Call for a postdoctoral position in the Dendroecology Working Group at Charles University in Prague
- Duration: 2 years, starting from June-October 2025
- Location: Prague, Czech Republic
- Application deadline: 9 March 2025
Starting in June-October 2025, we are opening a new postdoctoral position in the field of dendroecology. The candidate will join our international Dendroecology Working Group at the Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. The candidate will participate in activities of the Geohazards program (https://geohazards.cuni.cz/), the broad research project focused on natural risks and their hazards for the society. We aim to understand the response of different forest ecosystems to ongoing climate change on various temporal and spatial scales. To do so, methods of dendrochronology, wood anatomy, isotope analyses, dendrometer and sap flow monitoring, and wood formation modeling are applied. Candidates are expected to propose their own research topic combining their research expertise with the facilities and interests of the dendroecology working group. The following possible research directions can be considered: (1) Climatic responses of woody plants at inter-annual time scales – dendroecological approaches, (2) Climatic responses of various biomass compartments of woody plants at inter and intra-annual time scales, (3) Treeline dendroecology and physiology of growth, (4) Tree growth modeling.
About Us
Founded in 1348, Charles University is one of the oldest universities in Europe and the largest university in the Czech Republic (https://cuni.cz/UKEN-1.html). We at the Charles University tree-ring lab are an international, dynamic team, with a research focus on dendroecology, dendroclimatology, dendrogeomorphology, and dendrochemistry. Much of our research and ongoing projects include international collaborations across Europe and beyond. Our dendrolab is located in the vibrant city of Prague and features state-of-the-art infrastructure (scanners, microtomes, microscopes, software). We operate a network of dendrometer sites (Czech Republic, Spain, Sweden, Norway), three sites with regular wood formation monitoring at the treeline, and 21 permanent inventory plots in treeline ecotones across the Czech Republic. Having started in 2024, we are establishing a network of sap flow measurements in montane forests of Central Europe. The stable isotope laboratory is located in the adjacent department of Geology. We also coordinate a network and database of tree-ring width data collected by our and other dendroteams throughout the Czech Republic (https://treedataclim.cz/en/).
We require
- Ph.D. degree/diploma in a relevant field, e.g., ecology, geography, biology, forestry, biostatistics, environmental sciences.
- Decent publication record corresponding to the career stage.
- Ability to develop scientific questions and analyses, publish peer-reviewed papers, handle multiple coauthors, and coordinate and work with international collaborators.
- Very good spoken and written English – the working language of our diverse group is English.
- Willingness to work in a team and scientific independence.
We offer
- A standard employment contract for two years with a gross salary of 60,000 CZK/month (approximately 2400 EUR/month). This amounts to approximately 51,000 CZK/month net after tax (depending on the family situation). The median gross salary in the Czech Republic was 45,400 CZK/month in 2024.
- Full medical insurance and social security as a standard part of the employment contract.
- 25 days of paid holiday per year.
- Funds covering travel expenses (conferences, fieldwork, workshops), publication costs, and material costs related to the postdoctoral project.
- State-of-the-art laboratory and field facilities, access to datasets of our dendroteam.
Applications
Applications should be submitted by email to Veronika Havelková (veronika.havelkova@natur.cuni.cz) by 9 March 2025. Please, indicate “Postdoc call” in the message subject.
Applications should consist of a single PDF file containing the following:
- CV including publication record,
- Motivation letter describing your expertise, research interests, stating why you see yourself as a good fit, and where you see yourself and your research in the future including a proposal for the research topic conducted within the postdoctoral contract (not longer than three pages),
- Contact for two academics potentially providing references.
Selection Procedure
Candidates will be first evaluated based on their applications, and the shortlisted candidates will be invited for an online interview during March. The selection criteria include research excellence, career record, attractiveness and feasibility of the research proposal, and complementarity of candidate profile with our lab focus. The results will be announced at the end of March 2025.
For further inquiries, please contact Dr. Jan Tumajer (jan.tumajer@natur.cuni.cz) or Dr. Václav Treml (treml@natur.cuni.cz).
B.Sc. and M.Sc. students
If you are interested in doing your B.Sc. or M.Sc. thesis with us on one of our research topics, please contact us with a short description of your research interest.
Postdocs
If you are coming from abroad and are interested in doing a Postdoc with us, consider applying for a three-year “Postdoc individual fellowship – incoming” with the Czech Science Foundation. Application deadlines are usually in spring. Contact us to discuss your project and the preparation of your application.