The
Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech
Republic (Brno, Czech Republic) and the Laboratory of Ornithology at the
Faculty of Science, Palacký University (Olomouc, Czech Republic) are
seeking two highly motivated PhD students to strengthen a joint research
team working on carry-over effects and migratory connectivity in
birds. The positions are available immediately and may last up to 5
years. The positions are part of the project ‘Linking events through
the annual cycle: the importance of carry-over effects for the ecology
of migratory birds’, funded by the Czech Science Foundation. The key
objective of this project is to explore how environmental conditions
encountered throughout the year affect subsequent stages of the annual
cycle in long-distance avian migrants. We use Acrocephalus warblers and
Ficedula flycatchers as model species. The project will employ a
combination of various approaches, from analyses of ring recoveries,
remote-sensed data and stable isotope ratios, through tracking bird
movements by geolocators, to detailed monitoring of breeding
performance and inter-annual survival. The field work in the Czech
Republic and Bulgaria will comprise monitoring of nest survival,
mist-netting, deploying and retrieving geolocators. The major part of
the positions will, however, lie in data analysis and work on
scientific papers.
Requirements
Successful
candidates should be enthusiastic students interested in avian ecology
and animal migration. Candidates for the PhD position should have:
- An MSc in Biology, with a specialization in Animal Ecology or Zoology.
- Experience with data analysis (ideally R/SAS, WinBUGS, MARK, GIS).
- Experience with work on birds in the field will be an advantage.
- Proficient knowledge of English (ability to write scientific papers).
Within
the topic of “carry-over effects and migratory connectivity in birds”,
we offer the candidate time and space to develop her/his own ideas.
After an initial selection, we may ask the candidates to come up with a
brief research plan on their preferred research line as a starting
point to develop their career in bird ecology.
Conditions of employment
The
Institute of Vertebrate Biology in Brno offers a salary of 15,470 CZK
gross per month, based on a full-time position, plus an additional
monthly bursary (7,000 CZK) can be obtained after a successful enrolment
in a PhD programme at a university (see below). The Laboratory of
Ornithology in Olomouc offers a bursary of 15,000 CZK per month (tax
free). Applicants moving to Brno may apply for additional funding from
the South Moravian Centre for International Mobility: http://www.jcmm.cz/en/about-jcmm.html. The
positions require residence in Brno or Olomouc and must result in PhD
theses within the 5-year contract period. A PhD training program at a
Czech university is part of the agreement (application April, interview
June, enrolment September 2013). The successful candidate will first be
offered a temporary position for one year with the option of renewal
for another four years. Extension of the contract depends on sufficient
progress in the first year to indicate that a successful completion of
the PhD thesis within the next four years is to be expected. The
position in Brno may be alternatively arranged as a post-doc position.
In that case, the applicant should prove her/his commitment to work on
the project within the first year, with a possibility of increasing the
salary from 2014.
How to Apply
Applications,
including a letter of motivation detailing research interests and
experience, a CV, a list of publications (if any), a summary of MSc
thesis, and letters of recommendation from two academic referees, should
be sent to Petr Procházka (e-mail: prochazka@ivb.cz). The positions will remain open until filled. All applications received by February 15, 2013 will be given full consideration. For further information about the institutions, please consult http://www.ivb.cz and http://www.zoologie.upol.cz.
Application Deadline : 15 February 2013
