Postdoctoral Position in Meteor Astronomy at the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Closing date: 2024 November 10

The Group of Meteor Physics at the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Ondřejov, Czech Republic, invites application for a postdoctoral position, which will be open from January 1, 2025 in the scope of the project “Detailed insight into the properties of meteor showers”funded by the Czech Science Foundation.

The successful candidate will work under the leadership of Dr. Jiří Borovička (jiri.borovicka@asu.cas.cz) on the analysis and interpretation of data from the cameras of the European Fireball Network and other meteor cameras operated by the Group. The possible specific topics include orbital integration and search for parent bodies of meteor showers, analysis of meteor spectra, or modeling of meteoroid atmospheric fragmentation on the basis of meteor data (light curves, deceleration, morphology).

Astronomical Institute is a Public Research Institution and the largest professional astronomical organization in the Czech Republic. It is located at the Ondřejov Observatory near Prague (see http://www.asu.cas.cz/en/). The European Fireball Network is the world’s longest operating fireball network. It has been modernized in the recent years.

The appointment is initially for one year; an extension for another year (until the end of 2026) is expected upon satisfactory scientific performance. A necessary condition is to satisfy legal requirements for employment in the Czech Republic (EU member state). Salary will be based on the domestic level (cca 1800 EUR/month before taxes) and it includes health insurance. There is a possibility of institute accommodation in Ondrejov. The starting date of employment is expected to be 1st of January 2025, but it is negotiable.

Successful candidates must hold PhD degree not older than 8 years at the time of start of the employment (in case of maternity leave or long-term illness, these periods are not counted into the limit). Applications can be submitted before finishing PhD, in which case a statement from the supervisor stating the planned date of the defense should be included.

Applications must contain Curriculum Vitae, list of publications, and a specification of the research topic the applicant plans to contribute to. The applications are to be submitted by email to:

info@asu.cas.cz.

Please, arrange for a minimum of two letters of reference to be sent directly to the same electronic address as above. The letters may be issued up to 9 months before the application deadline.

To receive full consideration, the application deadline is 10th of November 2024 till the end of the day (Prague/Central Europe timezone). The receipt of applications will be acknowledged by email. Once the evaluation process is completed, applicants will be notified about the result. The institute reserves the right not to take any of the candidates.