Přehled
We are a research campus with a strong tradition in biosciences focused on complex
ecological, evolutionary & developmental aspects of LIFE.
Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech
Republic is seeking qualified applicants for the position of
Post-doctoral Researcher in Animal Migration Ecology
Global Life-history, Ornithology & Behavioural Ecology (GLOBE) research group
(https://GLOBEresearchgroup.com – new webpages under construction will be
launched soon) focuses on ecology, behaviour, life-history strategies and population
dynamics of wild animals, particularly birds, including impacts and consequences of
recent environmental changes.
The GLOBE research group, led by Vojtěch Kubelka
from Department of Zoology and Centre for Polar Ecology at the Faculty of Sciences,
University of South Bohemia in the Czech republic, has been recently awarded a
prestigious ERC CZ grant: Animal migrations in a changing world – still
advantageous strategy or maladaptive behaviour? for five years till 2029.
Animal migrations represent one of the greatest spectacles in nature, providing
crucial ecosystem services as well as resources for human communities. Why do
animals migrate? It has been thought that animals migrate to reproduce at higher
latitudes, taking advantage of lower predation pressure, fewer parasites and
seasonally high pulses in food supply. However, it has been highlighted that recent
climate change and human pressure impacts can erode such benefits and migratory
animals are declining globally with poorly understood underlying mechanisms.
We strive to tackle pressing issues: Are there still latitudinal gradients in predation,
parasitism and seasonal food availability, supporting the benefits of migratory
behaviour? How are migratory animals able to cope with environmental changes?
What are the most important drivers and life stages limiting populations of migratory
animals? To achieve this, we are executing comprehensive research of migration
profitability, combining experimental, observational and comparative approaches –
investigating latitudinal gradients in predation, parasites, food supply and whole lifecycles of tracked shorebirds, a suitable model taxon with intra-specific variability in
migratory strategies and exposed ground nests – at 16 study sites from the Arctic to
Patagonia.
We seek to appoint an early career scientist as post-doctoral researcher to
contribute to this new project.
What would be your main responsibilities
• Organize and conduct ornithological field work at selected study sites across
Western Palearctic and South America in association with international
collaborators
• Combine experimental and observational fieldwork with a comparative
approach based on extracting relevant information from published literature
• Coordinate data collection and analyses, working with large datasets in
relational databases
• Prepare and write manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals
• Lead or participate in funding applications for research in collaboration with
team members
• Supervise students and research assistants
• Participate in conservation activities
• Present and promote the results at conferences and seminars
• Disseminate the project outputs to stakeholders and public,
• Carry out other scientific and/or academic activities that are important for the
success of the project
What we offer
• A two-year position with the possibility of extension based on the performance
• Excellent instruments, equipment and multiple research platforms within the
Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech
Republic
• Access to the Czech Arctic research station at Svalbard and fieldwork at study
sites along latitudinal gradients from Morocco to Arctic and from tropical South
America to Patagonia
• Extensive international networking and mentoring opportunities
• Full logistical support for own follow-up research funding applications
• English speaking, stimulating & friendly international research environment
• HR Award certificate, jcu.cz/about-the-university/development/hr-award-hrs4r
• Professional administration support and assistance with all personal,
economic, legal, project, IT, intellectual property needs, flexible working time
• Competitive salary + possible bonuses, 5 weeks of paid vacation per year
• Meals allowance, special mobile services, university kindergarten
• Work-life balance in a historical middle-sized university city, budejce.cz/en/
Competitive candidates are expected to have
• PhD in evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, zoology, or relevant field of
life sciences
• A foundation of knowledge in two or more fields: evolutionary ecology, climate
change biology, demography and population dynamics, predator-prey
interactions and animal migration
• Experience in conducting or supervising international research projects
• 3+ years hands-on experience in field research, with preference for
experience with fieldwork in tropical or Arctic locations
• Ornithological fieldwork experience including bird handling and ringing (bird
ringing licence is welcomed but not necessary)
• Good skills in statistical modelling, advanced level in using R
• Strong record of success conducting research and scholarly activities,
including publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Experience working with analysis and presentation of large data sets
• Demonstrated project management experience and leadership skills
• Budgetary and general administrative skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate within a team-based
environment, ability to work effectively both in a team and independently
• Valid driving licence
Representative publications of our research
Kubelka V., Šálek M., Tomkovich P., Végvári Z., Freckleton
R. P. & Székely T. 2018: Global pattern of nest
predation is disrupted by climate change in shorebirds.
