EU-funded researcher recognised for social science achievements
Smetana’s innovative way of connecting international relations, security studies and political psychology have earned him the Neuron prize in the field of social science. The award was granted by the Neuron Foundation(opens in new window), which has been recognising and supporting excellent Czech scientists in the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, computer science and social science for over 15 years.
Recognition of past work, encouragement for future
“It is a great joy and a huge honor not only for me, but for our entire research team,” remarks Smetana in a recent news item(opens in new window). “We have a very ambitious research agenda planned for this year, so it is also a great encouragement for our future work.” The Neuron Award winner is an associate professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University (FSV UK) in Czechia and the director of Peace Research Center Prague, an interdisciplinary centre of excellence established at the university. He is also the recipient of a starting grant awarded by the European Research Council for a current project that focuses on the stability of military alliances such as NATO. Called MICROCODE(opens in new window), the project uses advanced experiments, cross-national investigation and political psychology to explore how people’s views shape key defence decisions. Smetana has presented his work at top-tier universities worldwide and is one of the Czech scientists shaping the international debate on security issues. “Winning the Neuron Award is an extraordinary recognition of the outstanding and internationally acclaimed scientific work of Associate Professor Michal Smetana,” states Arnošt Veselý, professor and Vice-Dean for Science and Research at FSV UK. “His research not only pushes the boundaries of the field, but also brings socially relevant insights. It is also proof that the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University is capable of creating an environment in which excellent science is systematically developed and personalities of international renown are nurtured.” This year’s Neuron winners are seven in total, all young scientists who have achieved significant global success in their respective fields. They receive a prize of CZK 500 000 – equivalent to about EUR 20 000 – to support their work.
MICROCODE reports
Since its launch in 2025, the MICROCODE project has been investigating military alliances and collective defence, with a focus on the relationship between public opinion and elite decision-making in key NATO member countries. To do so, it is employing novel immersive mixed media, survey experiments, elite interviews and focus groups, along with other quantitative and qualitative methods. Its research reports(opens in new window) published so far investigate issues such as Russian public views on NATO’s collective defence in early 2025, whether the West would defend Taiwan, and gaps in British elite and public perceptions of NATO’s collective defence credibility. The MICROCODE (Microfoundations of Collective Defence) project ends in 2029. For more information, please see: MICROCODE project website(opens in new window)