Selection Procedures

06/09/2022
Global Change Research Institute of the CAS announces an open competition in accordance with the Act No. 283/1992 Coll. on the Czech Academy of Sciences, and the Statutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences for a position Research Assistant.

The Institute of Global Change Research of the Czech Academy of Science (CzechGlobe) is seeking a Early Career Research to join the Department of Human Dimensions of Global Change. The position is a fixed term contract, and will contribute to two research projects funded under the Horizon Europe research programme.

About the employer

Global Change Research Institute CAS (CzechGlobe) is one of the institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences. CzechGlobe conducts a comprehensive scientific research on issues of the global climate change and its impacts on the atmosphere, terrestrial ecosystems and human society through the use of the up-to-date research techniques and instrumentation. The research focuses primarily on the development of climate and its future scenarios, on the carbon cycle and the effects of changing conditions on the production and biodiversity of ecosystems and on the impacts on the future development and behavior of our society. CzechGlobe currently operates a unique research facility, which consists of wide network of permanent ecosystem research stations, atmospheric research station, laboratory of metabolomics, system of long-term impact experiments and a flying laboratory of imaging systems (FLIS). CzechGlobe is integrated into international research networks such as the European integrated research system for carbon observation - ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System), ANAEE (Analysis and Experimentation on Ecosystem), ACTRIS (European Research Infrastructure for the observation of Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases) or EUFAR (European Facility for Airborne Research).

The Department of Human Dimensions of Global Change is focussed on research that explores the relationships between human society, natural systems and global change. The work is inter- and trans-disciplinary, with an emphasis on the policy and practical use of research results. As such, researchers are skilled at bringing together scientists and knowledge from a range of disciplines, alongside practitioners and civil society to identify pertinent research gaps, and co-create relevant knowledge and solutions to environmental problems.

To learn more about CzechGlobe, see: https://www.czechglobe.cz/en/

To read the blog of the Department of Human Dimensions, see: https://sustainablecz.org/

About the projects

This position sits across two funded projects starting in September 2022:

Social Sciences and Humanities for Climate, Energy and Transport Research Excellence (SSH Centre): It will build capacity to improve SSH representation in research, policy and practice. A core component of CzechGlobe’s role in the project is to undertake iterative evaluation of interdisciplinary initiatives. This formative accompanying research should both inform recommendations, and improve the process within the project.
Food Systems Transformation in Southern Africa for One Health (FoSTA-Health): It will explore fair, healthy and environmentally friendly transformations to One Health in food systems from primary production to consumption. One of CzechGlobe’s roles within this project is research on processes of stakeholder engagement and power dynamics across the project. This research should inform outcomes of the project, and iteratively shape the project progression to create equitable participation.

While these projects concern different sustainability challenges, our involvement in both should draw on formative accompanying research approaches. We are concerned with how ways of doing collaborative, inter- and transdisciplinary science shape their outcomes, with a view to improving both the process and the outcomes.

About the role

The position is suited to someone developing their research career in science and technology studies, sustainability science, and/or inter- and transdisciplinary research methodologies. You will be supported in developing or improving a publication record (through co- and lead-authorship), and will have opportunity to present at conferences. The projects will introduce you to a broad range of collaborators, allowing you to extend your professional network. Specifically, your role will contain:

Contribution to development and implementation of the methodologies for the formative accompanying research
Participation in project meetings to feed results from the evaluation research back into the project
Facilitation of reflexive workshops
Travels to project meetings and short visits to case study locations across Europe and southern Africa
Contribution to the academic community of the department (participation in regular department meetings, blog posts, etc.)

Person specification

Essential

Excellent spoken and written English
A masters degree in sustainability science, environmental social science, sociology, or other relevant discipline.
Experience with designing research methodologies
Experience working in inter- and trans-disciplinary research environments.
Track record of engagement with sustainability in at least one of the core topics of the projects: food, climate, energy, transport.
Ability to work with sensitivity in cross-cultural settings.
Excellent communication skills while working in international environments.

Desirable

PhD in sustainability science, environmental social science, sociology, or other relevant discipline.
Experience with research into research processes/formative accompanying research.
A track record of academic publishing (relative to opportunity).
If not a PhD degree holder/enrolled PhD student, willingness to pursue PhD studies.

Remuneration and benefits

Thriving academic environment (seminars, discussion formats such as field trip days, reading clubs, peer-to-peer skills training, etc.)
Career development opportunities offered by CzechGlobe (language classes, training workshops, CzechGlobe internal grant agency for small funding for PhD and post-doctoral researchers to develop their own research ideas)
Support in developing own funding proposals for future research, both as an individual and as a member of a team
Office in Prague, flexible working hours

Contract details

Contract length: 3.5 years
Contract start: beginning of September 2022
FTE: 0,5 – 1,0 to be agreed before contract commences.
We will consider job shares.

To apply

For informal enquiries, contact Prof. Julia Leventon (Head of Department), at leventon.j@czechglobe.cz.

To submit your application send the following documents to jobs@czechglobe.cz by 17:00 on 8th July 2022. Shortlisted candidates will be notified on 18th July, with interviews planned for 21st July, 2022.

your academic CV
the names and contact details of 2 referees
cover letter that addresses the person specification provided above

Application deadline: 07/08/2022