Supervisors

First-year students complete the plan for their 1st term after enrollment. Subsequently, before the end of each term, all students submit the “Evaluation of the Ending Term” and the “Plan for the Upcoming Term.” They receive an automatic reminder email from the Information System approximately one week before the deadline.

Supervisors, together with the Doctoral Board, approve Individual Study Plans in the Approval and Evaluation of PhD Individual Study Plans, part “ISP” .
(Path: IS MU → Personal Administration → Supervisor → Doctoral Students → Approval and Evaluation of PhD Individual Study Plans)

• Manual for Supervisors and Doctoral Boards

Schedule

At the beginning of doctoral studies, it is essential to jointly establish how the supervisor–student collaboration will function in the context of the dissertation project and to clarify mutual expectations regarding doctoral studies.

Every PhD student must complete an international research stay of at least one month, or participate in an international research project with results published or presented abroad, or take part in international cooperation in another direct form. During the stay abroad, you remain a student of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Masaryk University.

Students are encouraged to find their host institution independently. The supervisor and their professional network can help guide the student in selecting the host institution.

• Scholarship programme supporting PhD student mobility at the Faculty of Pharmacy (preffered option):
  The call is announced at the beginning of each calendar year and covers costs related to mandatory international mobility of PhD students.

  International stays can be funded through the Scholarship Programme for the Support of Doctoral Student Mobility. Apply for scholarship in IS (Document Office): FaF OVPPPhD → Doctoral Studies → Application for a Mobility Support Scholarship for PhD Students.

• Erasmus+ Short-Term PhD Traineeships (preffered option):
  A programme exclusively for PhD students, announced once a year, usually from 1 April to 31 May. Current information is published on the Centre for International Cooperation website.

• Erasmus+ Study Visits and Traineeships:
  Applications are submitted four times a year (January, April, July, October). PhD students apply under the same conditions as other students, without special preference. More info here.

Interruption of Studies

• During the standard period of study, students in the full-time form of PhD study are entitled to doctoral income, provided that they meet the study requirements.
• Total income must reach at least 1.2 times the minimum wage. This threshold increases annually in line with the minimum wage:
  • CZK 24,960 (for the academic year 2025/26)
  • CZK 26,880 (for the academic year 2026/27)
• If a student has an employment contract (not agreement to complete a job or agreement to perform work) under which they carry out creative activities related to the development of the dissertation, the doctoral income consists of a combination of the doctoral scholarship and part of their salary.
• The percentage share of the salary allocated for creative work related to the dissertation is determined by the supervisor. Administrative support is provided by the OVPPPhD study coordinator.
• The doctoral stipend for full-time doctoral studies for the standard period of study at MU is at least CZK 12,000.
• At the beginning of each semester, students are required to apply for the scholarship through the Document Office in IS.
• Doctoral scholarships are usually paid retroactively, similar to salaries, with the payment date on the 10th day of the month.
• The student is entitled to the scholarship already for the month in which they are enrolled in the study programme. If the enrollment does not take place on the first day of the month, the amount of the scholarship for that month is calculated proportionally. The scholarship is paid out in the following month.
• In the event that study obligations are not fulfilled, the Doctoral Board may, upon the supervisor’s proposal, withdraw the scholarship.
• When transferring from the full-time to the combined form of study, the student’s entitlement to the scholarship ceases.

More information on the MU website

Scholarships (e.g., special scholarships, creative activity scholarships)
The administration of scholarships is handled by the supervisor and the Office for Research, Project Support, and Doctoral Studies.

Funding for international internships
Students may submit an application for the Scholarship to Support International Mobility of PhD Students in the Document Office in IS, in accordance with Measure No. 6/2021 of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Masaryk University (Opatření Farmaceutické fakulty Masarykovy univerzity č. 6/2021).
Contact: Office for Research, Project Support, and Doctoral Studies
Further information is available here.

Brno Ph.D. Talent (link) – a competition intended for full‑time PhD students in their 1st or 2nd semester.

Prizes and Awards for Students – available on the MU website (only automatic translation available).

JCMM (link)

Before defending the dissertation, PhD students must complete the following requirements:

The supervisor discusses the submission of the dissertation defence application with the student, verifies compliance with study and publication requirements, confirms the application, and prepares an assessment of the dissertation. The student has the right to review this assessment at least 7 working days before the defence.

Admissions are held twice a year; call for PhD topics are announced in October and June by the Chair of the Doctoral Board.

• A habilitated supervisor may supervise up to 5 PhD students.
• A non-habilitated supervisor may supervise 1 PhD student.

The dissertation topic must be based primarily on original research and lead to high-quality outcomes corresponding at least to the average standards of the given field at the international or national level. Preference is given to topics involving the student in specific research projects.
Topics are proposed by supervisors or academic/research staff. They must be consulted in advance with the head of the department workplace to ensure that appropriate conditions for the research and for fulfilling the Individual Study Plan will be provided. Once approved by the Chair of the Doctoral Board, the topic is published and offered to applicants.

• Dissertation Topic Proposal Form

Information for applicants for the current admissions round is available on the faculty website:

• Overview of PhD topics for the current admissions round
• Admission requirements and application link

The entrance examination consists of a discussion of the applicant’s proposed dissertation project. The discussion takes place before a three-member admission committee appointed by the Dean on the recommendation of the Doctoral Board Chair.

After an applicant is admitted to a PhD programme with a dissertation topic proposed by a non‑habilitated academic/research staff member, the following documents are required for supervisor appointment:

• signed professional CV and publication list
• application for approval by the Doctoral Board
• pre-filled application for approval by the Scientific Board of the Faculty of Pharmacy

The appointment is approved by the Doctoral Board and subsequently by the Faculty’s Scientific Board.
The Scientific Board then proposes the appointment of the supervisor—specific to the given topic and PhD candidate—to the Dean.

The supervisor works with the student on defining and developing the dissertation project, helps them acquire the necessary skills and knowledge, integrates them into the research team, and guides them in the principles of scientific work, publishing, and presenting results.

Change of Supervisor

If a supervisor is unable to continue for objective reasons, they may request to step down. The resignation must be submitted in writing to the Dean, the Chair of the Doctoral Board, and the student concerned. In exceptional cases, the Doctoral Board may recommend the supervisor’s removal.
If a change of supervisor is necessary, the Doctoral Board promptly appoints a new one, informs all affected students, and aims to minimize any impact on their studies. Until the new supervisor is appointed, the student remains under the guidance of the original supervisor.

Consultant

A consultant is an expert in the dissertation topic. They have an advisory role without the responsibilities associated with supervision. They are familiar with the PhD topic and are available to the student for consultations on specialised or highly specific issues.

The consultant is appointed by the Dean upon nomination by the Chair of the Doctoral Board, or at the student’s request (submitted via the Document Office in IS) after approval by the relevant Doctoral Board.

• After enrolment, the student, in cooperation with the supervisor, prepares an Individual Study Plan (ISP). It covers the full course of study over the standard 4-year period, including the dissertation project, timeline of study requirements, international collaboration, research plan, and publication activities. The ISP must be approved by both the supervisor and the Subject Area Board by the end of the first semester. In case of substantial changes (e.g. a change in research focus), a new ISP must be submitted for approval.
• At the beginning of the semester, new students complete a first-semester plan (detailed activities, course selection, research plan, conference participation). At the end of the semester, they submit an evaluation of its fulfilment, which is then assessed by the supervisor, who approves progression to the next semester.