On this page you will find answers to frequently asked questions related to the SYLFF fellowship programme. If you can’t find the answer to your question here, please contact the program administrator.

• Application

• Studies

• Dissertation

• Internship abroad

• Financing research and compatibility with other scholarships

Applications

As part of language skills, should I also list French as a third language if I only speak it at an elementary level, or perhaps not list it at all?

• List in particular the languages that you think are relevant for your research/stay abroad.

What should I enter as my current job if I only have occasional part-time jobs and am mainly working  towards my PhD?

• If you think some of your work experience (even part-time work) is relevant to your research or objectives of the SYLFF programme, then we recommend listing it.

Do I need to provide with my application confirmation of being accepted at a university abroad, i.e. an acceptance letter?

• An acceptance letter is not needed at this phase of the application.

Studies

I am interested in applying for the SYLFF fellowship but I am currently studying part-time (combined form of study). Can I apply, and then if successful, switch to full-time studies?

• Yes, this is possible.

Almost all of my PhD studies has been spent in the recognized parenting period. If I were studying now, I would be in the 4^th year. Do I still have a chance to apply for a fellowship?

• The maximum period of study is extended by the recognized parenting period, but the standard period of study does not change. Here too, the application must be submitted no later than in the 3^rd (or next-to-the last) year.

Can I apply for a fellowship if my studies are currently interrupted?

• You cannot apply for a fellowship during a period interrupted studies.

The SYLFF fellowship awarded for a calendar year, but can I begin, for example in November?

• The SYLFF fellowship is always for the academic year – i.e. October to September.

Internship abroad

Can an already completed foreign internship be recognized or does the student need to go abroad again?

• A research stay abroad must be an integral part of the research plan that the student intends to implement during the period of the fellowship (i.e. October-September). Stays completed in the past cannot be recognized.

What is the minimum duration of the internship abroad? Is it possible to plan stays abroad only as short-term trips (museums, archives, research centres, conferences...)?

• The duration of the internship abroad is a minimum of one month, but you can divide this into several shorter visits.

Dissertation

If a student applies in the 3^rd year of the standard period of study, then they should complete the whole dissertation (not just a part it) in the 4^th year during the fellowship, is that right? What does it mean to prepare a substantial part of your dissertation. Is it specified in any way?

• Yes, the student should complete the whole dissertation in the 4^th year. A substantial part is not specified, for example, by the number of pages. It is assumed that fulfilment of this criterion will be assessed individually by the committee depending on the specific research plan.

How would it be handled if a student became seriously ill and wanted to interrupt or quit their studies?

• The specific situation would be resolved individually with the student and the foundation.

Is it possible to apply even with an outdated topic such as religious studies relating to an ancient topic? The objectives of the dissertation are not what would normally be considered a “current social issue”, although it would be possible to argue its relevance.

• There are no specific requirements for the topic of the dissertation. Thus, if you belong to one of the participating faculties and meet the goals of the SYLFF programme, you can apply for a fellowship for your research. Applications as such will then be assessed by the selection committee.

What happens if I do not fulfil the requirement to complete/write a substantial part of the dissertation? Will I need to return the funds?

• Writing or completing a substantial part of the dissertation is one of the main conditions for awarding the fellowship. Objective reasons preventing non-fulfilment of this condition on the part of the student would need to be immediately documented, and the situation would be further resolved with the fellowship provider.

Financing research and compatibility with other scholarships

How are the used funds reported? Will I need to document budget fulfilment with accounting documents, as is the case with the CU Grant Agency, or are the used funds entirely up to the PhD student? Or how flexible is this?

• The SYLFF fellowship is relatively benevolent in terms of the use of allocated funds. As part of the application, the student submits a budget proposal for the upcoming academic year. A 20% deviation is tolerated for the individual items that the applicant states in the budget proposal. If there is a significant difference, the programme administrator should be contacted. It is not required to document budget fulfilment with accounting documents. However, in the event of any doubt on the part of the administrator/committee/foundation regarding the use of funds in accordance with the application, proof of expenses may be requested ex-post.

Is it possible to include in the budget proposal the fee for publishing an article in a peer-reviewed journal (open access fee)?

• Yes.

Is it possible to pay a foreign supervisor of research methodology from the grant funds?

• Yes.

Is it possible to pay from the budget a small fee to the qualitative research participants as compensation for the time spent in an interview?

• Yes.

I am also applying to the Czech Grant Agency (for a different topic). Does this conflict with my SYLFF application? Is it possible to receive individual scholarships unrelated to the dissertation project?

• The purpose of the fellowship is to allow promising PhD students to devote themselves fully to their dissertation. While waiting for the results, we do not want to prevent applicants from securing funding for their research in another way. Applying for multiple scholarships is, therefore, not an obstacle. However, receiving multiple scholarships can be problematic. The student may not simultaneously receive another scholarship to finance the same research. Receiving a fellowship/grant on a different topic is not a disqualifying criterion, but should not distract the student from the core research funded through SYLFF.

The application is submitted for a year, with the option of an extension. Does this also mean funding would be extended as well?

• Yes. The fellowship can be extended, including the funding. An extension must be requested as part of the standard call.

Is it possible to use funds from the Mobility Fund for the internship I want to take as a part of SYLFF? The Mobility Fund always pays a maximum of 50%, and four months in London would use up a substantial part of my grant.

• It is not possible to cover the same expenses through multiple scholarships. If the student demonstrates that the total research budget cannot be fully covered by the SYLFF fellowship and,  therefore, they are forced to look for other sources, this fact would be taken into account.

Contact person

Bc. Zuzana Bannertová

International Relations Office

Rectorate of Charles University

Phone: +420 224 491 307

E-mail: