Article 1

Basic Characteristics and Goal

Charles University (“CU”), as an outstanding “research university” is interested in the development of scholarly and creative activities. It is therefore desirable that leading establishments of CU be able to attract accomplished graduates of doctoral study from abroad who could develop intensive research activities. The goal of this project is to attract prospective researchers who will research selected topics at the relevant establishments of CU. The main initiative is always on the relevant establishment or a faculty or other unit of CU that is interested in researching a particular research project.

Article 2

Requirements for Implementation

1. The following requirements must be fulfilled for the implementation of stays of international post-doc researchers:

a) The scholarly and research establishment of a faculty or other unit (e.g., department, institute – depending on the organisational structure) has created the required environment (room, equipment with the necessary technology, etc.) to be able to engage the international applicant to work on the relevant research project;

b) The Faculty or other unit has the financial resources (non-investment) to cover the costs of the research project; and

c) The Faculty or other unit has the resources to cover a part of the wages and other costs for the applicant (it should be no less than 1,000 Euro/month) and the Rectorate of CU has the resources to cover the other part of the applicant’s wages from the Fund of Post-Doc Stays which draws resources from the contribution of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports for the Institutional Plan of CU (if approved).

2. The post-doc researcher is engaged to work on a project taking no longer than two years of full-time employment; and

3. The stays are planned in three areas: arts and humanities, natural sciences, and medical and health sciences.

Article 3

Procedure

1. Based on a call of the Vice-Rector for International Affairs, the scholarly and research establishment proposes a viable topic (abstract) included in the scholarly and research activities of the faculty or other unit of CU, which is to be researched in the applicant’s project. The topic is submitted to the relevant office of the faculty and sent to the International Relations Office of the Rectorate of CU and then published in the available media (e.g., on CU website, website of the faculty or other unit, international portals). In the event of a higher number of topics, the faculty or other unit determines the sequence.

2. After consultation with the research establishment proposing the topic, the applicant prepares the content of the project and submits it to the faculty or other unit within the set deadline. The application includes a CV and list of publications, a copy of the diploma or other document confirming successful completion of Ph.D. study, opinion of the supervisor in the Ph.D. programme or a letter of reference from a researcher/head of establishment where the applicant completed the doctoral study (Application for Post-doc Grant at Charles University and Letter of Reference forms). At the time of submission, the applicant must have completed Ph.D. studies abroad, and no more than 10 years must have elapsed since the completion of the applicant’s Ph.D. at the time of filing the application. If the worker has already qualified for associate professorship (habilitation) it is not possible to apply for the post-doc position. In justified cases it is possible to include among the applicants a researcher who has not yet defended his dissertation, however it is assumed that the applicant will successfully complete the doctoral study before the potential commencement of his work in the post-doc position. The inclusion of such an applicant is approved by the Vice-Rector for International Affairs. If the applicant is later selected, he must prove no later than on the start day that he successfully completed the study, and must submit a copy of the university diploma as soon as possible.

3. The faculty or other unit refers the application and the project to the Rectorate of CU within the determined deadline (“Post-doc Stays Fund of Charles University”). In the event of several proposals, the faculty or other unit determines the sequence of applicants.

4. An independent university commission consisting of five members is appointed by the Rector where the commission consists of four members representing individual fields (arts and humanities, natural sciences, and medical and health sciences) and the chair, the Vice-Rector for International Affairs. The university commission assesses the applicant’s project and makes a proposal as to whether it should be supported from the Post-doc Stays Fund for the relevant period. The final allocation of support is approved by the Rector issuing a decision based on the assessment of the university commission.

5. The selected applicant is notified of the result of the procedure including the possible date of commencement and organises all the necessary formalities (visa, etc.). The applicant enters into an employment contract with the faculty or other unit in which he undertakes to commence the research activities at the CU establishment. If the applicant withdraws from the contract and does not commence work at the faculty or other unit, the applicant that was selected by the university commission as the first substitute or possibly the next substitute in the sequence is called.

6. After the end of first year of the project the faculty or other unit carries out an interim audit and sends an interim report on the project to the International Relations Office of the Rectorate of CU. At the end of every calendar year the faculty or other unit sends a Statement of the Dean of the Faculty/Director of Other Unit for a withdrawal of resources from the Institutional Plan for the given year to the International Relations Office of the Rectorate of CU for the purpose of supporting of international post-doc workers at CU.

7. After the end of the two-year period or when the research is completed (whichever comes first), the faculty or other unit sends the final report on the engagement of the post-doctoral researcher to the International Relations Office of the Rectorate of CU.

Article 4

Deadlines

The placement of post-doc researchers in research stays at CU is carried out once a year.

Article 5

Funding

• The wages of a post-doc worker are covered in part by the faculty or other unit and in part by the Rectorate of CU.

• The faculty or other unit covers a part of the wages, the other part is covered from the Post-doc Stays Fund, which draws resources from the contribution of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports for the Institutional Plan of CU (if approved).

• Other costs (non-investment resources for the research project) are covered by the faculty or other unit.

Article 6

Final Provision

This Rector’s Directive becomes effective on 1 October 2018. It will remain in force over the period of implementation of the Institutional Programme for Public Higher Education Institutions in the form of the Institutional Plan of CU for 2019-2020.

In Prague on 26 September 2018

Prof. MUDr. Tomáš Zima, DrSc., MBA