Postdoctoral positions

In accordance with the Rector's Directive of Comenius University in Bratislava (Internal Regulation No. 4 of Comenius University in Bratislava "Postdoctoral Stays at Comenius University in Bratislava"), which is based on the recommendations of the European Charter for Researchers, a "postdoctoral researcher" is understood to be a graduate of the third level of higher education (the holders of a title PhD), who completed their study at a university other than Comenius University Bratislava, no later than three years before the allocation of the postdoctoral stay and who are under of 35 years of age.

A postdoctoral stay is based on a fixed-term employment contract for a duration of one year. Alongside with the employment contract, the postdoctoral researcher also concludes a grant agreement (see link provided below). The postdoctoral stay is linked to the implementation of grant projects, for which the host of the postdoctoral researcher is typically the principal investigator.

Based on a positive evaluation of the postdoctoral researcher's work, the stay may be extended, however, the total duration of the postdoctoral stay have not to exceed three years.

When extending the stay or the employment contract, the condition regarding the time limit of completing doctoral studies and the age requirement is no longer considered.

There is no legal entitlement to the extension or renewal of the employment contract.

https://uniba.sk/veda/postdoktorandske-pobyty/grant-postdoktoranda-uk-gukpost/

and

https://uniba.sk/fileadmin/ruk/veda/postdoktorandske_pobyty/2024/GUKPOST/Zakladne_informacie_a_podmienky_GUKPOST_def1__SK.pdf

Postdoctoral researchers at the faculty have obtained their positions through one of the following methods: 

• Faculty call – this call is announced annually, usually in April. The call is published on the faculty’s website in the "Postdoctoral Positions – Current Offers" section and in the "News" section.
• Rectorate call at Comenius University in Bratislava – this periodic call is advertised on the university’s website, typically in April. The full call is available at: https://uniba.sk/en/research/postdoctoral-visits/
• Through the Slovak Government Office
• As part of host-led research projects

Postdoctoral researchers funded by the faculty call:

• Dr. Vahideh Ilbeigi is working at the Department of Experimental Physics under the supervision of Prof. Štefan Matejčík. She initially joined via an MSCA (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action) postdoctoral position.
• Dr. Nicholas Hanane is preparing to start at the Department of Applied Informatics under the supervision of Prof. Ľubica Beňušková.

Postdoctoral researchers continuing research via the rectorate call:

• Dr. Moumene Imane conducts research at the Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, hosted by Prof. Fedor Šimkovic.
• Dr. Bernard Gitura Kimani works at the Department of Astronomy, Earth Physics, and Meteorology under Prof. Zdenko Machala.
• Dr. Ivan Alexander Urbina Medina operates at the Department of Experimental Physics under Prof. Pavol Veis.
• Dr. Rashid Aripram is preparing to join the Department of Astronomy, Earth Physics, and Meteorology under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Karol Hensel.

Based on the first call for postdoctoral fellowships within the program "Postdoctoral Fellowships at Comenius University in Bratislava 2025-2026," announced by the Rector of Comenius University and published on the university's website the following postdoctoral researchers have been awarded grants:

• Dr. Irina Zabaikina, who will work at the Department of Mathematical Analysis and Numerical Mathematics under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Pavol Bokes,
• Dr. Jozef Rajník, who will be based at the Department of Computer Science, with Prof. Martin Škoviera, as his host.
• Dr. Eliška Eckerová, who will work at the Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, hosted by Prof. Fedor Šimkovic,
• Dr. Zuzana Bardačová, who will also be based at the Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics under the supervision of Prof. Fedor Šimkovic

The full text of the call 

Scholarships from the Slovak Government Office – via Research and Innovation Authority (VAIA)

As part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the Slovak Government Office, through the Research and Innovation Authority (VAIA) and EU co-funding, has provided scholarships for outstanding researchers affected by the war in Ukraine.

In 2023, the faculty created four postdoctoral positions under this initiative, three of which were filled at the Department of Experimental Physics:

• Dr. Mykhaylo Bilogovskyy, works with Assoc. Prof. Maroš Gregor,
• Dr. Ihor Shpetnyy, collaborates on a project led by Assoc. Prof. Tomáš Pleceník,
• Dr. Olena Zhytlukhina, hosted by Dr. Leonid Satrapinskyy.

The fourth position at the Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics remained unfilled due to unforeseen circumstances involving the selected candidate.

Additionally, Dr. Oleh Turutanov, who began collaboration in 2022, is also a researcher affected by the conflict in Ukraine and works along with Prof. Miroslav Grajcar.

The SASPRO 2 program, co-funded by the European Union as part of Horizon 2020, brings together three leading Slovak research institutions Comenius Univesity (CU), Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV), and Slovak University of Technology (STU).

