Charleston, projects of postdocs from abroad: open call

The Charleston Programme support postdoctoral research projects that will be carried out at Charles University (CU) by postdocs from abroad. Deadline of the first call is 31. 5. 2025 (2 p.m. Prague time).

On 27. 3. 2025 a webinar for applicants will take place. Registration (source).

If you plan to apply, please, contact as soon as possible the Project Management Department.

Contact point for Charleston at the Faculty of Science: (Martina Holíková, martina.holikova@natur.cuni.cz).

If you have any questions regarding this call, please, don’t hesitate to contact us.

• Call announcement – basic information, key links, application templates.
• Guide For Applicants – detailed information and rules.
• Programme webpage.
• Frequently asked questions.
• Presentation from a webinar for applicants (27. 3. 2025, source).

The Charleston Programme is co-funded by Horizon Europe, the funding scheme MSCA Cofund of the programme part Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). The goal of MSCA is to support the mobility and career development of researchers in the European research area, which includes improving their employability both in the academic and the non-academic sector. The Charleston Programme will award a total of 20 grants: 10 in 2025 and 10 in 2026.

Projects must contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals through its research topic. Project duration consists of 24 months carried out at a research department at CU and 3–6 months compulsory secondment at a non-academic institution (the non-academic sector includes not only private companies, but also e.g., hospitals, museums, libraries, national parks, non-governmental organisations, public authorities, UN agencies etc.). This non-academic institution can be in Czechia or in any other country worldwide, the secondment can be divided into two shorter stays. The secondment in non-academic sector must be beneficial both for the scientific content of the project as well as for the career development of the supported postdoc.

The research topic should be primarily designed by the postdoc in collaboration with the department at CU where the project would be carried out (i.e., primarily with the potential postdoc supervisor), and the partner non-academic institution.

Eligible applicant – postdoc

• Can be of any nationality.
• By the call deadline, the postdoc must not be an employee of CU.
• By the call deadline, the postdoc must not have resided in Czechia for more than 12 months in the last 36 months.
• By the call deadline, the postdoc must hold a PhD title, and must not be in possession of this title for more than 8 years (this period can be extended in following cases: maternity leave; paternity leave; compulsory national service; time spent not working in research; long-term sick leave; seeking asylum; natural disaster; clinical training).

Eligible supervisor

• Must be an employee of CU.
• Must be in possession of PhD title for at least 8 years.

Budget

• Personnel costs of the postdoc EUR 4580 per month (i.e., gross salary EUR 3361 per month); or EUR 4780 per month (i.e., gross salary EUR 3507 per month) for postdocs who have a child or children.
• Contribution EUR 600 per month for research costs.
• Contribution EUR 200 per month for training costs.
• Contribution to cover the travel costs connected with the secondment at the non-academic institution.

News published by Ludmila Součková on 28. 2. 2025.
Updated 17. 3. 2025 (note about temporary change of contact person until 15. 3. removed).
Updated 25. 3. 2025 (contact point changed).
Updated 2. 4. 2025 (link to presentation from the webinar 27. 3. 2025).

Not the information you sought? Found a mistake? Please, let us know.