Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology
Job description
How did the diversity of life on Earth emerge? That is one of the fundamental questions in biology. Yet, we still search for the general principles that govern the evolution of diversity across regions (e.g. tropical rainforests, temperate forests) and taxa (birds, mammals). Knowledge of these principles is key for evolutionary theory, but also for prediction and biodiversity conservation.
The Postdoctoral Fellow will address this fundamental question. They will analyze the fascinating biodiversity of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles (approx. 35,000 species), integrating their phylogenies, maps and traits. In particular, the research will center on diversity patterns in the geographic space and their underlying historical, evolutionary and environmental causes (esp. time for speciation, diversification rates, energy limits). The aim is to uncover the general principles behind the evolution of diversity patterns, especially how the drivers of the patterns change across regions, clades, geographic and phylogenetic scales. This 2-year Postdoctoral Fellowship is fully funded by the Czech Science Foundation. It builds on a large-scale vertebrate dataset and covers multiple pre-defined themes, which can be tailored to the specific interests of the Postdoctoral Fellow. The Fellow will work independently but also in close collaboration with our team and research partners internationally (ETH Switzerland, S-BiK Frankfurt, UBC Vancouver, CMEC Copenhagen). The combination of independent and collaborative research allows for secure but also for high risk/high reward postdoctoral project.
Requirements
- PhD degree in Ecology, Evolution, Zoology or related fields (in early fall 2025 at the latest)
- strong motivation for interdisciplinary research at the interface of ecology, evolution, and statistics
- good spoken and written English, the working language of the Institute is English
- experience with statistics, R programming
- papers published in widely recognized international journals
- track record of presenting research at international conferences
Desirable but not required
- experience with phylogeny-based research (phylogenetic comparative methods, diversification analyses)
- experience with spatial analysis, geographic information systems (GIS)
We offer
- creative and supporting atmosphere in a highly international team at the Institute
- interdisciplinary experience through local (D. Storch, P. Baldrian) and international collaboration (ETH Zurich, Univ Copenhagen)
- competitive salary to comfortably support your postdoctoral life in Prague
- fully covered health insurance, six weeks of paid holidays, contributions
- from the social fund (meal vouchers, Cafeterie, MultiSport, pension plan contribution, and childcare and recreation)
- opportunities for further professional growth (e.g. language and management courses)
- support for the arrival of foreign researchers via the Institute’s Welcome Office
- work near the historical center of a vibrant cultural Prague city
Additional information
- The exact start date is negotiable, but earlier dates are preferred (esp. summer 2025).
| Start date: | summer 2025 |
How to apply
Please submit your CV, one-page motivation letter, and one contact of reference to email:
Deadline: 15/4/2025
