GROW - Programme of support for talented doctoral students

The call for applications will not open in 2023.

What is GROW?
Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences (hereinafter IB) participates in the scientific education of young researchers and, in an effort to stimulate them more strongly to professional growth, launched the GROW programme to support exceptionally talented Ph.D. students. The support consists of a part-time employment (50%) with a motivational salary, which should enable doctoral students to devote themselves fully to doctoral work and study. This year, a maximum of two candidates can be supported. Duration of the contract is 2 years with the possibility of extension for another 1-2 years. Students in the first or second year of doctoral studies can apply.

A maximum of two contracts can be granted each year, with the duration of 2 years and the possibility of extension for another 1-2 years. The intention of the IB is to announce a call every year, provided that there are sufficient funds. The selection procedure will usually take place in October, the expected commencement of employment at the IB will be from 1 January. Along with the support, the doctoral student will also have the opportunity to participate in an educational and mentoring programme for young researchers at the IB.

Selection committee
The applications will be evaluated by the selection committee. If the committee concludes that none of the applicants reaches the expected level, no contract may be awarded in a given year. The selection committee will be set up on an ad hoc basis according to the applications submitted, in order to involve scientists with a background close to the submitted topics. The committee will have min. 4 members.

Requirements and application
Applicants must meet the following requirements: they have completed a master’s degree, are admitted to a doctoral study program in one of the botanical or ecological fields, the supervisor is employed at the IB, the doctoral thesis has a connection to the IB, the head of the relevant department at the IB has agreed with the  application. The application in English must contain:

  • topic of the diploma thesis, name of the supervisor, year of graduation
  • topic of the doctoral thesis, name of the supervisor, year of commencement of the doctoral study
  • description of the doctoral thesis, including the time schedule and an outline of funding (a total of 1500-2500 characters, including spaces)
  • professional CV
  • contacts

Attached may be a letter of recommendation from the master thesis supervisor.

Selection procedure
The interview with applicants will take place in the form of a public seminar (with the participation of IB staff) in English and will consist of a presentation of the doctoral thesis and a subsequent discussion. Applicants are expected to have a deep interest in the field and a strong motivation for scientific work. Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • quality of the submitted project,
  • knowledge of the wider context of the work,
  • quality of the previous work,
  • quality of the presentation and the ability to respond to questions within the discussion.

Duration of the contract
The contract with the selected applicants will be concluded from 1 January for 2 years, in case of mutual interest it will be possible to extend it for another 1-2 years. Support can be drawn no later than the 4th year of doctoral studies. The condition for the extension is a positive evaluation of the submitted report at the end of the first year, a mandatory presentation for wider forum in the second year and a positive evaluation of the supervisor. We also expect doctoral students to be actively involved in events at the department and at the institute.