For outstanding contributions to vertebrate biology
Prof. RNDr. Jan Zima, DrSc (14 Aug 1952 – 26 Mar 2019) was one of the most prominent Czech zoologists, renowned for his extensive work in animal biodiversity. His research focused on the systematics, biogeography, and phylogeny of mammals and other vertebrates, as well as conservation biology. He served two terms as the Director of the Institute of Vertebrate Biology at the Czech Academy of Sciences (IVB) and was a member of the Academic Council of the CAS, where he played a significant role in shaping the new Higher Education Act. Prof. Zima was also the long-standing Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Folia Zoologica.
Prof. RNDr. Jiří Gaisler, DrSc (3 Jul 1934 – 17 Jul 2014) was a leading Czech zoologist and a pioneer of bat research in Central Europe. After studying at Charles University in Prague, he moved to Brno, where he defended his dissertation in 1961 at the then Laboratory for Vertebrate Research of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (the predecessor of today’s IVB). Most of his career was associated with Masaryk University, where he researched mammal ecology and taught vertebrate zoology for decades. He authored numerous scientific papers, textbooks, and popular science books, including the acclaimed textbook Vertebrate Zoology, co-authored with Jan Zima starting from its second edition..
In their honour, the Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the CAS awards the Jan Zima and Jiří Gaisler Prizes for significant contributions to vertebrate biology.
- Jan Zima Award (for outstanding early-career researchers in vertebrate biology) is presented annually to outstanding early-career researchers in vertebrate biology, specifically those who are within ten years of obtaining their PhD. This award honours exceptional discoveries, exemplary PhD theses, or the initiation of promising new research directions.
- Jiří Gaisler Award (for academic excellence in vertebrate biology) is conferred biennially to a senior researcher in acknowledgment of their long-term contributions to a specific area of vertebrate biology. This may include achievements such as student mentoring, the development of international collaborations, and efforts in science communication and outreach.
The awards are presented during the Zoological Days conference, an event that the Institute of Vertebrate Biology has been the principal organiser for over 50 years.
Laureates
2025
Jiří Gaisler Award – Radka Reifová
Jan Zima Award – Antonín Macháč
2024
Jan Zima Award – Kateřina Sam
2023
Jiří Gaisler Award – Lukáš Kratochvíl
Jan Zima Award – Peter Mikula
2020
Jiří Gaisler Award – Radim Šumbera
Jan Zima Award – Zuzana Musilová