The President the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (GA CR) together with the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation awarded the five best scientific projects for this year. One of the five laureates is Professor Martin Vrbka, who leads the Biotribology Research Group at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, BUT. The gala evening took place on 12 October at the Martinický Palace in Prague.
"We have awarded the best of projects over the last twenty years – ninety of them in that time. The breadth of the award-winning projects shows that Czech science is world-class in all fields of research," said Prof. Petr Baldrian, Czech Science Foundation President. The award recipients from all areas of basic research have contributed to a significant expansion of knowledge in the field and will lead to further applications.
The Czech Science Foundation President’s Award has been regularly awarded since 2003 in recognition of outstanding results achieved in grant projects completed in the previous year. Recipients are selected on the recommendation of several hundred scientists who evaluate projects funded by the Czech Science Foundation. This year, thanks to Professor Vrbka, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering received its first ever award, but it was only the second for the entire Brno University of Technology.
Each winner will receive a prize of CZK 100,000. The awards are presented in five areas of basic research: Technical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Medical and Biological Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, and Agricultural and Biological-Environmental Sciences.
| Investigation of Synovial Fluid Viscosupplementation and its Impact on Friction and Lubrication Viscosupplementation is a treatment for osteoarthritis that involves injecting a hyaluronic acid-based product between the cartilages of a joint. The award-winning project investigated whether this treatment could improve the mobility of joints. The project created a joint simulator that analysed the friction and lubrication film between the articular cartilage. The project has clarified the mechanism of viscosupplementation, and provided new insights to improve the treatment of osteoarthritis. |
The award ceremony took place as part of the celebration of the Czech Science Foundation’s 30th Anniversary, attended by Helena Langšádlová, Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, Miloš Vystrčil, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, representatives of universities, the Czech Academy of Sciences, and dozens of other distinguished guests.
For more information please visit gacr.cz.