Current projects and grants

Innovative teacher education combining theory with practice (ESF – Operational Programme Research, Development and Education, Reg. No. CZ.02.3.68/0.0/0.0/16_038/0006522)

Supporting the common practice as a tool for developing key competencies (ESF – Operational Programme Research, Development and Education, Reg. No. CZ.02.3.68/0.0/0.0/16_011/0000660)

Innovation in training to enhance the employability of graduates in ecotourism (INTERREG V-A Czech Republic – Poland, Reg. No. CZ.11.3.119/0.0/0.0/16_022/0001153)

List of projects and grants investigated during the past 10 years

2009–2011 Phylogenetic relationships of beetles of the Polyphaga suborder (Coleoptera); B GA CR, Grant Project 206/09/0015

2009–2013 Shallow water ecosystems of Middle Miocene in Central Paratethys: Succession and interaction of inorganic and organic ecosystem components (NM Prague, MU Brno); B GA CR, Grant Project 205/09/0103

2012–2015 Science education centre; ESF – Operational Programme Education for Competitiveness; Reg. No. CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20166

2016–2019 Supporting the common practice as a tool for developing key competencies; ESF – Operational Programme Research, Development and Education; Reg. No. CZ.02.3.68/0.0/0.0/16_011/0000660

2018–2020 Innovative teacher education combining theory with practice; ESF – Operational Programme Research, Development and Education; Reg. No. CZ.02.3.68/0.0/0.0/16_038/0006522

2018–2021 Innovation in training to enhance the employability of graduates in ecotourism; INTERREG V-A Czech Republic – Poland, Reg. No. CZ.11.3.119/0.0/0.0/16_022/0001153

In addition to the traditional biological disciplines (botany, zoology, ecology and palaeontology), the scientific and research activities of the employees of the Department focus particularly on the didactics of biology (for example research on the quality of teaching natural history and biology using the 3A methodology and didactic case reports).

Main research topics:

- The use of molecular and biological methods and the application of molecular phylogenetics in the study of family relationships between organisms, their speciation and spreading;

- Research on bioluminescence in insects;

- Application of molecular phylogenetics in the study of biodiversity and evolution of ecosystems, phylogenetic structure of communities and phylogenetic diversity;

- Behavioural ecology of vertebrates;

- Study of spreading and ecology of algae (especially diatoms) and bryophytes;

- Palaeontology of the younger Tertiary.