In 2022, two returning postdoctoral positions were occupied by Dr. Martin Krššák at the Department of Theoretical Physics under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Tomáš Blažek and Dr. František Herman, conducting research at the Department of Experimental Physics. Both of them continue in their research at the faculty to this day.

In 2024, the faculty secured two major research projects that enabled additional postdoctoral positions.

Prof. Zdenko Machala, Head of the Department of Astronomy, Earth Physics, and Meteorology (KAFZM), established a research group focused on biomedical and environmental applications of cold plasma. Their research includes air purification, vehicle exhaust gas treatment, and CO₂ recycling using electrical discharges combined with chemical catalysis. In connection with this research he obtained the project EnvAdwice.

As part of the EnvAdwice project, the following postdoctoral researchers are working at the faculty:

• Dr. Atikukke Sahithya
• Dr. Adriana Mišúthová
• Dr. Alex Destrieux
• Dr. Zlata Kelar Tučeková
• Dr. Ram Avtar

Additionally, Dr. Naga Sai Raghavendra Srikar and Dr. Kiran Ahlawat are preparing to join.

Since January 2024, Dr. Mohammed Abdulsalam has also been working under Prof. Machala’s supervision on a project focusing on cold plasma technology for advanced wastewater treatment.

Another key initiative supporting postdoctoral research at the faculty is the COLOSSE project, which strengthens Slovak-Czech research collaborations. This project involves Comenius University in Bratislava, Masaryk University in Brno, University of West Bohemia in Plzeň.

Researchers from the Center for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, which belongs to the faculty, Assoc. Prof. Tomáš Pleceník, PhD. and Assoc. Prof. Marián Mikula, PhD. run this project COLOSSE. Under their suppervision  postdoctoral researches Dr. Kateryna Smyrnov and Dr. Vinicius Crus San Martin are working.

The faculty also offers several other postdoctoral opportunities, although they tend to be shorter-term in nature.

The duties of the postdoctoral researcher and the guarantor are regulated by the Rector's Directive of Comenius University in Bratislava, specifically internal regulation no. 2/2025 from January 2025.

The primary duty of the guarantors is to develop a professional growth plan for the postdoctoral researcher within 14 days of the postdoctoral researcher's commencement of their postdoctoral stay. This plan is approved by the dean of the faculty and is binding. It includes detailed information about the stay, particularly:

• Formal requirements,
• Connection to a project,
• Content and objectives of the stay, including a timeline,
• Expected outcomes,
• The end date of the postdoctoral stay.

During the postdoctoral researcher's tenure at the faculty, the guarantor ensures that the working conditions for the postdoctoral researcher are in line with the labor code, internal regulations of Comenius University and the faculty, and the collective agreement of Comenius University.

The basic duties of the postdoctoral researchers are:

• To fulfill the professional growth plan,
• Publish the results of scientific activities related to the research project that the doctoral student is working on or contributing to,
• To present the results of their scientific work at a workplace (department) seminar at least once per half year,
• Before the end of the postdoctoral stay, at the date set by the dean of the faculty, to submit a report on the results achieved during the stay to the dean of the faculty and the vice-rector for science and doctoral studies of Comenius University.

Dining Options at FMFI UK and its surroundings can be found using the link below:

https://zona.fmph.uniba.sk/sluzby-a-administrativa/jedalne-listky/

Arrangement of temporary residence

The terms of entry, stay, and issuance of documents for the foreigners in the territory of the Slovak Republic are legally regulated by the provisions of the Act No. 404/2011 Coll. and the relevant amendments.

Postdoctoral fellows/doctoral students who are EU residents

The stay of EU residents in the territory of Slovakia is regulated by § 112, section 1, and the stay of their family members by section 2.

EU residents have the right to stay for three months from the date of entry into the Slovak Republic without any other conditions and formal requirements. During this stay, they prove their identity either with a valid identity card or a travel document.

However, the EU citizens also have the obligation to register at the relevant department of the foreign police within 10 working days (as well as their family members) if accommodated privately. In practice, this means filling in the "Registration of Stay" form (Slovak version, English version), which is delivered to the relevant foreign police department, for example, as registered letter. If the EU citizen is accommodated through a public accommodation provider, the provider fulfills this obligation and invites the foreigner to fill in the registration form and ensures its delivery to the police department within five days from the beginning of the accommodation.

Postdoctoral fellows/doctoral students from third countries

The obligations of nationals of third countries are dealt with in § 111, section 2, which imposes on the holder of a national visa (or Schengen visa) the obligation to inform the relevant foreign police department about the beginning, place, and expected duration of their stay within three working days. This obligation is fulfilled by filling in the form "Registration of Stay" (Slovak version, English version) and delivering it to the relevant foreign police department, e.g. by registered letter.

