Fully Funded PhD Scholarship: High Temperature Stress on Wheat Photosynthesis – Slovakia
🏥 About Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra
Applications are open for a PhD High Temperature Wheat Slovakia position at the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Institute of Plant and Environmental Sciences. This PhD research focuses on evaluation of the interactions of high temperature and co-acting environmental factors on photosynthetic productivity and photoprotection of wheat genotypes. The university is a leading research institution focused on agricultural sciences, plant physiology, and crop stress responses.
Start Date: September 1, 2026
🎯 Scholarship Overview
🔗 Research Project
Rising global temperatures represent a significant abiotic stressor, limiting crop productivity at a global level. Temperature stress adversely affects essential physiological processes, with photosynthesis being one of the key processes affected. The disruption of photosynthetic efficiency consequently limits carbon assimilation and overall plant growth, with consequences for productivity and quality.
This PhD High Temperature Wheat Slovakia project aims to assess the diversity of responses of crop genotypes to high temperature and its interaction with other factors such as water deficit, light conditions and nitrogen nutrition.
📋 Aims & Objectives
Main Scientific Objective:
- Assess the diversity of responses of crop genotypes to high temperature and its interaction with other factors (water deficit, light conditions, nitrogen nutrition)
Key Activities:
- Application of selected methods using modern portable apparatus and equipment
- Assessment of the relationship of measured parameters to crop resistance to stress factors
- Evaluation of genetic resources under controlled conditions
- Growing pot and field trials
- Testing and verification of methods on different plant models
Primary biological material: Wheat genetic resources
Methods focus: Photosynthetic, photoprotection and structural parameters
🔬 Research Environment
The Institute of Plant and Environmental Sciences has installed sophisticated systems and portable equipment enabling rapid measurements of large sets of genetic resources.
Key capabilities:
- Non-destructive techniques for physiological screening
- Optical sensing of growth and reflectance parameters
- Evaluation of plant physiological expressions under field or laboratory conditions
- High citation index of Department’s publications over the last five years
📋 Expected Outcomes
- Theoretical knowledge with potential for publication in high quality scientific journals
- Refinement of comprehensive methodologies for screening crop genetic resources
- Practical applications for breeding programs
✅ Qualifications
Required
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Education | MSc degree in Agricultural or Natural Sciences (plant physiology, plant biophysics, biochemistry or related) |
| Knowledge | Plant physiology essential; at least basic knowledge of methods in plant physiology |
| Language English | Intermediate level minimum |
| Language Slovak | Good (for research in Slovakia) |
Desirable
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Skills | Modelling and statistical data analysis |
💼 What They Offer
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Duration | PhD study |
| Start Date | September 1, 2026 |
| Location | Nitra, Slovakia |
| Hours | 37.5 hours per week |
| Workplace | Institute of Plant and Environmental Sciences, FAFR, SPU Nitra |
👨🏫 Supervisor
doc. Ing. Prof. Marek Živčák, PhD.
Institute of Plant and Environmental Sciences, FAFR, SPU in Nitra
📝 How to Apply
🌐 Additional Information: http://www.uniag.sk/sk/
📅 Application Deadline: May 31, 2026 – 23:59 (Europe/Bratislava)
Useful Links
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