Selection Procedures
J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry 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 PhD. student in Biophysics – “WATER” Doctoral Network - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.
A top research institute in the Czech Republic, named after the Czech Nobel Laureate in Chemistry J. Heyrovsky, offers a PhD. student position in Biophysics.
The position is a part of the Innovative Training Network (ITN) "WATER – Doctoral Network on Interfacial Water in Membrane Transport". The network is devoted to the investigation of water transport and water organization in the vicinity of biomembranes and membrane proteins. It is funded under Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01-01). The successful applicant will develop a novel method enabling the estimation of the permittivity within protein channel interior using time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and advanced techniques of fluorescence microscopy. The technique will be applied to monitor permittivity of the protein channel interior, specifically in fluorescently labelled SecYEG complex reconstituted into model lipid systems.
In the framework of the ITN project, Ph.D. student will undergo 2 secondments at Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria and at Picoquant company, Germany studying protein-lipid interactions and learning advanced fluorescence techniques, respectively.
Finances
The applicant will be funded from the EU project for 36 months. Monthly salary will be approximately €1900 after deduction of taxes and social security, including a monthly mobility allowance and - if applicable - a family allowance which will be paid in addition.
Additional information
Women are encouraged to apply. The recruitment committee gives preference to female candidates if they are equally qualified as male candidates.
Benefits:
- 25 days paid leave of absence (holidays) per year
- Meal contribution
- 3 days of paid sick-leave in addition to the statutory insurance per year
- 5 days of personal leave per year
- Flexible working-time, the possibility of part-time work
- Possibility of attending children groups of the CAS
- Sports goods rental, free parking, trade union library
- Language courses
- Possibility of further education and career development by participating in courses organized by our institute
Required Qualifications
1. Applicants must, at the date of recruitment by WATER, be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience measured from the date when the researcher obtained the degree entitling him/her to embark on a doctorate) of their research careers
2. They should not have been awarded a doctoral degree.
3. Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting institution (i.e. the Czech Republic) for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date. This excludes short stays such as holidays or compulsory national service.
4. We look for students with exceptional academic performance holding or very close to completing their Master degree in Biophysics, Biochemistry or closely related subjects,
5. Knowledge of the English language is essential.
Additional Qualifications
Advanced methods of fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy. Basic preparation skills of the model bilayer systems and protein labelling. Biochemical labelling, chromatography, fluorescence spectroscopy, time resolved anisotropy and circular dichroism spectroscopy, single molecule microscopy
1. Knowledge of fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy techniques (time resolved spectroscopy, wide field and/or confocal microscopy, single molecule microscopy)
2. Basic skills in molecular biology techniques, protein purification and reconstitution into model lipid systems
3. Ability to use programming languages and/or dedicated programs for data acquisition and processing
4. Soft skills: presentation skill, team working ability
Where to send your application:
COMPANY: J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i., Dolejškova 3, Cz18223, Prague 8, Czech Republic
E-MAIL: recruitment@jh-inst.cas.cz, jan.sykora@jh-inst.cas.cz, water@jku.at
Please include “SC2025_29” in the subject line of your email.
Application requirements
For your application to be considered in the selection process, please submit the following documents:
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Curriculum Vitae (CV)
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Motivation Letter
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Supporting documents (e.g. Master’s thesis, certificates, publications, or other equivalent materials)
Your skills and motivation should also be highlighted in your reference and motivation letter.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview, where they will:
- Present their master’s thesis (5 minutes)
- Present a scientific paper from a field outside their specialization (chosen by the interviewers, about 5 minutes)
- After the presentations, there will be a discussion related to the WATER project (approximately 10 minutes).
The expected starting date is December 15th, 2025.
Application deadline: 11/10/2025