1 March 2025

CHARLESTON Call for Postdoctoral Fellowship Applications Open

Charles University (CU) has launched the first call for applicants within the CHARLESTON programme, co-funded by the European Commission's MSCA COFUND initiative (Horizon Europe). This call will support research by 10 early-career researchers, who will spend 24 months at the university and undertake a 3 to 6-month secondment in a non-academic institution. Postdoctoral researchers can submit their applications until 31 May 2025 2 pm Prague time.

The programme is based on three pillars:

• The supported projects will contribute to sustainable development and societal impact in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

  
  

• Secondments in non-academic institutions will strengthen intersectoral collaboration and knowledge transfer.

  
  

• A new career development programme for early-career researchers at the university will include specialized courses and mentoring.

  
  

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted via the IS Věda portal.

(The postdoc is the applicant, not the supervisor at CU.)

The call is open from 1 March to 31 May 2025, 2 pm Prague time.

The following documents are required for application submission:

• Guide for Applicants

  
  

• User Manual for Submitting Online Application Form

  
  

• Part B1 Template – Proposed Project Description

  
  

• Part B2 Template – Ethics Issues Table

  
  

• Letter of Commitment – Non-Academic Institutions

  
  

• Definitions of Terms for Completing Project Description

  
  

• Frequently Asked Questions

  
  

An online webinar for applicants will take place on Thursday, 27 March 2025, at 14:00 (Prague time). Participation is only possible with prior registration. Please register via this link.

Presentation from the webinar is available here.

Who Can Apply

The CHARLESTON programme supports projects focused on sustainable development and societal impact in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Applicants must not be employees of Charles University at the time of the application deadline and must not have resided in the Czech Republic for more than 12 months within the past 36 months (mobility rule).

They must also hold a Ph.D. degree obtained no more than 8 years ago. Exceptions apply, such as parental leave.

Charles University is committed to fostering gender equality in research and encourages women to apply.

Scientists at risk are encouraged to apply.

Research projects can be carried out at any faculty or unit of Charles University.

Applicants must first identify a supervisor at CU and at non-academic institution - see more in section About Programme

For more details, please visit the programme's website and refer to the Guide for Applicants.

Call Timeline

The second call of the CHARLESTON programme will be launched in 2026 and will support 10 postdoctoral projects.

Important Links

• Contact Information

• Frequently Asked Questions

N.B. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.