Deadline for applications: 07/11/2024

Application process open *

The Cyprus Institute (CyI) is a European non-profit Science and Technology oriented Educational and Research Institution based in Cyprus and led by an acclaimed Board of Trustees. The research agenda of the CyI is pursued at its five Research Centres: The Computation-based Science and Technology Research Centre (CaSToRC), the Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Centre (STARC), the Energy Environment Water Research Centre (EEWRC), the Climate and Atmosphere Research Centre (CARE-C), and the Science and Technology Driven Policy and Innovation Research Centre (STeDI-RC). Considerable cross-centre interaction is a characteristic of the Institute’s culture.

The Cyprus Institute invites applications for a highly qualified and motivated individual to join the Institute as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Impacts and Policy Department (IPD) of CARE-C. The selected candidate will join a research team that aims to support early warning systems against vector-borne diseases using climate-sensitive population dynamics and disease transmission modelling.

In general, the successful candidate is expected to:

• Conduct research to further develop research skills and competencies, and publishing novel and significant results in selective peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
• Contribute to all aspects of sponsored Research, Innovation and/or Development projects (including conducting research, co-authoring publications, implementing deliverables, reporting activities, dissemination activities, etc).
• Contribute to new grant proposals preparation.

More specifically the successful candidate will engage in the Climate-Driven Vector-Borne Disease Risk Assessment (VEClim) project, which aims to develop a web-based geographic information and decision support platform to inform the public and enable the design of efficient, cost-effective, and ecologically sound and sustainable vector control measures to prevent future outbreaks and spreading of vector-borne infectious diseases.

The successful candidate is expected to support current research at the CyI on climate sensitive vector-borne disease risk modelling and digital technology development to enable the public, decision makers, and researchers access the assessment of climate change impacts. For this, the ability to collaboratively develop client-server applications, to perform impact assessment through numerical modelling, and to produce high-quality research output are essential.

The period of the appointment will be for a duration of 24 months. An internationally competitive remuneration package will be offered, which is commensurate with the level of experience of the successful candidate.

Job Specific Responsibilities:

1. Contributing to the development of the VEClim Platform (https://veclim.com) , climate-sensitive vector population and disease transmission model repository, and the environmental variables and vector surveillance databases.
2. Performing internationally competitive scientific research through climate-sensitive vector dynamics and vector-borne disease transmission modelling.

General Responsibilities:

• Conduct research, innovation and development activities based on project requirements.
• Collect and analyse data as stipulated by project specifications and supervision.
• Write research papers in collaboration with the line manager and other peers.
• Present results at conferences and meetings and contribute to journal publications.
• Contribute to research proposal preparation, scientific reporting, and project management.
• Provide mentoring and guidance to Graduate Research Fellows and Research Engineers, if applicable.
• Contribute to dissemination activities (such as public seminars or targeted talks), promoting external recognition at the national and international levels.
• Contribute to planning and organization of Center-level and Institute-level internal and external events (such as workshops, conferences) to promote external recognition at the national and international levels.
• Provide independent input related to research directions, methodologies, etc.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Epidemiology, or a relevant subject
• Relevant publications in scientific journals or peer-reviewed conferences.
• Participation in scientific conferences.
• Research experience in public health data analysis or epidemiological modelling.
• Experience in scientific scripting and programming languages, such as R, Python, Julia, or C/C++.
• Good command of the Linux operating system.
• Understanding of biological and ecological, as well as mathematical concepts.
• Experience in conducting peer-reviewed research in the relevant field.
• Demonstrated record of publications and conference presentations.
• Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Proficiency in English (written and verbal).
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in working in HPC environments.
• Experience in software development (e.g., desktop or mobile applications, front- or back-end development).
• Experience in working with complex computer modelling systems.

Application

For full consideration, interested applicants should process their application at The Cyprus Institute Exelsys Platform (https://bit.ly/3HDLRTw) based on the instructions given. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae including a short letter of interest, list of publications and a list of three (3) referees (including contact information) (all documentation should be in English and in PDF Format). For further information, please contact Dr Kamil Erguler (k.erguler@cyi.ac.cy). Please note that applications which do not fulfill the required qualifications and do not follow the announcement’s guidelines will not be considered.

*Recruitment will continue until the application process is marked as closed

The Cyprus Institute is an Equal Opportunities Employer certified from the Cypriot Ministry of Labor and also an HRS4R accredited Institution that adheres to the European Commission’s “Charter & Code” principles for recruitment and selection.

Contact person: Kamil Erguler

Reference number: CARE-C_PDF_24_15