On October 1–2, the final stage of the international evaluation of research teams for the 2020–2024 period took place at FZU. This event marked the culmination of a months-long process during which FZU scientists prepared extensive documentation of their research achievements over the past five years. In the first phase, each of the institute’s 20 teams selected their best publications, which were subsequently assessed by international reviewers. The results were excellent, with the majority of outputs ranked in the two highest categories – outstanding and excellent.
In the second phase, team leaders – usually the heads of individual research departments – prepared a comprehensive overview of their results, along with data on projects, student involvement, outreach activities, and the team’s vision for the future. These materials were assessed by a dedicated committee established specifically for FZU, consisting of 13 leading European experts from various fields of physics and chaired by Professor Pawel Sikorski of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
This phase culminated in a two-day visit by the committee, during which members attended presentations by all 20 teams, toured the FZU laboratories, and held separate discussions with the institute’s director as well as with selected early-career scientists.
In his closing remarks, Commission Chair Pawel Sikorski delivered a highly positive preliminary assessment. He noted that all FZU teams had made an excellent impression and demonstrated scientific excellence. He also praised the exemplary organization of the on-site meetings and highlighted the FZU website as both comprehensive and fully up to date.
The final evaluation results and their impact on FZU’s budget in the coming years will not be known until spring 2026. For institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences, this process represents the most important component of the evaluation of research organizations under the 2017+ Methodology.