At the same time, postdoctoral fellows and doctoral students from third countries have the obligation to obtain a residence permit. The postdoctoral fellows and the doctoral students have the option of priority processing. To this end, an online application must be submitted through the website of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic  in cooperation with the host or supervisor..

The annex to this application is either an acceptance letter or the employement contract or the future contract agreement (postdoctoral fellows) or a decision on admission (doctoral students) and also the completed form  "Žiadosť o udelenie prechodného pobytu/Application for the temporary residence".

Based on this application, the foreign police will assign the applicant a term when the postdoctoral fellow or doctoral student shall appear at its office and submit the following documents, which must not be older than 3 months (90 days): 

• a valid travel document, 
• two photos with dimensions 3x3.5 cm 
• a completed application for temporary residence in hard copy,
• a confirmation of the purpose of the stay (acceptance letter, or employment contract or contract for future employment in the case of postdoctoral fellows, a decision on admission to doctoral study in the case of doctoral student), 
• a certificate of good conduct, which is fulfilled by an authorized copy of the criminal record of the country in which the postdoctoral fellow or doctoral student has stayed for more than 90 days during the last three years and which relates to the entire country (not to a specific state of the country, district, etc.),
• a document proving financial security for the stay, for this purpose an acceptance letter is submitted, stating the amount that the postdoctoral fellow will receive in the form of a salary during his/her stay at the faculty, or another relevant document issued by the faculty. In the case of doctoral student, the "Scholarship Certificate" issued by the Doctoral study department is submitted. 
• a document proving accommodation arrangements
• a hosting agreement (postdoctoral researchers). The agreement text can be found in the next section.

All submitted documents must be in Slovak language or translated into Slovak by a translator authorized for official translations. A list of authorized translators can be found on the website of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic. 

In case the subject of the translation is not the original document but only its copy, it is necessary to confirm the conformity of this copy with the original at any notary office in the Slovak Republic or any registry office in the territory of the Slovak Republic.

The postdoctoral fellow cooperates with his/her host and the personnel department of the faculty to secure the necessary documentation.

The doctoral student secures the necessary documentation in cooperation with the Doctoral study department of the faculty and his/her supervisor.

Pursuant to Section 131k, paragraph 2 of Act No. 404/2011 Coll. on the Stay of Foreigners, a third-country national who has submitted a request for a temporary residence under Section 31, paragraph 3, or permanent residence under Section 44, paragraph 1, at a police department is entitled to stay in the territory of the Slovak Republic until a decision on this request is made.

The Hosting Agreement form have to be completed by the postdoctoral researcher in collaboration with their host. Once completed, the agreement have to be signed by the researcher and submitted in three copies to the Department of Doctoral Studies and Postgraduate Stays for further administrative processing.

A request for document processing can be made either in person at the relevant department or electronically at katarina.matejcikovafmph.uniba.sk. This should be done as soon as an appointment at the Foreign Police Department is scheduled, but no later than five calendar days before the planned appointment.

After approval and signing by the faculty dean, the agreement is published in the Central Register of Contracts of the Slovak Republic and assigned an identification number. Of the three submitted copies, two are returned to the postdoctoral researcher, with one required for submission to the Foreig Police.

If the employment contract is extended, a new hosting agreement have to be prepared, published, and submitted to the Foreig Police along with the necessary attachments. This must be done within the specified deadlines and according to the procedure outlined above.

Hosting Agreement
(.pdf) (.docx)

Basic information about health insurance for foreigners

Postdoctoral fellows, who are employed at the faculty based on an employment contract, regardless of the countries they come from, are therefore in an employment relationship with the faculty, are provided with health insurance through the faculty in the form of public health insurance.

• National scholarship programme - Call for application
  The Slovak Academic and Information Agency (SAIA) has announced a call for scholarship applications for the 2025/2026 academic year. Detailed information is available at https://www.scholarships.sk/en/news/call-academic-year-2025-2026-open
• Apart from the option of communicating with the foreign police as outlined in the section "Procedure and documents required for the legalization of residents for students and faculty staff coming from abroad", which remains a priority, it is currently possible to approach the Foreign Police Department in Bratislava personally on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 07:30 AM to 03:30 PM. Here, you can arrange not only residence matters but also all other life situations, inquire about the status of the temporary residence application, etc., as is specified in the following link: https://www.minv.sk/?vizova-info-typy-viz-1 
• Notification for Hosts: 
  Due to the faculty being assigned a new permit number for accepting foreigners to conduct research and development activities, this information have to be included in the hosting agreement in Article I, point 1).
  The new permit number is:
  2024/7578:2-D1220, dated March 7, 2024.