The committee reserves the right to cancel the grant (or part of it) after it has been approved in the event of serious misconduct by the student team.