Science 362: 680–683.
Zámečník V., Kubelka V. & Šálek M. 2018: Visible marking of
wader nests to avoid damage by farmers does not
increase nest predation. Bird Conservation
International 28: 293–301.
4
Halimubieke N., Kupán K., Valdebenito J. O., Kubelka V., other 19 authors, &
Székely T. 2020: Successful breeding predict divorce in plovers. Scientific
Reports 10: 15576 (1–13).
Engel N. C., Végvári Z., Rice R., Kubelka V. & Székely T. (2020). Incubating parents
serve as visual cues to predators in Kentish plover (Charadrius
alexandrinus). PLOS ONE 15(7): e0236489.
Koleček J., other four authors & Kubelka V. 2021: Global population trends in
shorebirds: migratory behaviour makes species at risk. The Science of Nature
108: 9(1–8).
Kubelka V., Sandercock B., Székely T. & Freckleton R. P.
2022: Animal migration to northern latitudes:
environmental changes and increasing threats. Trends
in Ecology & Evolution 37: 30–41.
Dillenseger G., Rimoldi A., Barreto S., Ugarte-Lewis L.
& Kubelka V. 2023: Male-dominated courtship in an
unexpectedly late-breeding Andean Lapwing (Vanellus
resplendens) population. The Willson Journal of
Ornithology 135: 560–569.
Kiss A., Végvári Z., Kubelka V., Monoki Á., Kapocsi I., Gőri S.
& Székely T. 2024: Breeding in an agricultural landscape: conservation actions
increase nest survival in a ground-nesting bird. Oryx 58: 240–249.
Székely T., Carmona-Isunza M. C., Engel N., Halimubieke N., Jones W., Kubelka V.,
other six authors 2024: The causes and implications of sex role diversity in
shorebird breeding systems. Ibis 166: 560–569.
Cooke S. J., other 14 authors, Kubelka V. & Lennox R. J. 2024: Animal Migration in
the Anthropocene: Threats and Mitigation Options. Biological Reviews 99:
1242–1260.
Cevenini D., Cecere J. G., De Pascalis F. Tinareli P., Kubelka V., Serra L., Pilastro
A., & Assandri G. 2025: Habitat selection of the threatened northern lapwing
(Vanellus vanellus) breeding in an intensive agroecosystem. European Journal
of Wildlife Research 71: doi.org/10.1007/s10344-025-01903-w (1–13).
Application
Interested candidates should contact Vojtěch Kubelka (vkubelka@prf.jcu.cz).
Applications should include:
- iletter of interest (max 2 pages) – describing how their
qualifications address the terms of the position as well as explaining their motivation; - curriculum vitae (max 4 pages) – including education, relevant research experience
and major achievements; - contact information for at least three references.
Three documents in English should be sent to Vojtěch Kubelka before the deadline.
Deadline for applications: 20 July 2025
Position start: Start dates are negotiable but could be as early as Aug–Sep 2025.
Location description
České Budějovice is a vibrant medium-sized city and centre of South Bohemian
region with an international university community. The University of South Bohemia is
the biggest higher education institution in the region with more than 9,000 students,
numerous leading departments in natural sciences and field research stations at
Svalbard or Papua New Guinea. Five institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences
are situated on the same campus, forming the Biological Centre and representing
outstanding cooperation opportunities. The surrounding of České Budějovice has
diverse natural and cultural landscapes, including Šumava National Park, two
UNESCO biosphere reserves and numerous protected areas with impressive wildlife
