Placzek Family Foundation - Georg Placzek scholarship

Georg Placzek scholarship

You will receive about 1,400 EUR per academic year (1,500 USD) for three years. This amounts to a total of around 4,200 EUR (4,500 USD) over the entire duration of the Bachelor’s degree in Physics. Each year, the prize is awarded to an outstanding young Czech physics student. It is awarded by the Brno branch of the Union of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists, in collaboration with the Placzek Family Foundation in the USA and the company DELONG INSTRUMENTS. You can study anywhere in the world, including in the Czech Republic.

Who can apply

• School: You have completed a Czech secondary school and passed your school-leaving examination (Matura) this year.
• Degree: They were admitted to the Bachelor’s degree programme in Physics that same year.
• Field of study: Physics only.
• Where you study: Any recognised higher education institution worldwide offering an accredited degree programme in physics, including those in the Czech Republic.
• Ability: You can demonstrate your great potential in physics, for example through the Physics Olympiad, other competitions, science clubs or by getting involved in public outreach activities.

How to apply

Please email your application to the Brno branch by 30 September. Please enclose proof of your admission to a physics degree programme, evidence of your activities in the field of physics, a short essay (at least 3,000 characters) on how you have applied physics in everyday life, and a written reference from your physics teacher. A panel of physicists will assess the applications, and the branch committee will make the final decision, which will be announced by early December. There will be no interview.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is very selective: only one scholarship is awarded each year, to a Czech school leaver who is going on to study physics. If no suitable candidate applies, the scholarship may not be awarded at all. As only a few people qualify, the pool of applicants is small, but because there is only one place available, the selection process is rigorous. If you can demonstrate outstanding achievements in physics as well as proven success in Olympiads, competitions or public engagement, your chances are good.