About the programme

What does the new PhD programme in Experimental Plant Biology offer?

You will join research teams in laboratories and work on key challenges such as plant responses to climate change and food security issues. A key feature is the annual PhD Retreat, which provides valuable interaction between students, supervisors and members of the departmental board.

The programme reflects key challenges in the field of experimental plant biology, with an emphasis on plant responses to environmental and climate change or food security issues. The programme aims to deepen the fundamental understanding of biological processes in plant systems, from molecular and cellular mechanisms to physiological processes. Students will gain a broad and in-depth knowledge of plant research, focusing on plant molecular and cell biology, physiology and metabolism, genome analysis and genetic engineering, hormone regulation or biotechnology. Graduates will be well prepared for careers in the academic and private sectors, particularly in the biotechnology and agricultural industries, both nationally and internationally.

The Doctoral Programme in Experimental Plant Biology (ExPBio) is created as an interdisciplinary initiative linking two institutes of the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University - the National Centre for Biomolecular Research (NCBR) and the Institute of Experimental Biology (IEB). The aim is to enable students to work under the guidance of highly qualified supervisors not only within these two institutes, but also in collaboration with the research centre at MU, the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC MU), which has extensive expertise in plant research. The programme also includes research topics addressed in plant laboratories of other collaborating research institutions in Brno and beyond, including external trainers from the Biophysical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (BFÚ AV ČR, Brno), the Institute of Global Change Research of the CAS (CzechGlobe AV ČR, Brno), the Institute of Experimental Botany of the CAS (ÚEB AV ČR, Olomouc) and many others.

Involvement in top teams and joint retreat

An important contribution to the development of practical skills of students of the PhD programme in Experimental Plant Biology is their active involvement in research teams in the laboratories of their supervisors. They can gain further professional experience through collaborations with other departments. A key interactive element is the annual PhD Retreat, which provides students with valuable feedback and opportunities to interact with other students, supervisors and members of the Branch Council. The Branch Council is conceived as an interdisciplinary consortium composed of experts from different institutions, providing linkages across the entire spectrum of modern plant biology and enabling collaborations with different research institutions or companies.

Part of the study requirements of the doctoral programme is the completion of a part of the study at a foreign institution for at least one month, participation in a creative project with results published or presented abroad, or another form of direct participation of the student in international cooperation.

Where will you find a job after your studies?

The aim of this newly established PhD programme in Experimental Plant Biology is to prepare Czech and international students for independent scientific and research work, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a wide range of basic or applied research at the international level. Graduates will be well prepared for careers in academic or other research environments. They will find opportunities in universities, research institutes, biotechnology and agricultural companies, as well as in laboratories focused on plant protection and environmental sustainability, where they will be able to continue their scientific investigations and develop new research projects.

Course of study

Obligations of the student

The conditions and criteria for doctoral studies are based on the following obligations:

• Completion of at least 3 professional courses focused on so called „hard-skills“(or summer schools/specific courses) during the first 2 years of study (the link to the list of recommended hard-skills courses will be active from 09/2025).
• Completion of at least 1 course/training focused on the development of transferable skills, so called „soft skills“ during the first 2 years of study (link to the list of recommended soft-skills courses will be active from 09/2025).
• Participation in lectures/seminars related to the field of study of the student's choice (8 lectures per semester).
• Presentation of your research at an international conference/forum.
• Participation in teaching (or preparation of teaching materials, organization of field trips or PhD Retreat, etc.).
• Completion of an internship abroad (minimum 30 days).
• Participation in the ExPBio PhD Retreat.

Thesis Advisory Committee

The establishment of a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) is a mandatory part of PhD studies in all PhD programmes sponsored by the NCBR. It serves for continuous monitoring of the study in collaboration with external experts.

Common rules:

The student is responsible for the composition of the TAC, but the selection of the committee members is done in collaboration between the student and the supervisor. TAC members should be selected and appointed during the first year of study.

The TAC should include the supervisor and at least two members who do not come from the supervisor's research group; at least one of them should be external, i.e. outside the institution where the student conducts his/her PhD research (Faculty of Science, CEITEC MU, Institute of Biophysics, etc.). The appointment of an expert from abroad is possible and beneficial. There is no upper limit on the number of TAC members, but a TAC of up to five persons may be considered optimal. Anyone, internal or external, who has experience in supervising PhD students may become a TAC member.

The composition of the TAC will be considered individually by the Chair of the Departmental Council.

The PhD student is responsible for inviting TAC members, arranging TAC meetings, and ensuring that completed TAC evaluation reports are submitted to the TAC.

The TAC is responsible for monitoring the student's progress, providing external advice and support to the student and supervisor.

Specific rules:

• For the ExPBio program, a TAC is preferably assembled in the first semester and then convened at least three times during the course of the program, preferably in the second, fourth, and seventh semesters.
• In addition to the three prescribed TAC meetings, the TAC may be called by the supervisor, student or the chair of the departmental council at any time during the course of study.
• After the standard period of study, the TAC shall be extended by one external member and called annually or as needed.

Completition of studies

State Doctoral Examination (SDE)

(SDE is not relevant for students starting their studies after March 1^st 2025.)

• The recommendation for passing the SDE is after the 2nd year of study, it is also possible to take the SDE and the dissertation defense (DDT) at the end of the study at the same time.
• Format: In-depth discussion of the candidate's work (significance, context, data processing, conclusions).
• Assessment: Overall knowledge of the topic and its significance. Ability to explain, present and discuss hypotheses and methods. Understanding of experimental techniques and data interpretation.
• Application procedure: office -> create file -> select application for state doctoral examination -> fill in contact address, supervisor, dissertation topic and upload statement of study -> save.

Dissertation defence

The dissertation defence is a public event, usually held in English.

• As a prerequisite for defending a dissertation, at least part of the results must have been published or accepted for publication in a journal that is listed in the Web of Science (WoS) database and has an impact factor (IF) higher than the median of the field, and the student must be the first author of the publication. If the journal has an IF below the median, the student must have at least two such publications. For co-authored publications, the student must clearly define his/her contribution to the results.
• The dissertation is evaluated by two independent reviewers without conflict of interest from institutions outside MU, and at least one reviewer should ideally be from abroad.
• In exceptional cases, on the recommendation of the Departmental Board, a monograph with original results may be accepted in place of a published article. In this case, the articles are attached to the dissertation as draft manuscripts in appendices and the work is evaluated by three referees.
• The format of the dissertation is flexible. If the student has co-authored at least three publications, it is preferred that the dissertation be compiled as a collection of previously published or accepted papers, accompanied by a comprehensive introduction and commentary on the topic. If there are fewer publications, the thesis must be in the form of a monograph with original results.
• The defence consists of a presentation of the main theses of the dissertation, followed by a discussion with the reviewers, committee members and the academic audience. The student must demonstrate independent research competence, effectively present their results and critically evaluate their work.

The dissertation thesis is submitted electronically via IS MU. Preferred file formats are PDF, RTF or DOC (MS Word). It is recommended to use an official template to include all required sections.

Detailed instruction HERE.