Call for Applications

Institute of Ethnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia

Postdoctoral position (1,0 FTE)

Deadline: 20 November 2026

We are pleased to announce a postdoctoral position available funded by the Institute of Ethnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IE CAS), Prague, Czechia.

Job Title

Postdoctoral Researcher

Position

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will work in one of the five research departments of the IE CAS: Department of Critical Heritage Studies, Department of Ecological Anthropology, Department of Ethnomusicology and Ethnochoreology, Department of Memory Studies, Department of Mobility and Migration. You will develop an independent research agenda aligned with the department’s wider aims.

Job information

Starting date: 1. 1. 2027 or soon thereafter

Duration: 2 years (an initial 1-year contract with an expected extension)

FTE: full-time position

Workplace: Prague or Brno (candidates must be residents of Czechia or be ready to relocate to Czechia for the whole duration of the position)

Gross salary: ca 50,000 CZK per month

Your qualifications

A Ph.D. degree in ethnology, anthropology, or a related discipline awarded no earlier than two years prior to the start date of the employment, or four years in the case of a documented long-term stay abroad. Career breaks due to maternity or parental leave, or caring for a close relative, are not counted towards this period.

Capacity to work autonomously and develop projects dedicated to the objectives of the given IE CAS Department. During the second year of the postdoctoral position, the candidate is expected to submit a project proposal at the level of MSCA-IF, ERC Starting Grant, etc.

Demonstrable record of high-quality academic writing, evidenced by a PhD dissertation and/or peer-reviewed academic publications.

Willingness to present at international conferences and to contribute to public-facing or creative forms of research communication.

Excellent oral and written English skills are required; working knowledge of Czech would be an advantage.

We offer

• International, ambitious, friendly, and supportive team.
• Funding for conference travel.
• Training seminars and workshops to further professional qualifications and for personal development.
• Institutional affiliation with the IE CAS.
• 25 days of paid annual leave, flexible working arrangements, and a family-friendly work environment in the centre of Prague or Brno.

Application process

The application must contain the following documents:

• A cover letter outlining your motivation to join the IE CAS of no more than 300 words.
• CV with a list of publications.
• A postdoctoral project proposal on which the applicant will be working, including a description of the expected outputs of no more than 1000 words.
• Document of no more than 300 words in which the applicant briefly answers three questions (1) How does your project fit into the research focus of the IE CAS Department to which you are applying? (2) What is the funding arrangement for the project? This relates in particular to the fact that fieldwork cannot be directly funded during the postdoctoral stay. (3) What are the main ethical challenges of the project?
• A sample of academic writing in English (unpublished work, such as a thesis chapter is acceptable).

About the IE CAS

The Institute of Ethnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IE CAS) is research-only institute based in Prague and Brno. We are home to scholars trained primarily in the traditions of ethnology and sociocultural anthropology, as well as related disciplines. A research institution with roots going back more than a century, the IE CAS has evolved into a dynamic scientific body that deploys multiple yet complementary methodological and conceptual approaches. We place value in an environment that invites and fosters conversation and collaboration, both within our research community and with visiting colleagues, whether interdisciplinary or internationally.

Shared across researchers of the IE CAS is a passion for long-term ethnographic engagement, a sensitivity to context, and consideration of the local tensions and global frictions through which change occurs. Our work engages empirically and theoretically with the diversity of human experiences and relations, both contemporary and historical. Our inquiries into people’s activities and identities as they are practiced in everyday life challenge assumptions and contribute to a broader understanding of society and humanity. Our scholars engage with field sites both within and beyond Europe and foster a network of partnerships that nurture knowledge flows alternative to the dominant West-East or North-South axes.

Further information

Applicants are strongly required to consult the head of the IE CAS Department in which they intend to carry out their postdoctoral project before submitting their application for the selection process. If applications are not discussed with the IE CAS Department head in advance, they will be excluded from the selection process.

If no suitable candidates are found the vacancy will be reopened.

By submitting your CV, you consent to the processing of your personal data for the purposes of the recruitment process, in accordance with applicable legislation.

The deadline for the application is 20. 11. 2026, 12.00 (noon) CET. Please email a single PDF file to recruitment@eu.cas.cz under the subject „IE CAS – postdoc position“.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview.