HR Award – Activities 2026

The biannual IOCB Prague retreat brought together researchers and professional support staff from across the institute. Alongside scientific presentations and posters showcasing current research from each of the research groups, administrative departments introduced their services and support for researchers, strengthening collaboration across the institute.

For the third time, employees and their families gathered for the annual IOCB Family Day, this time held at the Charles University canoeing center in Troja. The event offered an opportunity for colleagues and their families to meet in an informal setting, helping to strengthen the institute's community and supporting a family-friendly working environment. A traditional part of the event was the sporting HR Award cup, contested in a white-water rafting competition this year.

Practical fire safety training enabled employees to become familiar with different types of fire extinguishers and practice their correct use. The sessions formed part of IOCB Prague's ongoing commitment to workplace safety.

Blanka Collis (project manager with focus on equal opportunities and researcher development) represented IOCB Prague in the Alternative Careers panel discussion organized as part of the Physics for Future MSCA COFUND Annual Colloquium, discussing her move from research into a research support role. The session introduced researchers to career opportunities beyond academia and highlighted transferable skills developed through scientific training.

IOCB Prague Equal Opportunities Officer Blanka Collis participated in the panel discussion at the Ironman or FeMALE – Resources for All of Us event organized by CEITEC Brno University of Technology. The discussion focused on creating inclusive research environments, supporting equal opportunities in academia and sharing examples of institutional initiatives that benefit the whole research community.

As part of the ongoing ComeBack project, IOCB Prague is committed to creating educational and networking opportunities for colleagues on long-term (mostly maternity and parental) leave. IOCB’s research support department hosted the first of the meetings, focusing on grant opportunities for researchers returning from long-term leave. Five mothers with children of varying ages used this opportunity to come and discuss their future career steps. 

Representatives of the IOCB Research Support Office and Personnel Department, together with PhD student colleagues, took part in the UCT Prague Careers Fair, introducing students to career opportunities at IOCB Prague. Visitors learned about doctoral studies, postdoctoral positions and support available to researchers throughout their careers.

The PhD representative group hosted another informal breakfast for their student peers, providing an opportunity to network across research groups and discuss topics relevant to doctoral training. The event encouraged peer support and strengthened the doctoral community at IOCB Prague.

Following on, the IOCB Postdoc Club welcomed Dr. Klára Hlouchová, PI from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Charles University, who shared her experience of securing research funding at different career stages. Drawing on her own successful grant portfolio, including Czech and European funding schemes as well as the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) and Volkswagen Foundation, she introduced funding opportunities for early-career researchers and discussed strategies for preparing competitive grant proposals.

IOCB’s Green Club organized a children’s clothes and toys swap, where colleagues brought and exchanged outgrown toys, books, and equipment.

To mark International Women's Day, IOCB hosted Isabel Torres, CEO of the NGO Mothers in Science. She delivered a seminar entitled Navigating parenthood and STEMM careers: Data, challenges, and a personal journey, presenting data from the Mothers in Science NGO's large survey of mothers and fathers as well as non-parent scientists.

Discussing the motherhood penalty and societal biases, as well as cultural expectations, the discussion continued with HR colleagues, crucially addressing potential solutions that can be implemented at the individual, institutional, and societal level.

The IOCB Postdoc Club hosted Dr. Katarína Pšenáková, Head of Biology at PharmTheon, who gave a lecture on “Building Bridges Beyond Academia and Biotech: From a Global Hub to a Local Engine of Innovation”.

On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026, IOCB Prague Equal Opportunities Officer Blanka Collis was an invited guest at the Science Breakfast hosted by Palacký University Olomouc, with the discussion focused on barriers faced by early-career women researchers. This included inequalities, stereotypes, and looking for possible routes to supporting talent and diversity.

Staying with this theme, Blanka Collis and Petra Ben-Ari (IOCB HR Excellence in Research Award coordinator) represented IOCB Prague at an event organized by the National Contact Centre for Gender and Science and hosted by the British Embassy in Prague, focused on the topic “Holding Power Responsibly: Leadership, Integrity, and Safety in Higher Education”. This was introduced by British expert Dr. Anna Bull and discussed in a subsequent panel discussion, with outputs of this and preceding discussions accessible here.