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Guidelines for employing postgraduate students and recent university graduates at the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences

 1. Doctorate studies and employment at the Institute of Botany

Who is considered a doctorate student of the Institute of Botany?

A doctorate student of the Institute of Botany is a person whose advisor/mentor is from the Institute of Botany and who completes most of the activities connected with his/her doctoral work mainly at the Institute of Botany (ideally, the Institute of Botany is listed as the official workplace in the student’s plan) and who has been accepted as a doctorate student of the Institute of Botany.
 
Duration of employment of doctorate students

Typically the duration of employment of doctorate students at the Institute of Botany is 4 years from the beginning of full-time study. Periods of interruption of study (e.g., because of parental leave) are not counted towards doctorate study. Employment of a doctorate student at the Institute of Botany can be extended in exceptional cases (e.g., for students that do work essential for the Institute).
 
Doctorate seminars
  • during the first semester newly accepted students present in short their future work at an introductory seminar at the Institute of Botany; this seminar usually is in the form of an entrance interview with a public presentation of the scheduled work, followed by a meeting of the admittance committee.
     
  • If a student will be presenting his work at a seminar at the Faculty instead of at the Institute then an announcement including the date and place of this seminar should be given well in advance to the Institute’s research secretary, who will pass this invitation on to the other employees of the Institute of Botany
     
  • The final doctorate seminar will be held in the Institute of Botany during the fourth year of full-time study.
Employment information for doctorate students (work time and salary)

(employment conditions are dependent on the Institute’s possibilities and the doctorate student’s approach to fulfilling his/her tasks; additional funding for doctorate students can also come from grants)
  • in the first year of study employment is funded from institutional funds or grants if the student is working part time (20% ).
     
  • in the second year, on the suggestion of the doctorate student and mentor, possibly even the head of the department, working time can be increased maximally to half time (50%) 
  • in the third and fourth years working time can be further increased
     
  • after finishing the 4th year of study, in most cases the doctorate student no longer continues employment at the Institute of Botany; employment is continued if work is reimbursed from grant funds.
     
  • doctorate students are reviewed as employees throughout their employment by the Institute of Botany, which is responsible for regularly testing its research workers (see Attestation Board of the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences and relevant directives of the Czech Academy of Sciences); students are put into salary categories depending on the decision of the Attestation committee (currently doctorate students are automatically put in the 12th salary category, top students can be moved up to the 13th salary category during their studies)

 

2. Postdoctoral stays at the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences

  1. Students that successfully complete their doctorate studies in 4 years (i.e., 4 years after beginning their work a dissertation is complete and other necessary criteria, e.g., publication activity have been met, can apply for a postdoctoral post. The application and acceptance process for postdoctoral students is similar to that for doctorate students.
     
  2. When possible, postdoctoral posts will be announced each year, usually for 1-2 students.
     
  3. A postdoctoral stay is 2-years long.
     
  4. Postdoctoral students, similar to the doctorate students will be reviewed throughout their postdoctoral studies as employees of the Institute (see Attestation Board of the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences and relevant directives of the Czech Academy of Sciences). During the second year of study the student will be tested/reviewed with the recommendations of the Attestation committee also being used to suggest termination or continuation of the contract with the Institute of Botany.

 

3. Research Fellowships at the Institute of Botany

Since 1. 1. 2007 research fellowships have been significantly limited, being linked to the grants available (research fellowship = year fellowship for students who have graduated to obtain initial skills and experience needed to successfully complete doctorate study.)
 
Main criteria for reviewing an employee of the Institute of Botany
  1. Publication activity, especially in journals that are indexed in the WOS
     
  2. Ability to obtain grant funds and lead a team in a grant project, or at least to cooperate on grant projects; the ability to establish oneself in an international arena is especially regarded highly
     
  3. Teaching activities including guiding masters and doctorate work
     
  4. Presentation of results at international conferences and the ability to establish international cooperation
This document was approved by the Scientific Board on 20. 9. 2006.
 
 

Links

List of doctorate students at the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Courses on the basics of research work (organized by the Czech Academy of Sciences). Calendar of events.